Ryukyu Kingdom and Shōrin Kai
Regarding the Relationship between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Shōrin Kai
From the 1500s, the Royal Shō Family of the Ryukyu Kingdom flourished through active trade with Southeast Asia and China for over 400 years, establishing a prosperous kingdom.
Karate-do, which developed as a martial art to protect the king, fused with the martial arts of Southeast Asia and China and uniquely developed in the Ryukyus
The Connection between Shōrin Kai and the Royal Shō Family
Chotei, the fifth son and member of the Shō family, cultivated the Ryukyu's first tea within his territory in 1624. Subsequently, tea cultivation began in Anpacha, Urasoe City, and the ancestors of the Kakinohana family were put in charge of it by command of the king.
For this reason, they were dispatched by the Shō family from Okinawa main island to Miyako Island. During that era, the Shō family and Miyako Island had a friendly relationship, and it is believed that the Kakinohana family branched off from the Shō family and relocated as a clan to manage the territory under the authority of the Shō family.
At that time, the Kakinohana family received the name "惠 (Kei)" from the Shō family, which continues to this day. (source: publicly known biography)
Regarding the Current Shōrin Kai (尚倫會)
Mr. Kakinohana Keishun (垣花惠春), whose father is a fourth-generation descendant of the Kakinohana family's ancestors, inherited the lineage of Shuri-te, which was tasked with protecting the king, starting in 1990.
He received his first-dan from Mr. Chibana Chōshin, the master who officially named the Shōrin-ryu style. Mr. Kakinohana is currently a Hanshi 10th Dan.
Mr. Kakinohana’s genealogy is deeply connected to the royal family. Thus, he is a truly important figure among Okinawan martial artists of the Shōrin-ryu lineage.
The Shōrin Kai and its "Karate Family" are, and will continue to be, increasingly trusted and a source of pride for karate practitioners around the world.
Sensei Keishun Kakinohana, whose father is four generations removed from the ancestor of the Kakinohana family, established Shōrin RyuShōrin Kai in 1990, inheriting the Shuri Te style that protected the king.
He received his first dan from the direct lineage of Shōrin Ryu, Chibana Chōshin Sensei, and currently holds the rank of Hanshi 10th Dan.
Sensei Kakihana's lineage is deeply connected to the Royal Family, making him one of the most important karateka in the world of karate and the Shōrin Ryu system.
Thus, the Shōrin Kai Karate Family holds an increasingly trusted position within the global karate community, which is a source of pride from now into the future.
Shōrin Ryu Okinawan Karate Do’s Founder, Chōshin Chibana Sensei
Chōshin Chibana Sensei is one of the progenitors who established the foundation of Okinawan karate, now widely popular around the world. Inheriting the Shuri Te lineage of Matsumura Sokon (Kensei) Sensei and training under Itosu Anko Sensei, he was a person based in the mainstream of Shuri Te, who changed the name from Shuri Te to Shōrin Ryu in 1933.
Early Life
Chibana Sensei was born in Shuri’s Toribori District in 1885. His uncle, Chibana Chōsho, the head of the Chibana family, was a politician who served as the first Shuri Ward Chief and as a karate master under Matsumura Sokon.
The Chibana family was a Shuri samurai family whose ancestors were Prince Asaharu Kofuhira, the fifth son of King Shō Shitsu. During the Ryukyu Kingdom era, the family was known as Chibana Donchi, and Chōshin was born into a branch of this family. He was a distant relative of Motobu Choki, who was also a descendant of King Shō Shitsu.
Military History (Career)
In 1899, at the age of 15, he became a student of the Shuri Te master, Anko Itosu, and trained in karate for 13 years until he was 28 years old. At the eage of 34, he opened a dojo in Toribori Cho and later moved it to Kumoji. He studied at the Okinawan Karate Research Association with the masters of karate at that time. In 1933, he named his karate style Shōrin Ryu.
After the war, Chibana Sensei returned to Shuri and immediately resumed teaching karate in Gibo District, Shuri. In 1948, he founded the Okinawan Shōrin Ryu Karate Do Association and became its first president. Since then, many skilled disciples have been trained in the Shōrin Ryu style, and it continues to this day, with the Shōrin Kai style also based on the origins of Shōrin Ryu.
Features of Shōrin Ryu
Shōrin Ryu training is characterized by natural breathing techniques, avoidance ofunnecessary tension, freeextension of the limbs, andan emphasis on forms based on movements with explosive power. In addition, training with the makiwara (striking post) is carried out to develop the devastating power of a strong strike (“atifa” in Uchinaaguchi).
Chibana Sensei placed great importance on being able to do this, and made it his last teaching, as follows:
Arms as strong as iron, Legs like spears
Shōrin Ryu Shōrin Okinawan Karate Do Association
Kakinohana Keishyun, GrandMaster
An auspicious day in January, 2022