Seibukan Karate School at Franklin Family YMCA - About Seibukan Karate at Franklin Family YMCA

Read the full history of Shorin-Ryu Seibukan from

"Shorin-Ryu Seibukan: Kyan's Karate" by Zenpo Shimabukuro and Dan Smith

SHORIN-RYU SEIBUKAN KARATE-DO

SEI-BU-KAN = HOLY ART SCHOOL

KARATE-DO = EMPTY-HAND WAY

Okinawa is the birthplace of karate. Karate was originally referred to as "Ti," simply meaning "hand." There were three methods of Ti that developed around the island; Nahate from Naha, Tomarite from Tomari, and Shurite from Shuri. During the introduction of Ti to mainland Japan, the term "Shorin-Ryu" was chosen to replace "Ti" to embellish the name of the martial art. Many other styles have developed from Shorin-Ryu with the spread of karate world-wide. Shorin-Ryu today exists as a "ryuha" (style or school) trained in the Shurite and Tomarite.

Chotoku Kyan learned from many Ti masters. His father, Chofu, and Sokon Matsumura, a guard to the RyuKyu King, provided the foundation of his training. Kyan described his own fighting methods as "maximum results with a minimum effort," influenced by his small stature. Kyan was never defeated in combat and was a respected master of Ti. Kyan never gave a name to his fighting style or established a school. Zenyro Shimabukuro cultivated the Ti of Chotoku Kyan into Shorin-Ryu Seibukan.

Zenryo Shimabukuro was a student of Kyan for 10 years. In 1962, Zenryo founded the Seibukan Karate School to preserve Kyan's powerful karate. After Zenyro's passing, his son, Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuro, continued in his father's footsteps to maintain Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate. Zenpo has successively spread the art of Shorin Ryu Seibukan worldwide without changing the technique his father learned from Kyan.