Bushi Matsumura (Karate history)

Sokon 'Bushi' Matsumura

Sokon Matsumura (1792-1887) was the forefather of Shorin Ryu.
Matsumura was recruited into the service of the Sho family (Royal family of Okinawa) and eventually became the chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard for the Okinawan King. At some point in his career, approximately 1830,  he went to China and studied the Shaolin style of Chinese Kenpo (fist method) and weaponry. It is also known that he traveled to Foochow in Fukien province, China on numerous occasions as an envoy for the Okinawan King. After his return from China he organized and refined the Shorin Ryu system of Okinawan Karate.
Matsumura is credited with passing on the kata or formal exercises of Shorin Ryu Karate known as Naifanchi I & II, Bassai Dai, Seisan, Chinto,  Gojushiho (fifty-four steps of the Black Tiger),  Kusanku (the embodiment of Kusanku's teaching as passed on to Tode Sakugawa) and Hakutsuru (white crane). The Hakutsuru kata contains the elements of the white crane system taught within the Shaolin system of Chinese Kenpo. Another set of kata, known as Chanan in Matsumura's time,  is said to have been devised by Matsumura himself and was the basis for Pinan I and II. Matsumura's Ryu has endured to the present day and the above mentioned kata are the core of Shorin Ryu Karate today.
Matsumura was given the title  "Bushi"  meaning warrior by the Okinawan King in recognition of his abilities and accomplishments in the martial arts. In fact,  Matsumura fought many times but was never defeated.  His martial arts endeavors has been the progenitor of many contemporary karate styles, Shorin Ryu,  Shotokan Ryu,  and Shito Ryu,  for example. Ultimately all modern styles of karate that evolved from the Shuri-Te lineage can be traced back to the teachings of Bushi Matsumura. This includes Taekwon Do (Korean Karate).

---

Karate-do

    I attended a small KOJF Shiai in Lousiville Ky and sharing a good time with some of my seniors.  Have what I felt was a constructive meeting regarding "Rules of Conduct" that have been set for KOJF that should prevail throughout everyday life as well. 

    I have two senior students take their exam for Nanadan.  The effort was great and performance of waza was good as well.  Both men were in their early sixties which made it even better to watch.  All in all it was a good weekend.
Two weekends prior we had a visit from our Sri Lanka Shibucho chief instructor/representative Mr. Anto Dinesh Sensei and at that time he was awarded his Godan (5th Dan Black Belt).  He is one of our best international representatives and has the strongest of ethics and character befitting a karate instructor of his caliber.

    I believe that we have renewed our intention and resolve to build an even stronger core group in KOJF for the sake of traditional Shotokan Karate-do.  Within a few weeks one of our highest ranking females out of the International Hombu in Ohio, Amy Schwartz with give birth to her first child.  She is a Yondan(4th Dan Black Belt) and assistant instructor at the Hombu, and the editor of the KOJF International Newsletter.  We are all wishing her an easy birth and extremely healthy child.  We look forward to her return to the dojo after much needed time away for the birth of her first child. 

     In the coming furture I have been asked to travel to share my Karate-do knowledge in additional seminars as well as my knowledge of Ryukyu Kobudo.  Look for some future postings related to this.  Please feel free to contact me for any additional information regarding KOJF(Karate of Japan Federation) and the soon to be completed secound book, "The Blueprint of Karate" due to be completed this fall.  Until the next posting, when training use the phrase... "Ganbatte!" 

Humbly yours through karate-do,

Dwight Holley sensei