his book lists all the persons in the sphere of Okinawan Karate and Kobudo active at the time of publishing, i.e. 1993. It contains invaluable informations for research, as it not only gives ranks, biographies, etc. of the persons, but also small interviews and the life mottoes of them.
It is very hard to find today. actually there seem to be no copies available even in Japan right now. In only know of two people who own it. The prefectural library owns a copy too, though. The following is the entry on Kyan Shin’ei, founding member of Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do.
Kyan Shin’ei, Hanshi Kudan (9. Dan)
Advisor to the Sekai Matsubayashi-ryû Karate-dô Renmei and the Okinawa Dentô Kobudô Hozonkai
Kyan Shinei, 1955. Photo taken during a interview with all leaders of the Kodokan Matsubayashi Hobu Dojo, including Nagamine Shoshin, Kushi Jokei, Nakamura Seigi, and others.
Kyan Shinei, 1955. Photo taken during a interview with all leaders of the Kodokan Matsubayashi Hobu Dojo, including Nagamine Shoshin, Kushi Jokei, Nakamura Seigi, and others.
- From the town of Kitanakagusuku, born July 25th, 1912
- April 1927: entry to Okinawa Prefectural Teachers College (Shihan-gakkō)
- March 1932: graduation of the first division of the regular course on the same school
- March 1933: completion of the non-degree course for graduates at the same school
- April 1922: becomes a student of Kina Shosei (Shuri-te, Saijutsu)
- April 1927: joins the Karate-Club of the teachers college. Becomes student of Yabu Kentsū as well as Ōshiro Chōjo (Karate und Bō)
- March 1933: short term active duty as a soldier in the 2. infantry regiment
- September 1933: becomes licensed elementary school teacher at Yara Kōtō Shōgakkō
- July 1934: together with Nagamine Shōshin and Gushi Jokei: sympathy calls at army doing martial arts performances
- January 1946: becomes school inspector at the educational department
- June 1953: nation-wide pilgrimage fund-raising campaign with Saijutsu performances for reconstruction of war-damaged school buildings (together with Yara Chōbyō [well-known Okinawan politician and teacher, 1902-1997])
- April 1958: section manager for health and physical education within the department of education of the Ryūkyū government
- July 1960: head of the secretariat of Okinawa-ken Kyōshokuinkai (Assembly of Teachers of Okinawa Prefecture)
- November 1960: President of Okinawa-ken Sokoku Hukki Kyōgikai (Prefectural Meeting for the Return of Okinawa to Japan)
- November 1968: President of Okinawa-ken Kyōshokuinkai (Assembly of Teachers of Okinawa Prefecture)
- November 1970: elected into the Japanese House of Councillors (re-elected 5 times since than)
- October 1991: Awarded the title Hanshi Kudan (9. Dan) of Sekai Matsubayashi-ryû Karate-dō Renmei
- January 1993: Awarded the title Hanshi Kudan (9. Dan) of Okinawa Dentō Kobudō Hozonkai
Most Important Positions
- member of the House of Councillors, representative of the Club of the two houses of legislature
- Counsellor of Okinawa-ken Karate-dō Rengôkai
Encounters in Karate (memories on other teachers)
„Kina Shōsei, my teacher in Karate and Kobudō (Saijutsu), also was a teacher at my school. In my school years Kina Sensei would trouble me and would have me come to his house every night, were he taught me in the two ways – bun und bu (the literal and the martial arts) and he actually treated me like his own child. And then a friend of the master invited me to Tōkyō, in order to show me the National Diet (parliament). I felt so proud and honored to have been chosen from among his students .“
Life’s mottoes
- “Only to follow the technique of the weaponsless hand, without carrying weapons: In Karate there is no first attack!”
- “Karate-dō is the spirit of peace. One can say that it is the spirit of Okinawa.”
© 2011 – 2015, Andreas Quast. All rights reserved.