Okinawan Karate Club of San Francisco

Karate-do originated in China during the 5th century A.D. with an Indian man's visit to the Shaolin Monastery. The visitor, known as Bodhidharma in Chinese, or Daruma in Japanese, taught the Shaolin monks a combination of ch'an meditation, Zen in Japanese, breathing, and fighting techniques. This fighting system was further developed by the monks and called Shaolin Temple Boxing. A clear connection between this ancient form and our own style, Shobayashi Shorin Ryu, is revealed through a simple linguistic analysis. Shaolin and Shorin are phonetic interpretations of the characters that mean "small forest." The Japanese pronunciation for the same characters is sho bayashi. Thus, Shorin Ryu karate is directly related to Shaolin Temple Boxing.

It took a long time, however, for this practice to expand from its place of origin. The Chinese first demonstrated their martial art in Okinawa during the 14th century, when the two countries were involved in heavy trade, but it was not until the 18th century that the art really began to spread. It was at this time that Kusanku, the Chinese military official, came to Okinawa. He allegedly gave a demonstration in 1761, which included punching, jumping, kicking, and blocking techniques and subsequently began teaching chuan fa, fist way, during his visits to Okinawa. Kusanku therefore played a major role in the expansion of this martial art.

Other important figures in the evolution of karatedo are Peichin Takahara and Tode Sakugawa. An Okinawan renowned in the indigenous art of tode, Monk Takahara was the first to explain the meaning of the word "do" as it applied to karate. He cited three aspects of do: igo, the way or spiritual aspect; ho, the self-defense application; and katsu, the life-giving or practice and understanding of the physical techniques. Tode Sakugawa, who had studied with both Takahara and Kusanku, combined the teachings of the two instructors to form a blend of chuan fa and tode called karatedo, Chinese hand way. The name of our system has thus evolved.

Some of the more prominent students of Bushi Matsumura include Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu, 1830-1915, Chotoku Kyan, 1870-1944, and Choki Motobu, 1871-1944. Itosu, known for his great strength and agility, introduced karatedo into the public school system, where he broke down the complicated Kusanku kata into five shorter forms called Pinan.

Itosu's contemporary, Kanryo Higashionna, 1845-1915, influenced Shorin Ryu in yet another way. After spending twenty years in China, Higashionna returned to Okinawa and began teaching a soft or internal style called Naha-te. Named Goju, hard-soft, Ryu by Higashionna's student Chojun Miyagi, this system became the other primary influence of Okinawan karate styles. Two of the Goju kata, Sanchin and Seiunchin, have been incorporated into Shobayashi Shorin Ryu by Shimabukuro Eizo O'Sensei, 1925-2017.

Although Shimabukuro O'Sensei studied under Miyagi before taking up Shorin Ryu, it was Chotoku Kyan who had the greatest impact upon him. Perhaps the clearest evidence of Kyan's immeasurable skill is exemplified by our own grand master Shimabukuro Eizo O'Sensei. As Kyan Sensei's top student, Shimabukuro O'Sensei was left in charge of the Shobayashi Shorin Ryu system at the time of Kyan's death.

As Kyan Sensei's top student, Shimabukuro O'Sensei, born in the village of Gushikawa on April 19, 1925, was left in charge of the Shobayashi Shorin Ryu system at the time of Kyan's death. Having received the tenth dan red belt at the age of thirty-four in 1959, Shimabukuro O'Sensei holds the distinction of being the youngest person to ever achieve such an honor. His 10th dan was awarded by Kanken Toyama Sensei and his certificate is No. 25. Toyama Sensei also made him the Chairman of the Okinawan branch of the All Japan Karatedo League. Shimabukuro O'Sensei was the head of the Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karatedo International Association League until his passing in October 2017. O'Sensei was also honored with a Judan, 10th Dan, certificate from the Rengokai Association on Okinawa. There are only five people on Okinawa, including O'Sensei, who hold that rank.

Shimabukuro O'Sensei studied Kobujutsu, ancient weaponry, under Shinken Taira and incorporated it into our karate system. In May of 1948, Shimabukuro O'Sensei opened his first dojo. This was the beginning of what came to be over 50 years of continuously teaching traditional karate. For 20 years the U.S. Marine Corps contracted Shimabukuro O'Sensei to teach their troops at several different dojos. Grand Master Shimabukuro estimated he had personally trained as many as 35,000 troops including Army and Air Force.

For all he contributed to karatedo, he continued to aid in its growth and development by sharing his knowledge with other followers of the art. Eizo Shimabukuro O'Sensei taught hundreds of students, recording each one's name in a book that he took on all of his tours. Thus, our history is recorded and the spirit of karate-do lives on.

Kyoshi Herbert Wong began studying with O'Sensei in the early 60's. At that time, he had already earned his Nidan from Sensei Walter Todd in Kanken Toyama's Shudokan Karate-Do and had been competing nationally and internationally, along with substantial backgrounds in kung fu, judo, and aikido. Kanken Toyama had written a letter of introduction to Choshin Chibana for Kyoshi Wong to study with him in Okinawa. Because of the slowness of international mail by boat at the time, he had personally selected O'Sensei Shimabukuro's Moromi Headquarters Dojo instead based upon his observation of the way he taught and the quality of students practicing with him.

O'Sensei had many famous students that he trained. The famous Joe Lewis trained with O'Sensei in 1964-65. Sensei Herbert Wong was there when Mr. Lewis first signed up with O'Sensei, and he was on the board of examiners along with O'Sensei when Mr. Lewis tested for his green belt in 1964.

Prior to Wong Sensei leaving Okinawa in 1965, O'Sensei had asked that he help systematize his training system and help him write a book about Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do. Wong Sensei is primarily responsible for much of the way we teach O'Sensei's curriculum today that has been handed down to us through Hu Sensei, Scott Sensei, and Christensen Sensei.

Many of the major dojos connected to O'Sensei today are part of Wong Sensei's lineage, including the San Francisco Dojo under Andrew L. Chan, 6th Dan, Shihan, and the Ann Arbor Dojo currently under Karl W. Scott, III, 5th Dan, Renshi, and formerly under Gary Hu, 5th Dan, Renshi, where Sensei Barbara Christensen and Sensei Ilene Smoger began their Shorin Ryu and Shudokan training.

Gary Hu Sensei and Karl Scott III Sensei of Ann Arbor, Michigan, were introduced to Shorin Ryu karatedo through Herbert Wong Sensei, a 7th dan under Shimabukuro O'Sensei. Hu Sensei, Scott Sensei, and Barbara Christensen Sensei have been primarily responsible for passing down Shorin Ryu karatedo to Smoger Sensei and our Club.

Barbara Christensen, a 6th dan under Shimabukuro O'Sensei and the director of training of the Okinawan Karate Club of Ann Arbor, is Smoger Sensei's primary instructor. Ilene Smoger, director of training of the Okinawan Karate Club of Dallas, is Elefante Sensei's primary instructor.