Hanchi Tatsuo Shimabuku
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Soke Tatsuo Shimabuku
Founder of Isshinryu Karate
Ju Dan- (10th Degree Black Belt)
Tatsuo Shimabuku
Tatsuo Shimabuku was born in Kyan Village in 1908,
on the island of Okinawa, on Saturday, the 19th of
September. After 67 years of life, 19 of them as the
Soke (head) of the major Karate style Isshin-Ryu,
Tatsuo Shimabuku passed away from a stroke at his
home village of Agena, Okinawa, on a Friday, May
the 30th, 1975.
Young Tatsuo of the family Shimabuku of the
village of Agena, began his study of Karate at the
age of 8 when he walked some 12 miles to the
neighboring village of Shuri to learn Shuri-Tei
Karate from his uncle. His uncle sent him home;
obstinately he returned and was sent away several
more times. His uncle finally gave in to his
persistence and accepted him as a pupil.
For about four years young Shimabuku was
privileged to study Karate in the dojo of his uncle
each day after completing the most menial domestic
chores.He met Chokotu Kyan, who was already
famous throughout Okinawa as a Karate
instructor and become one of that master's
leading pupils. He also studied Karate with Chojun
Miyagi of the Goju style of Karate and become his
best student.
Later, he again took up the study under Choki
Motobu, who was virtually a legend on Okinawa."
Still seeking more knowledge of Karate, he took up
the study of the art of bo and the sai as well as the
tonfa forms, from the instructors Taira Shinken
and Yabikumoden who were responsible for
providing Okinawa's instructors with these
particular skills.
Shimabuku's reputation throughout Okinawa had
reached its peak when World War II struck and
during the early part of the war he did his best to
avoid conscription into the Japanese Army by
escaping into the countryside where he worked as a
farmer. As the situation grew more and more
desperate for the Japanese and as the need to
press the Okinawans into service became more
urgent, he was forced to flee.
As his reputation in Karate spread among the
Japanese, many soldiers began a thorough search
as they wanted to study Karate under him. The
officers who finally caught up with him agreed to
keep the secret of his whereabouts if he could
teach them Karate; it was in this manner that
Shimabuku survived the war.
After the war he returned to farming and practiced
Karate privately for his own spiritual repose and
physical exercise, but as the island's leading
practitioner of both Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu
styles of Karate, he felt a strong need to combine
the various styles of Karate into one. After
consulting the aged masters and the heads of
schools. Shimabuku Tatsuo founded one of the
world's major systems of Karate, Isshinryu.
The Tomb of Soke Shimabuku
Founder of Isshinryu Karate
Ju Dan- (10th Degree Black Belt)
Tatsuo Shimabuku
Tatsuo Shimabuku was born in Kyan Village in 1908,
on the island of Okinawa, on Saturday, the 19th of
September. After 67 years of life, 19 of them as the
Soke (head) of the major Karate style Isshin-Ryu,
Tatsuo Shimabuku passed away from a stroke at his
home village of Agena, Okinawa, on a Friday, May
the 30th, 1975.
Young Tatsuo of the family Shimabuku of the
village of Agena, began his study of Karate at the
age of 8 when he walked some 12 miles to the
neighboring village of Shuri to learn Shuri-Tei
Karate from his uncle. His uncle sent him home;
obstinately he returned and was sent away several
more times. His uncle finally gave in to his
persistence and accepted him as a pupil.
For about four years young Shimabuku was
privileged to study Karate in the dojo of his uncle
each day after completing the most menial domestic
chores.He met Chokotu Kyan, who was already
famous throughout Okinawa as a Karate
instructor and become one of that master's
leading pupils. He also studied Karate with Chojun
Miyagi of the Goju style of Karate and become his
best student.
Later, he again took up the study under Choki
Motobu, who was virtually a legend on Okinawa."
Still seeking more knowledge of Karate, he took up
the study of the art of bo and the sai as well as the
tonfa forms, from the instructors Taira Shinken
and Yabikumoden who were responsible for
providing Okinawa's instructors with these
particular skills.
Shimabuku's reputation throughout Okinawa had
reached its peak when World War II struck and
during the early part of the war he did his best to
avoid conscription into the Japanese Army by
escaping into the countryside where he worked as a
farmer. As the situation grew more and more
desperate for the Japanese and as the need to
press the Okinawans into service became more
urgent, he was forced to flee.
As his reputation in Karate spread among the
Japanese, many soldiers began a thorough search
as they wanted to study Karate under him. The
officers who finally caught up with him agreed to
keep the secret of his whereabouts if he could
teach them Karate; it was in this manner that
Shimabuku survived the war.
After the war he returned to farming and practiced
Karate privately for his own spiritual repose and
physical exercise, but as the island's leading
practitioner of both Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu
styles of Karate, he felt a strong need to combine
the various styles of Karate into one. After
consulting the aged masters and the heads of
schools. Shimabuku Tatsuo founded one of the
world's major systems of Karate, Isshinryu.
The Tomb of Soke Shimabuku
