Helsinki, Finland – November 2018
Next April 6th and 7th, 2019, will take place in Helsinki, Finland, the event called “2nd OKINAWA KARATE & KOBUDO NORDIC SEMINAR, FINLAND 2019, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GRAND MASTER CHOTOKU KYAN”
The Okinawan Karate & Kobudo Nordic Seminar, is an event that takes place in the region of Scandinavia and seeks to gather annually all lovers and interested in the Okinawan martial arts to embark them on a journey of discovery through the main derived styles of the teachings and developed by the most outstanding students of the legendary karate master, Dai sensei Chotoku Kyan.
Become legends and great references in their own right, Shimabuku Tatsuo 島袋龍夫 sensei ( (1908-1975), founder of Isshinryu 一心流, Shimabukuro Zenryo 島袋 善良 sensei (1908-1969) founder of Shorin Ryu Seibukan and Joen Nakazato sensei (1922-2010) of Shorinji Ryu were responsible for leading the continuity of the teachings of Kyan Sensei, who was characterized by being a person of very low profile, despite being a highly educated and executor of a powerful martial art.
The year 2018 was the school of Robert Iversen sensei in Stockholm, Sweden, responsible for carrying out the first version of this event (Click here for review of the article), resulting in a massive success. Helsinki, Finland will be the country that will host this second version whose logistics will be coordinated in this opportunity by the school led by Mitrunen Kim sensei, Seibukan Shorin Ryu (Click here for the contact info).
The instructors in charge of guiding this adventure are:
- Mr. Robert Iversen, Okinawa Shorinji Ryu Sweden, Kyoshi 7 Dan, direct student of Joen Nakazato
- Kim Mitrunen Sensei, Okinawa Shorin Ryu Seibukan Finland, 5th dan Renshi Go direct student of Jamal Measara and Zenpo Shimabukuro
- Diego Rodriguez Sensei, Okinawa Isshinryu Seishinkan Sweden, 5th dan Renshi Go, student of Uechi Tsuyoshi Sensei and Osvaldo Rodriguez Sensei.
- http://www.diegoisshinryuseishinkan.com
- https://facebook.com/seishinkanbudo/
DIEGO RODRIGUEZ SENSEI – Okinawa Isshinryu Karate & Kobudo
ROBERT IVERSEN SENSEI – Okinawa Shorinji Ryu
KIM MITRUNEN SENSEI – Okinawa Shorin Ryu Seibukan
The activity is an open seminar, so we strongly recommend taking this opportunity to delve into the roots of karate to all practitioners, regardless of style. The minimum age for the participants is 15 and minimum rank is 6th Kyu (3th in some systems).
Registration, payment, accommodation and contact with the organization, can be obtained in the following link.
2nd OKNAWAN KARATE & KOBUDO NORDIC SEMINAR – HELSINKI FINLAND 2019
GRAND MASTER CHOTOKU KYAN
喜屋武朝徳 1970-1945
Chotoku Kyan 喜屋武朝徳 is one of the most popular names in various historical sources related to Okinawan Karate, both in its origin, development and the significant influence it had on the styles that were founded later on from its teachings.
Born in the year 1970, in the city of Shuri 首里, Okinawa, Kyan sensei stands out for being a tremendously cultured man, with knowledge of Chinese and Japanese literature, the undoubted legacy of his father, Chofli Kyan, a man also tremendously cultured and well educated who served as an officer of King Shotai, the last to reign over the until then known as Ryukyu Kingdom 琉球諸島.
Various historical sources describe Kyan sensei as a man of slim build and with repeated health problems, making him look more like a scholar man than a karate teacher. It is presumed that he could also have presented problems in sight, which would explain his nickname “Chanmī-gwā” or “little squinty-eyed”.
Between the years 1882 and 1886, he travels with his father to Tokyo in various embassies of the king, to continue with his training and studied at the same time, Chinese classics at the school known today as Nishogakusha University.
Back in Okinawa, in 1890, Chofli Kyan realized the potential of his son, now 20 years old, to become a fighter and aware that he could no longer provide the severe training that he required, to take advantage of his privileged power in the court, to take it to Sokon Matsumura 松村 宗棍, the King’s main instructor. From the year 1892, Chotoku Kyan had the opportunity to train with all the most outstanding karate instructors in Okinawa, arriving at a solid base in the Shuri Te.
Some of the most prominent ones were Matsumora Kosaku 松茂良 興作 (The legendary folk hero for having snatched the sword from a satsuma clan samurai with just a towel, losing a thumb in the attempt – Original History by Shoshin Nagamine sensei), with whom practice the Tomari Te and learns the kata Chinto and Oyodomari Kokan sensei, Tomari Te, from whom he learns the Passai Kata. In 1910, he travelled to a Yaeyama Island to learn Tokumine No Kun, but upon arriving on the island Kyan found that Tokumine, who had been exiled to the island for fighting the police with his Bo, had died. The landlord where Tokumine had lived offered to teach at the now famous Chotoku Kyan, the Bo kata of Tokumine. In the year 1922, he learns the Kusanku kata from a man named Yara.
Some of the students of Master Kyan were Arakaki Ankichi, Shimabuku Taro, Shimabuku Tatsuo (founder of Isshin Ryu), Shimabukuro Zenryo (remained a constant student until the death of Kyan and founder of Shorin Ryu) and Nakazato Joen (founder of Shorinji Ryu).
Kyan Sensei was one of the survivors of the battle of Okinawa in 1945 but died of starvation for delivering his food to children who needed more than him. This story is tremendously known for human courage in such hard times that they took Master Kyan to be known as “The Saint” and his grave is visited frequently to know his legend.
THE 2nd OKINAWAN KARATE & KOBUDO NORDIC SEMINAR
Helsinki, Finland – April 2019
SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL EUROPE 
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