Matsubayashi-ryū
Matsubayashi-ryū
Nagamine named his style in honor of the two most important masters that his teachings were based upon, Sōkon Matsumura of Shuri-te,[2] and Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari-te.[3] He chose to name the school using the first kanji characters from both master's names Matsu (松) and the style is pronounced in Japanese "Matsubayashi".[4][5] Matsubayashi-ryū is a style of Shōrin-ryū and the terms Matsubayashi-ryū and Shōrin-ryū can be used interchangeably.[4] Normally, the style is referred to as Shōrin-ryū, but when a definite distinction is required between the other styles of the Shōrin-ryū family (Kobayashi Shōrin-ryū, Shōbayashi Shōrin-ryū and Matsumura Seito Hohan Sōken) then it is called Matsubayashi-ryū.[6] Nagamine also credited Motobu Chōki as the teacher who inspired his seven Yakusoku Kumite Forms.
After the death of Nagamine in 1997, many of his senior students formed their own organisations to teach Matsubayashi-ryū. Until his death in 2012, the official Matsubayashi-ryū organization was run by Shōshin Nagamine's son, Takayoshi Nagamine. Since 2012, Yoshitaka Taira has been the association president. However there are many schools teaching Matsubayashi-ryū that are no longer affiliated with the WMKA.
Kata
Kata are sets of moves in Karate and are considered the most important part of the Matsubayashi-ryu style.
Fukyugata series (1-2)
Pinan series (1-5)
Naihanchi series (1-3)
Ananku
Wankan
Rōhai
Wanshu
Passai
Gojūshiho
Chintō
Kusanku
Ranks
These are the ranks as set out by the World Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Association (WMKA) and the Kodokan Nagamine Karate Dojo (World Honbu).
Mudansha
8th Kyu - White Belt, one green stripe
7th Kyu - White Belt, two green stripes
6th Kyu - Green Belt, three white stripes
5th Kyu - Green Belt, two white stripes
4th Kyu - Green Belt, one white stripe
3rd Kyu - Brown Belt, three white stripes
2nd Kyu - Brown Belt, two white stripes
1st Kyu - Brown Belt, one white stripe
Yudansha
1st to 10th Dan - Black Belt
Shogo Titles
Renshi (6th Dan) - Black Belt with one stripe
Kyoshi (7th & 8th Dan) - Black Belt with two stripes
Hanshi (9th & 10th Dan) - Black Black with three stripes
Hanshisei (10th Dan) - Black Belt with four stripes
Major Organizations of Matsubayashi-ryu
After the passing of the Matsubayashi-ryu founder, Shoshin Nagamine, in 1997 many practitioners of Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do were affiliated with the Nagamine Honbu Dojo and the Okinawan Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Federation. After the passing of Takayoshi Nagamine, many senior instructors decided to have separate dojos. The Major Dojos and organizations in the United States are the SKKA, the Midwest Honbu Dojo, the SKRDI, the WSKF and the NAMKA.
World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-Do Association (WMKA), headed by Yoshitaka Taira and Toshimitsu Arakaki Matsubayashi national associations or Honbu dojos include:
European Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Association (EMKA), Europe - Ole-Bjørn Tuftedal
Okinawa Shorin-ryu New Zealand, New Zealand - Kevin Plaisted
Matsubayashi-ryu Karate Association of Australia (MKAA), Australia - John Carlyle
North American Matsubayashi ryu Karate Association USA - Don Caponigro
Shorin-ryu and Kobudo Association, United States - Eihachi Ota 10 Dan * Shorin Ryu Karate Do International, Takeshi Tamaki/ Chairman SRKDI.COM.
Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate - Midwest-honbu-dojo - Bill George ** Website - https://okinawan-shorin-ryu-karate---midwest-honbu-dojo-54.webself.net/ [18]
World Shorin-ryu Karate-Do Federation (WSKF), United States - Frank Grant
Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu International, Ireland - Patrick Beaumont
Matsubayashi-Ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Argentina, Argentina, headed by Shigehide Akamine
The Bubishi Karate Do Organization (Non-Profit)
Well-known Matsubayashi-Ryu Practitioners
Ranks and honorifics have been excluded from the list for simplicity.
Okinawa
Shoshin Nagamine, Founder of Matsubayashi-Ryu (DECEASED)
Takayoshi Nagamine, Second generation headmaster (Soke) of Matsubayashi-Ryu. Sent to the USA in the 1960s to teach in Cincinnati Ohio until the late 1970s. (DECEASED)
Nakamura Seigi, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine, and Chief Instructor at the Honbu dojo (DECEASED)
Yasuharu Makishi, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine (DECEASED)
Toshimitsu Arakaki, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine
Yoshitaka Taira, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine
Kiyoshi Shinjo, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine
Nobuhide Higa, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and Yoshitaka Taira
Ansei Ueshiro, Instructor at the Nagamine Dojo, sent to the United States by Shoshin Nagamine to promote Matsubayashi-Ryu in the United States
Chotoku Omine, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and sent to the United States to promote Matsubayashi-Ryu by Shoshin Nagamine (DECEASED)
Kensei Taba (DECEASED), Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and Founder of his own organisation, the Okinawa Shogen-Ryu Karate-Do Association
Masao Shima, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine (DECEASED)
Eihachi Ota, Senior student of Masao Shima. He came to United States in 1969 to promote Matsubayashi-Ryu
Chokei Kishaba, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and Founder of Shōrin-ryū Kishaba Juku
Shigehide Akamine, Student of Shoshin Nagamine who moved to Argentina and heads the Matsubayashi-Ryu (Shorin-Ryu) Karate-Do Argentina [19]
Takeshi Tamaki, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine (http://srkdi.com/about/technical-director/ [20] )
United States
James Wax, First non-Okinawan to receive a Black belt from Shoshin Nagamine in Matsubayashi-Ryu.(DECEASED) [9]
Sam Palmer, Student of Ueshiro Sensei (DECEASED)
Parker Shelton, Student of Bob Yarnall and James Wax (DECEASED)
Don Caponigro, Student of Takayoshi Nagamine & Frank Grant, North American Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association
Joseph Carbonara - Student of Chotoku Omine (DECEASED)
Bill George - Original student and Black Belt of Takayoshi Nagamine. Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate Midwest Honbu dojo. Rokudan rank in Judo.
Bob Yarnall, Student of Jim Wax [9]
Frank Grant, Student of Jim Wax, Ansei Ueshiro and Shoshin Nagamine, Head of the World Shorin-ryu Karate-do Federation[9]
Walter Rowden,(Deceased) Student of Sam Palmer,(Deceased)
Jerry Figgiani - President SRKDI - Student of Joseph Carbonara (Deceased)
Canada
Frank Baehr - Student of Shoshin Nagamine
Spain
Ricardo Fuchs Camani - Student of Shigehide Akamine
Ireland
Patrick Beaumont - Student of Takayoshi Nagamine