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The people of Okinawa developed unique forms of self-defense around the 14th century, when island which is located 300 miles south of Japan was divided into three kingdoms:Hokusai, chuzan, and namzan. When king hashi, from the chuzan district conquered the kingdoms of nanzan and hokuzan and unified Okinawa, he banned all weapons which was to last for centuries, but the subsequent opening of trade, Chinese Indonesian, malayas and Thais glimpses of south east Asian forms of an armed self-defense. With these insights that ingenious omens worked hard to develop their own weapon, fighting as a means of survival from the constant presence of outside browsers. The foot techniques with thoughts of have originated or originated from Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand) in the hand technique from early forms of Chinese kung fu and kempo. The kung fu influences are noticeable in Okinawas karate utilization of circular open hand blocking techniques.

In developing their own self-defense art, the Okinawan's learned to pound their hands and feet against trees and rocks so they could penetrate an aggressor's armor. In training, they often had death matches among themselves called Kakidameshi. These battles were to see who had the most lethal techniques. The Okinawan system that was developing was first referred to as Te (meaning hand.) By the late 1880's, the term Karate (lang hand or empty hand) came into use. Karate was first brought out of it's intense secrecy and exposed to the public about 1903. At this time, there were three main systems of fighting in Okinawa, all named after the three principal cities in which they flourished: Naha-Te, Shuri-Te, and Tomari-Te. Many other systems developed from these three such as Shorin Ryu from Shuri-Te. Within Shorin Ryu three main branches formed: Shobayashi-Ryu Shorin-Ryu, Kobayashi-Ry Shorin Rye, and Matsubayashi-Ryu Shorin Ryu. Naha-Te is divided into two styles: Goju-Ryu and Vechi-Ryu. There is little known about Tomari-Te, a system similar to Naha-Te.

Master Shimiboku , founder of the isshin Ryu Karate System, was born September 9, 1908 in Kivan Village on the island of Okinawa. While his mother worked hard raising a family, his father owned and operated a prosperous meat store in the village. As a young boy, Shimabuku's involvement in the martial arts came about out of necessity. His older brother was bully who constantly hit and harassed him. When Shimabuku finally couldn't take it anymore, and got up the courage to tell his father of his brother's abusive behavior, Shimabuku was quite stunned by his father's response. Instead of coming to his aid and reprimanding his brother, his father told him to go to Naha (capitol of Okinawa) and learn Karate so he could defend himself.

The rather abrupt advice was actually the best thing he could have received because it made him determined to show everyone he would never be in a defenseless situation again.

At the age of 15, Shimabuku travelled by foot some 15 miles to Naha and sought out the dojo of Motobu Chok 1871-1944), his first known instructor. Motobu Sensei was a legend in his own time, known for his awesome size Hength, and great fighting ability. Motobu was nicknamed "Saru" (Monkey) because of his exceptional leaping abilities He trained in Karate by himself developing fighting techniques, engaging in Makiwara exercises, and heavy rock lifting Master Shimabuku arrived at Motobu's dojo, Motobu took one look at the skinny young man and told him to practice, so he could see from an attacker. Although dejected, Shimabuk would not give up, appearing at the dojo gates everyday trying to mimic the students movements. Finally Motobu invited Shimabuku in. Shimabuku spent his first time in Karate, When he told him of his plight at home, Motobu accepted him. Though admited, is patiene. sincerity ard perseveranies the dojo and tending Motobu’s garden. This was often done by Masters to test a student's patience sincerity and perseverance. Satisfied with Shimabuku's humble character, Motobu trained to teach him fundamental hand and foot techniques, sparring, and morin aya training. Atter one month with Motobu, Shimabuku began his studies with Shorin ha (small woods) Master Chotoku Kiyan (1870-1945), who he had heard about through a friend. Another renowned teacher, Kiyan, taught in Kadena village where Shimaukus talent, Kivanies daily to and from the dojo. Very impressed with young Shimabuku's talent, Kiyan immediately accepted him as a student. Serin Ryu, a style known for it's graceful, quick, and powerful movements that utilizes hard, direct and soft circular blocks, greately impressed Shimabuku. Shimabuku learned the following katas, which he later refined and incorporated into Isshin Ryu, Seisan, Naihanchi, Wansu, Chinto and Kusanku.

When Shimabuku began to study Shorin Ryu, his brother made the mistake of

trying to beat him up again. It was the last time his brother ever spoke aggressively or touched him again. After teaching his brother a lesson he never forgot the destructive power of Karate and that it should only be taught as a defensive art to be used as a last resort.

Shimabuku studied Shorin Ryu under Master Kiyan for about two years and was ranked as his number one student during that time. Then there were no belt rankings only titles such as number one student, number two student, etc., Being ranked number one would easily equal a high dan ranking.

Having achieved great proficiency in Shorin Ryu, Shimabuku's love of Karate and thirst for knowledge led him to seek out trained Okinawan Goju Ryu (hard soft) Master Chojun Miyagi. (1888-1953) Goju Ryu is a system of hard Okinawan Karate with soft early Chinese forms. Goju Ryu is noted for it's dramatic breathing methods: of which two types are practiced: In-Ibuki, soft but firm breathing from deep in the abdomen and Yo-buki, the hard form. This hard and soft breathing teaches one to tighter the body to withstand an attacker's blow. Miyagi Sensei taught Shimabuku two Katas, which he again later refined and modified into Isshin Ryu, Seiunchin (war kata) and Sanchin (hour glass stance kata). Shimabuku spent two years perfecting these forms As with Chotoku Kiyan, Shimabuku was ranked as Miyagi's number one student.

With his mastery of Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu complete, Shimabuku next sought out the Kobu-Jutsu (study of weapens)

Weapons Master, Taira Shinken (1902-1970). At the time, he was the world's greatest expert in the bo and sai.

Master Shimabuku believed strongly in the learning of weapons, feeling a karate system without weaponry was incomplete

He saw the continuation of weapons training as a way of preserving an important part of Okinawan culture and the Samura lighting spirit. He also felt weapons offered the practitioner a new challenge once he mastered empty hand karate techniques Ancient weapons are also effective self-defense instruments that can be used during any time period not matter how sophisticated our culture becomes. Master Shimabuku had a great personal love for weaponry and practice, perfecting the Bo and sai every day of his life.

Goju Ryu, he later refined and modified them into his isshin Ryu system. They are Bo 1, named Tokumine - No-Kun. The name means, of the Tokumine family who first developed this kata, Bo 2, named Urashe, Urashe is the name of the village where this kata originated, bo 3, named Shishi - No-Kun-No-Dai, means instructor of the big bo because this Kata is the longest Isshi Ryu Bo form. Shimabuku first taught this kata in 1967, after almost 20 years of perfecting it. Sai, named Kusanku Sai, means night fighting with Sai; Sai 2, named Chatanyara-No-Sai, name derived from the Chantan village where it was developed by the Yara family. Bo-Bo Kumite, this is two Bo practitioners fighting against each other in a set pattern that has ten important techniques inside. Bo-Sai Kumite, similar to Bo-Bo except a Sai is used to fight a Bo attacker. It also Contains an important set of ten prearranged movements. The weapons and advanced hand and foot katas are features in my Encyclopedia of isshin Ryu books

2, 3. 4 & 5.

Just priar to Worid War II, Master Shimabuku was recognized throughout the Ryukyu Istands as one of the leading

Auditioners of Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu Karate. He won fame and recognition at a large martial arts festival where he impressed everyone with his flawless kata performances. He also shocked the spectators with his ability to bang nails into wood with the bare side of his hands. Besides teaching karate to a small select group of people Shimabuke was also a businessman, owning a small concrete manufacturing company. With the arrival of the allied forces. The islands and his company was completely destroyed and he went bankrupt. Seeing his homeland crumble into the ocean, shimabuko Kiyaziki, Japan, where he worked as a farmer and trained religiously In his beloved karate. It was during his exile that he had thoughts about developing his own system of karate.

Upon his return to Okinawa after the war, he again took up farming and practiced karate privately for his own spiritual and physical exercise. In the early ‘50’s, he began to again teach a small select group of people in the courtyard of his home. Teaching every day now, he began to see what he felt with flaws in the system he had learned. The three major areas he felt needed modification were blocking punching and fist techniques. He noticed that when the students practice, hard partner blocking techniques, they often broke their wrist because of the hard contact being made to the bone with the old traditional blocks. He felt that by keeping the wrist straight and blocking with the muscle of the forearm injuries would be eliminated, and they were.

The second important change was in punching technique with his great insight and innovative nature, Shimaboku notice that the turning of the fist at the last moment when punching had been limitations. Turning of the fist only lasts for one point of focus, which is at the very end of the punch. What happens if you attack moves in on you before you complete the return? The turning motion allows the punch and locking of the elbow to be eliminated, this causes injuries. When the elbow is locked, it can easily be broken with a direct blocking technique. Locking the elbow also leave your arm easy pray for judo or jiu-jitsu practitioners, throwing or locking technique. Master Shimiboku also noticed that even though he was teaching the traditional corpse group parts, students were not using it when sparring. Instead, they instinctively punched straight without turning for quickness and greater power. Shimiboku’s reasoning upon witnessing this numerous times was why do we train one way, but use another and combat.

So, for the purpose of greater speed and power, master shimiboku implemented the straight, vertical punch into a system. With hands flat on the hips, instead of palms turned up as the traditional punch, the vertical punch is able to go with great destruction at any distance instead of at the last moment of extension as with the traditional punch. Also the Isshin Ryu straight punch strikes with 98% extension instead of full elbow lock out, as a traditional punch which he helped prevent it from damaging blocks or strikes that could easily break your arm.

To change with the vertical punch, master shimiboku developed the unique vertical fist, which has become the trademark on the Isshin Ryu system. Unlike other strikes of karate, who keep the thumb down around the fingers, Isshin Ryu places to throw on top of fingers. Through constant experimentation master shimiboku found that the thumb on top race chords on the upper wrist, making the wrist, much stronger and stable phone contact with the Makiwana or when breaking. The thumb on top also speeds up the vertical straight punch and helps protect the thumb from catching on the uniform when striking out. The Isshin Ryu fist also enables the bones of the hands and wrist to be perfectly straight when swung to improve damage upon impact.

You must consider that all the innovative techniques introduced master shimiboku or developed after years of research and experimentation. Everything he introduced us from the express purpose of improving a techniques, effectiveness and execution, and never done this for sale. Like most things are new master Shimiboku’s innovations were met with mixed feelings in the beginning by the martial arts community those with inside praised his development wow some were upset and saw him as a rebel upsetting the tradition of ancient ways. Regardless of what they said master shimiboku never swayed from his beliefs, and he was rewarded by Isshin Ryus growth and popularity as one of the world’s most know karate styles and was a system loved and respected by thousands of practitioners for the beauty, effectiveness, and positive character building qualities it offers.

As you can see, Isshin Ryu is made up of what master Shimiboku felt to be the best elements of Shorin Ryu, Goju Ryu, and Kobe Jitsu. The only kata not derivative of the systems is Sunsu, which the master himself developed and is the last empty hand kata student runs before testing for black belt. Sunsu is the longest of the Isshin hand and foot forms in master Shimiboku’s favorite kata. There’s an interesting story asked to the name Sunsu. Up until he was 50 years old, master Shimiboku’s nickname was dragon man. This was changed in 1952 to Sunnu–su meaning “stone strong man”. This new nickname was given to him by the mayor of kiyan village. The mayor was so impressed by the masters power and Sanchins breathing technique that he named Shimiboku Sunnu–Su. The nickname comes from the legendary stone in the ocean near Shiyoya City in Okinawa legend is the stone, that sits in the water, protects the city and can never be moved. Master. Shimiboku had the same movable power when doing Sanchin kata.

In 1953, when master shimiboku was about to formally present his system to the world, after 10 years of development, he was still struggling us to name it for his styles. When discussing this with this with one of his students, Mr. Kanaeshi Ekio, Ekio Sensei replied, without hesitation, he should call it Isshin Ryu meaning “one heart system”. Master Shimiboku embrace his students recommendation because he felt the name Isshin Ryu stood for all him, felt cry to me. The “one heart” signifies a man’s character. And other words Shimiboku felt a person’s heart or character was more important than his physical abilities. A person with four manners, a bad character possess a bad heart and has no place in his karate system Shimiboku always said a karate dash man is a first a gentleman who shows respect and courtesy to everyone, not intimidation and fear because of his karate skills . Master Shimiboku saw Isshin Ryu as a positive character building art and all Isshin Ryu practitioners must keep in mind that they represent not only their school and teacher, but Okinawa, master Shimiboku, myself, and every other Isshin Ryu stylist in the wall today. If a Isshin Ryu stylist act in a bad manner, it reflects on all of us in the negative way and goes against everything master Shimiboku and his one heart always stands for. He saw Isshin Ryu as a way to better one’s life, not as an art or violence. To the master, karate has four purposes; to strengthen the mind and body, to install self discipline, to instill, self-confidence, and to gain a means of self protection, the knowledge of which should never be misused.

With Isshin Ryus announcement in 1953, master Shimiboku became a very busy man.

In 1956, he opened his first public  dojo in Agena, which was to become his main school, of which I helped to instruct daily at. As master Shimiboku’s reputation spread, many United States servicemen station on Okinawa sought out his dojo. Training was hard and brutal, then and very few for beginners lasted the rigs of Okinawam karate. It’s the few early hard-working G.I. S who made it to black belt and went back home to open schools that helped to quickly popularize Isshin Ryu throughout the world.

In 1960,  master Shimiboku open a second dojo in Kin–son village near US military base camp Hansen, which is approximately 15 miles north of Agena the school flourished for four years and then was moved directly onto camp Hanson base in 1964, when the US government contracted master Shimiboku to teach the military.

In 1964 master Shimiboku travel for the first time to the United States spending three months in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with sensei James mortobito. The master again journey to America for the last time in 1966, for three months visiting various dojo’s among them Steve Armstrong’s in Seattle, Washington, and Harry Acklin in Ohio. Master Shimiboku received a request to travel to dig all over the road, but he never enjoyed the wreckers of traveling or leaving the beloved homeland. So it is not to friend people who requested his services, 1967 master Shimiboku send me his personal representative to carry on his teaching through seminars and lectures. I enjoy spending the teaching of master Shimiboku and will continue to do so as long as it’s physically possible.

In his latest years, besides teaching karate, he became a fortuneteller. People from all over Okinawa saw him out for his advice, wisdom and visions about their futures. His protections were 75% correct.

Master Shimiboku was a great man that I respected and love like a father. He was a karate man whose moves were years ahead of their time, with the martial arts would just now fully understanding and realizing the importance of his historical accomplishments. The Isshin Ryu vertical punch can I be seen being used not only by Isshin Ryu styles, but by other schools of karate as well, for its greater speed and power.

Master Shimiboku died at the age of 68 on May 30, 1975 at 10:45 PM a very personal universal loss.