In postwar Okinawa the representatives of karate established the OKINAWA KARATE-DŌ RENMEI in May 1956 (see also my other article). The styles were Uechi-ryū, Gōjū-ryū, Shōrin-ryū and Matsubayashi-ryū. As a result, systematization of the styles was gradually pushed forward.
In the Okinawan kobudō circles, however, the situation was that it still continued a long time without systematization. It was only in June 1961 that the persons involved in kobudō gathered to maintain and hand down the traditional and correct kata of Okinawa. To this end, the Okinawa Kobudō Kyōkai was founded. Higa Seitoku assumed responsibility as the 1st chairman.
The picture shows the souvenir photo taken on June 17, 1961, for the founding of the Okinawa Kobudō Kyōkai.
- Front row, from left: 2nd person: Takara Shigeru. 9th person: Soken Hōhan [Shōrin-ryū Matumura Seitō]. 10th person: Nakazato Jōen (later founder of Shōrin-ji-ryū).
- Second row, from left: 1st person: Irei Matsutarō. 3rd person: Kyan Shin’ei (later member of the Japanese House of Lords), Kina Shōsei (Ufuchiku Kobujutsu), Kaneshima Shinsuke ([Tozan-ryū] the former mayor of Yonabaru), Higa Seitoku ([Bugeikan] later founder of the Shintō-ryū), unknown, Nakasone Seiyū, Nakaima Kenkō (3rd Sōke of Ryūei-ryū).
- Third row, from left: 3rd person: Nohara Hoichi (Nohara no Ojisan; teacher of bōjutsu from the former Kochinda-mura), 4th person: Araki (Shinjō) Heitarō, 10th person: Chinen Masami [Yamani.ryū]. 11th person: Shimabukuro Zenryō [Shōrin-ryū Seibukan]. 12th person: Shimabukuro Tarō.
- Fourth row, from left: 7th person: Nakamura Shigeru.
- Back row, from left: 6th person: Ishikawa Hōei. 8th person: Nakamura Heisaburō.
- The others are not identified.
Souvenir photo taken on June 17, 1961, for the founding of the Okinawa Kobudō Kyōkai. OKKJ 2008: 606.
© 2015, Andreas Quast. All rights reserved.