Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Components of Training
Physical Training including calisthenics
Basic Drills
Kata (form)
Self Defense training
Sparring
Seiuchin - Seiuchin traces back to Kanryo Higaonna of the Naha-te system (1853-1915).
Higaonna traveled to China and studied Chinese Kempo. One of Higaonnas most famous
students was Chojun Miyagi (1887-1953). Miyagi also traveled to China and spent four
years studying Chinese martial arts. In 1920, Miyagi founded the karate system Goju-
Ryu. Goju translates to hard-soft. It is unknown if Seiuchin was developed by Kanryo
Higaonna or Chojun Miyagi, but Seiuchin has roots in the Chinese systems.
Wansu - Wansu Kata is named after a Chinese military envoy named Wanshu. He was
sent to the Torari village around 1683. Wanshu taught Chinese Kempo to the village
people. Wanshu taught Karate Sakugawa, who taught Chokun Macabe who
developed/refined Wanshu. Chokun Macabe taught Kosaku Matsumora who taught
Maeda Peichin who taught Chotoku Kyan. Kyan taught the kata to Tatsuo Shimabuku.
Kusanku - In 1756 a Chinese military envoy named Kusanku was sent to Okinawa he
was a skilled Kempo master famous for his fighting skills. Sakugawa No Kusanku was
developed by Karate Sakugawa based on his instruction from Kusanku. Sakugawa taught
this version to Soken Bushi Matsumura. This lineage was further divided into two other
forms of the kata, Kusanku Dai and Kusanku Sho. Chatan Yara developed his own
version based on his training with Kusanku. He instructed Yara Peichin who in turn
instructed Chotoku Kyan who taught Tatsuo Shimabuku.
Sunsu - Sunsu Kata is the only empty hand kata that is unique to Isshinryu developed by
Master Shimabuku in the 1940s. Master Shimabuku used the techniques that he felt were
the best combat techniques to form his new kata.
Sanchin - Sanchin Kata is the oldest kata whose origins are believed to go all the way
back to Bodhidharma and the exercises he taught Chinese Buddhist monks at the Shaolin
Temple. Kanryo Higaonna, founder of Naha-Te, brought Sanchin Kata from China to
Okinawa. Higaonna taught the kata to Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-Ryu, who in turn
taught the kata to Tatsuo Shimabuku.