History
THE PLACE
Okinawa, the main island in the Ryuku Kingdom, was a vital stop for ships traveling between the great powers of Japan and China for over a thousand years. Karate (which means “empty hand”) was developed by the Okinawans as a blend of Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Chinese (often associated with Shaolin “kungfu”) arts along with a local wrestling and boxing style known as Okinawa Te.
The Ryuku Kingdom was under the control of the Japanese and Chinese at various times in its history until the final takeover by the Japanese in the late 1800s. When it was independent, its emperor lived in Shuri, Okinawa
THE STYLES
There were three main centers for the development of Karate. The first was the emperor’s own military and police systems in Shuri, with an emphasis on what might be compared to “hand to hand combat” training, in some ways similar to what every military system develops. In two nearby cities of Naha and Tomari, there also developed more street-fighting styles respectively called Naha Te and Tomari Te.
The Japanese absorption of the Ryuku Kingdom and its main island of Okinawa was a powerful and tense time for the islands. During this time the arts of Okinawa began to take on a new distinction between two basic ideas of karate practice. There was a “hard style” that focused on power and stance, breaking, weight lifting and intense breathing known now as the Goju Ryu style of karate. The other end of the scale saw the development of a more technical, footwork-oriented, slippery, fast, deceptive, and surprising strategic style of karate known as Shorin Ryu. While we study every martial art technique, this is the style at the core of our training at the Health and Karate Center. Our particular style is known as “Kobayashi” Shorin Ryu…the small forest way.
THE TEACHERS
In the late 1800’s Bushi Matsumura was a centerpiece in the development and use of what became known as Kobayashi Shorin Ryu. He performed in front of the emperor and also instructed the royal bodyguards.
Matsumura’s student Yasutsune (or “Anko” or ‘Anokin”) Itosu, was one of the greatest karate teachers ever. Itosu is credited for supervising the bringing of karate public in the Okinawan school system. He separated the Naifanshi kata, the Passai kata, and Kusanku. Not only that, he directed the creation of the five Pinan katas to help teach the classical footwork to school students. His students included Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of perhaps the biggest branch of karate, Shotokan, and Chosin Chibana.
Chosin Chibana taught in his own dojo as well as instructed the Shuri police department in the practices of close quarter hand to hand fighting and submissions. Master Chibana is noted as the first to use the term Kobayashi Shorin Ryu publicly. He died in 1969. Hanshi Shuguro Nakazato and Hanshi Naonobu Ahagon studied under Chibana. Later, Hanshi Ahagon continued his studies under Nakazato, Master Chibana’s successor.
Hanshi Naonabu Ahagon trained with Chibana until Chibana’s death, and didn’t open his Reihokan system until over 30 years ago.
Kyoshi Mike Evans of the Chico Dojo studied under Hanshi Nakazato until the early 1990’s, then he discovered Hanshi Ahagon and the Reihokan Association. He holds an 8th degree black belt rank.
Sensei Rick Bryan studies under Kyoshi Mike Evans and is the head of the Health and Karate Center. He has earned his 6th degree black belt rank.