Katsuya Miyahira
Encyclopedia
was an Okinawan
martial artist
who was the grand master of the Shorin-ryu
Shido-kan style of Okinawan
Karate
and the president of the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate Association. He is ranked Hanshi
, 10th Dan
. Miyahira created the Shido-kan branch of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu after the death of his teacher, Chōshin Chibana
. Miyahira was also instructed by Anbun Tokuda and Choki Motobu.
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...
martial artist
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
who was the grand master of the Shorin-ryu
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
Shido-kan style of Okinawan
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...
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,...
and the president of the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate Association. He is ranked Hanshi
Japanese titles
The Japanese language uses a broad array of honorific suffixes for addressing or referring to people, for example -san, as in Daniel-san. These honorifics are gender-neutral , though some are more used for men or women and can be attached to first names as well as...
, 10th Dan
Dan rank
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
. Miyahira created the Shido-kan branch of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu after the death of his teacher, Chōshin Chibana
Choshin Chibana
was an Okinawan martial artist who developed Shorin-ryū karate based on what he had learned from Ankō Itosu.Chibana was the last of the pre-World War karate masters, also called the "Last Warrior of Shuri" He was the first to establish a Japanese ryu name for an Okinawan karate style, calling...
. Miyahira was also instructed by Anbun Tokuda and Choki Motobu.