Kanken Toyama
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese schoolteacher and karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
master, who developed the foundation for the Shūdōkan
Shudokan
, literally "the hall for the study of the [karate] way," is a school of karate developed by Kanken Toyama . Characteristics of Shudokan karate include large circular motions with an emphasis on covering and its own unique kata....
karate style.
Born into a noble family in Shuri, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, he was given the name Oyadameri Kanken.
He trained under: Itosu Anko and Itarashiki primarily, and under Ankichi Aragaki, Azato Anko, Choshin Chibana, Oshiro, Tana, Yabu Kentsu, Yasutsune Itosu
and Kanryo Higashionna.
Nine years old, he began his karate (Shuri-te) training under Ankō Itosu
Anko Itosu
is considered by many the father of modern karate, although this title is also often given to Gichin Funakoshi because the latter spread karate throughout Japan.- Biography :...
, and remained a student there until Itosu died in 1915.
He also studied Naha-te under Kanryō Higaonna and Tomari-te under Ankichi Aragaki.
In 1924 Toyama moved his family to Taiwan where he taught in an elementary school and studied Chinese Ch'uan Fa, which included Taku, Makaitan, Rutaobai, and Ubo. Given this diverse martial arts background, the Japanese government soon recognized Toyama's prowess, and awarded him the right to promote to any rank in any style of Okinawan karate. An official gave Toyama the title of master instructor.
In early 1930 he returned to Japan and on March 20, 1930, he opened his first dojo in Tokyo. He named his dojo Shu Do Kan meaning "the hall for the study of the karate way." Toyama taught what he had learnt from Itosu and the Ch'uan Fa and did not claim to have originated a new style of karate. In 1946, Toyama founded the All Japan Karate-Do Federation (AJKF) with the intention of unifying the various forms of karate of Japan and Okinawa under one governing organization.
The individuals listed below are Shudokan pupils of Toyama. The translated partial list includes the karate-do shihan and hanshi title license and high degree rank (fifth dan to eighth dan). The '*' symbol indicates persons and organizations that did not train directly with Toyama, but were confirmed as members with the responsibilities of the shihan title and high degree rank. The '?' symbol indicate partial or missing translations.
| Name | Title | Position / Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iwasa Kahoya | Hanshi Shihan | Hokaido Superior Branch Coal Mine, Branch Mining Director | |
| Ito Mikihiro | Hanshi Shihan | Tokyo Distinguished College Teacher, Mori Dojo Director | |
| In Hei Jin (Yun Byon In) | Shihan | Seoul, Korea Dojo | |
| Ki Whang Kim | Shihan | Nihon University | |
| In ? Hei (Yun Uoi Byon) | Shihan | Tokyo Kanbukan (Korean Martial Hall) Director | |
| Izumikawa Hiroki | Hanshi Shihan | Kawasaki City, Senbukan Director | * |
| Inoue Kiyoshi | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan Ota District | |
| Hanaue Toshio | Hanshin Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Atsugi City, Kodokan Director | |
| Toshishinga Fumio | Shihan | Hokaido, Toshishinga Dojo Director | |
| Onishi Eizo | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture, Iyo City, Koeikan Director | |
| Onishi Kazuhiro | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture, Kawanoishi | |
| Ogawa Hideharu | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Shinjuku District | |
| Watanabe Kenichi | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Ota District, Seidokan Director | |
| Katsumura Masao | Hanshin Shihan | Yokohama City, Seidokan Director | * |
| Yoshikawa Hideo | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Nerima District, Seifukan Director | |
| Yoshida Tetsuo | Shihan | Ibaragi Prefecture, Tatsugazaki City, Taiikukyokai Karate Club Director | |
| ? Tamaki | Hanshin Shihan | Oita Prefecture, Beppu City, Tachinaka Section Junior High School Principal | |
| Takamine Michio | Shihan | Kyushu | |
| Tsuchiya Hideo | Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Odawara City | |
| Taruzaki Takeo | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Setagaya Kempokan Director | |
| Nakagomi Ichiro | Shihan | Yamanashi Prefecture, Yu Dan Sha (Grade/Ranking) Chairman | |
| Korishima Ichiro | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo, Retired Army Lieutenant General | |
| Kurita Yoshifumi | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture | |
| Yabiku Isamu | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Muronouchi | |
| Fujiwara Fumiyoshi | Shihan | Fukuoka City, Tenjin Cho, Seiki Dojo Director | |
| Kinoshita Yoshifumi | Shihan | Saitama Prefecture, Kitaadachi County | |
| Koizumi Shonosuke | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Meguro District | |
| Koyasu Michio | Shihan | Kyushu | |
| Amamiya Hiroshi | Shihan | Yamnashi Prefecture, Shioyama City | |
| Akamine ? | Shosuke Shihan | Kawasaki City, Nakajima | * |
| Arai Toshiro | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Toshima District, Chihaya Preparatory School Director | |
| Arakaki Ryusho | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Yoyogi Shudokan Branch Dojo Director | |
| Sakura Toshio | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Daito District | |
| Kinjyo Hiroshi | Hanshi Shihan | Tokyo Renbukan Shihan | * |
| Shimabukuro Kosuke | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District, Shimabukuro Dojo Director | |
| Shibanaka Isao | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture | |
| Shimono Keiji | Shihan | Self Defense Force General Affairs Director | |
| Higa Yoshito | Hanshi Shihan | Okinawa, Public Prosecutor General | |
| Higa Yoshiaki | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District | |
| Higashiona Hiroshi | Hanshi Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Omichikan Headquarters Director | * |
| Higa Seitoku | Shihan | Ryukyu Public Prosecutors Office, Prosecuting Attorney | |
| Morita Sadao | Shihan | Yokohama City | |
| Suzuki Hideaki | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Ota District | |
| Suzuki Yosh ? | Shihan | Shizuoka Prefecture, Seishukan Director | |
| Gijin Hiramatsu | Shihan | Nagano City, | |
| Sunabe Koichi | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District, Sunabe Dojo Director | |
| Akitani Seiji | Shihan | Shudokan Chairman | |
| Murata Yoshitaro | Shihan | Hokaido |