Ōshiro Aji Shinbu 大城按司眞武 is the originator of the Ma-clan. He established the House Dana 田名家, which is the main house (大宗) of this clan. All other houses are branch houses (支流). Among these are the House Tawada 多和田家, the House Ishimine 石嶺家, the House Nishibaru 西原家, the House Sesoko 瀬底家 and others.

It is notable for Okinawa Kobudo that following the 8th generation Gima Pēchin Shinji, the “Matayoshi House of the Ma-Clan” was established by Shindai, which leads to the current family of Matayoshi Kobudo and Matayoshi Yasushi Sensei of the Kodokan. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the official genealogical record of the “Matayoshi House of the Ma-Clan” within the official genealogies of the Royal Government, so it might be lost. In such cases, family members often prepare their own lineage charts. The main problem with this is that the official genealogies of the Royal Government included duties, offices, titles etc. of the person, while private lineages made in modern times do not have such entries, and even if, they cannot be considered official.

● Nanori-gashira: Shin 眞.
● Houses within the Monchū 門中: Dana, Gima, Nagamine, Matsumura, Moromizato, Nakamine, Ishimine, Matayoshi, Isa, Yoshizato, Tawada, Iraha, Esu, Nishihara, Sesoko, Toguchi, Tōyama, Arakaki, Nagahama, Tokashiki, Yabiku.
● Episode: The “Dana-ke Monjo” (田名家文書) became a national designated cultural asset. 32 “jireisho” (辞令書, certificates of appointment) issued by the royal government to the Dana House are preserved. Gima Uēkata Shinjō 儀間親方眞常 from the Dana House is said to have been a benefactor of industries, such as the popularization of potato cultivation, cotton weaving, or the preparation of brown sugar.

In the various genealogies of this clan there are a number of hints related to martial arts of an original Ryūkyūan design.

For example, within the House Tawada 多和田家, there are heroic stories from various family members over generations. And today there are Tawada no Passai and Tawada no Sai. Since martial arts was sort-of a family business, it was also labelled Tawada-ryū 多和田流 by one Okinawan Kobudō expert.

In some of the clan members’ genealogies we find clues to a historical martial arts of an original Ryūkyūan design. Among others, these clan members served the royal government as “guard commanders” (seitō 勢頭), which is the highest position within the antique Ryūkyūan military organization called “Hiki”, such as the “Sejiaratomi” 勢治荒富, and the “Jakunitomi” 謝国富.

In this category I publish excerpts from the official genealogies of the various houses of the Ma-clan. By doing so, I hope I can shed some light again on the framework of historical martial arts of an original Ryūkyūan design.