The Art, it’s Definition and the History in Brief

Karate – Do literally means “THE WAY OF EMPTY HANDS”. This art is chiefly devoted to the study and practice of various methods of unarmed combat. It is an art of training the Body, spirit – If properly taught.

The Style

There are numerous styles in Karate. “ISSHINRYU” is one of the major styles, which was derived from SHORINRYU AND GOJURYU. The meaning of Isshinryu is “ONE HEART SYSTEM”.

The Founder of the Style

Master TATSUO SHIMBAKU (the founder of Isshinryu) found this style after prolonged training in Shorinryu, Gojuryu and kobudo (weapons).

It all started when SINKICHI SHIMBAKU (that’s his name) complained to his father that his brother was troubling him a lot. His father immediately sent him to his friend CHOKI MOTOBU who was Tatsuo’s first karate master. Later in the course of life he was sent to CHOTOKYU KIYAN who taught him Shorinryu and then he had learnt Gojuryu from CHOJUN MIYAGI. He also learnt, mean while, Kubodo from SHINKEN TAIRA as he grew up in this art, he started pondering over the plus and minus of the styles he had now mastered. TATSUO formed ISSHINRYU after analyzing the styles he had learned – ISSHINRYU Spread all over the world.

TATSUO’S SHIMBAKU’S son KANCHO KICHIRO SHIMBAKU is the present WORLD PRESIDENT of ISSHINRYU KARATE.