By: Kyoshi James Lilley, Hachidan
When traced back through time the lineage of our style takes us back to a time where what we know as Kobayashi Ryu or Shorin Ryu was called Shuri-te. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the name was changed to Shorin Ryu. A copy of the Shuri-te lineage chart lists many of the names shown in our lineage, including Mr. Katsuya Mirahira, 10th Degree Black Belt and former President of the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate Association.
Anko Itosu (1832-1916) is widely known as the originator of what is often termed modern karate. Itosu was born in Yamagwa Village and began to study karate under Sokon Matsumura. According to Mr. Miyahira, Itosu took Sokon Matsumura’s Naihanchi Kata and simplified it. He is also credited with developing the Chinese corkscrew punch into its present form and making up the Pinan katas. It has been said that Itosu was physically very powerful and believed that the body should be able to withstand the hardest blows. Therefore, he also believed that blocking an opponent’s attack was unnecessary. Of course, other masters disagreed with that belief, including his own teacher, Matsumura.
Choshin Chibana (1885-1969) taught Itosu’s style of karate on
Okinawa and is said to have officially called the style Shorin Ryu in
1935. Most records indicate that Chibana was turned away twice from Itosu’s
dojo before he was finally allowed to enter at the age of 15. He taught
karate at the Shuri police station from 19545 to 1958. In 1956 he formed
the Okinawan Karate-do Federation and was its first president. Two years
later he resigned from that position and formed the Okinawa Shorin Ryu
Karate-do Association. After Chibana’s death in 1969, Mr. Katsuya Miyahira
became president of the Association.
Chibana believed that because karate was a martial art it should not be taught as a sport or as a mere physical exercise. Chibana said that “During practice one should forget everything and gather one’s spiritual energy together so that head, eyes, hands and feet become united and the finger and toes should become like spears so that a single kick or punch can kill. To achieve this goal takes long, constant and careful practice, overdoing things will only result in harm.” It was also said that Chibana believed that a person should adopt and develop katas to suit that person’s own body and temperament. He also said, “With age the body gets stronger, but reaching the 50s and 60s one must slow down; then a different kind of strength develops.”
Chibana’s most important principles were said to be:
1. To understand the kata and measure the improvement in physique so that several times a person’s normal strength will develop.
2. In martial arts speed is essential
3. With karate kata practice a person’s perception will become acute and one’s strikes powerful.
Even at the age of 80 Choshin Chibana still believed he had a long way to go in the learning of the martial arts. During his lifetime Mr. Chibana gave many demonstations and gave his last in 1968 although he was dying of cancer. Even then he still amazed his audience.
Katsuya Miyahira (1918), 10th Degree Black Belt, and former president
of the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate Association, began his training in the
martial arts at the age of 13. At that time, in the high schools, boys
were required to study either Kendo or Judo. Mr. Miyahira studied Judo
under Mr. Itokazu and reached the rank of nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt)
by the time he was 18. After school he went to Mr. Chibana’s house where
he practiced karate and according to one record he began his study at
the age of 15. While attending Okinawa Prefecture Number One School which
is now Shuri High School, Mr. Miyahira also studied karate under Anbun
Tokuda and later under Chokki Motobu.
During the Second World War Mr. Miyahira worked as a school teacher in Manchuria where he also taught self-defense. After the war he returned to Okinawa and taught karate in his garden at Kaneku Village in Nishihara, assisting Choshin Chibana at Asato. He later moved to Tsuboya in Naha and opened a dojo in Goeku in Koza while teaching karate twice a week at the University of the Ryukyus in Shuri. At Goeku, Mr. Miyahira taught many American servicemen. He said, “Most of them did not last long.”
In 1956 Mr. Miyahira built a wooden dojo called Shidokan behind his house in Tsuboya where he has taught karate ever since. In 1995 when members of our dojo went to Okinawa they were honored to be invited to visit with Miyahira Sensei in that very school. I first met Mr. Miyahira in 1964 when Mr. Miyagi took me and another Marine to one of his classes. Before entering the dojo to watch his class we were asked to sit and drink tea with him in his house. Although I was still an novice in those days with a long way to go, I considered it an honor to be asked to sit and share tea with him. I had no idea back then what was on the road ahead, but as time passed I was humbled to receive promotion certificates for 6th and 7th Dan from Mr. Miyahira, as well as my Teacher’s Certification. Then in 1997 I was one of ten teachers from around the world to be honored at a banquet and presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from Miyahira Sensei.
Mr. Miyahira has said that there only slight differences between the Shorin styles taught on Okinawa, but in comparision with the Shorin-derived styles in Japan, the difference is great. The basic forms on the Japanese mainland have varied from the Okinawa forms to such an extent that he considers the punches, blocks and kicks to be ineffective. Mr. Miyahira said, “Correct basic form is the utmost importance.”
Mr. Miyahira even though he considers himself retired, he still works out every day.
Mr.
Takeshi Miyagi (1935), 10th Degree Black Belt, began his training
in gymnastics at the age of 15. When he was 17 he started his karate training
under Mr. Ishikawa. When he first started he tried to keep it a secret
from his family because they did not want him to practice karate. At meal
time he tried to eat and hide his hands under the table so his family
wouldn’t see his knuckles. But, soon they told him they knew he was practicing
karate and said it was okay.
Mr. Miyagi was never actually promoted to the rank of Shodan (1st Degree Black Belt) because early on there was no Dan ranking system. When the Okinawan Karate-do Federation was established in 1956 they began a ranking system. Mr. Miyagi was promoted to Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt) by Mr. Nagamine who was president of the Federation at that time. In 1958 Mr. Choshin Chibana left the Okinawan Karate-do Federation and started the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate-do Association. Mr. Miyagi received his 4th, 5th, and 6th Degree Black Belt promotions from Mr. Chibana as well as his Teacher’s Certification. He was promoted to Godan in 1963 and Rokudan in 1966. We was awarded his certificate for Kudan (9th Degree Black Belt) in March of 1993 and his Judan (10th Degree Black Belt) in June of 2002.
Mr. Miyagi studied under several different teachers and told me he learned the following from them.
From Mr. Hoei Ishikawa, who was also his gymnastics teacher, he learned Kihon Kata 1 and 2 and Kumite.
From Mr. Shigeru Takara he learned Seisan, Passia, Chinto, Chatanyara No Kusanku and the Sai.
He practiced Gojuryu and Shorin Ryu under Mr. Kensei Kinjo.
He learned the Sai and Bo from Hohan Soken.
He learned the kata Unshu from Mr. Chokei Takamine.
When he studied under Mr. Katsuya Miyahira he learned Naihanchi 1,2, and 3, Pinana 1,2,3,4, and 5, Passia Sho and Dai, Kusanku Sho and Dai, Chinto, Gojushiho, Jion and Koryu Passai.