KYODA JYUHATSU: A SHORT HISTORY (1989)



The following is an introduction to Kyoda Jyuhatsu, senior student of Higaonna Kanryo (pronounced Toona Kanryo in the Okinawan dialect) and a Hanshi 10-Dan founder of Okinawan style Toon-ryu Karate-do:

Kyoda Jyuhatsu was born on December 5, 1887. His early childhood nickname was Sutaaguwaa (the little strong one). Later he was called Sutaachi (the strong one). Kyoda began training with Kanryo Toona (Higaonna) of the West at the age of 15 in 1902. A month later, Miyagi Chojun joined the dojo.

Kyoda's father, Kyoda Juko (who was also called Maushichi or "a man of knowledge") was nicknamed Ushichi ("the smart one"). Juko Kyoda recognized the gift that his son had in natural strength and sought to develop it. He spoke with his son and explained that in order to develop himself not only physically but mentally that it was his son's duty to seek out instruction in the Okinawan martial arts. At that time the martial arts were being taught in the Okinawan school system due to the efforts of the Shuri-te exponent, Itosu Ankoh.

Kyoda was then attending the Okinawa Prefectural First Junior High School in Shuri City. It was there that he received his introduction to karate under the teachings of Hanashiro Chomo, of the Shuri-te style, who was teaching gymnastics and karate as an assistant instructor to the great master, Itosu Ankoh.

After graduating from high school, Kyoda decided to become a school teacher and enrolled in the Okinawa School of Education where Yabu Kentsu (a senior Shuri-te expert and student of Itosu) was teaching Military Science and karate. At that time, Yabu was in his prime and instilled in the young Kyoda a love for body contact and strategy in the practice of the martial arts.

Upon his graduation and after receiving a teacher's certificate, Kyoda taught school at Naha, Haku and Kakihana City. One of his colleagues when he was teaching at the Naha Municipal Higher Elementary School in 1913 was Funakoshi Gichin (who was later to introduce Okinawan karate to the mainland in 1917).

Kyoda began his study of Naha-te under Kanryo Toona (also known as Higaonna or Higaonna of the West) in 1902. During this period of time, the Naha-te methods centered around the Chinese kata called sanchin (the three battles), which was practiced with open hands, and a number of other forms that had been brought to Okinawa and later modified to suit Okinawan taste.

Kyoda continued with Toona until the latter's demise in December 4, 1915. (An interesting note is that Toona died on the first Saturday of December and, in his memory, Miyagi would instruct all of his students to perform the kata sanchin with open hands during the first Saturday of every month.) In March of 1932 Kyoda became the principal of the Haku Elementary School.

Three teachers at the Okinawa Prefectural Second Junior High School, who were good friends of Kyoda, recommended that he start a karate club at the school. Kyoda became the first chief instructor of karate at that club. At about the same time a dojo of karate was opened in Naha Wakasa-cho where Kyoda, Miyagi Chojun, Kenwa Mabuni, Umee and Kenki Go from China started studying and training in karate. Kenki Go was one year senior to Kyoda and was an expert in Neepai, a form of Chinese kenpo that stressed grappling and numerous methods of arm strengthening. Kyoda studied this style from Go.

On March 2, 1934, Kyoda was appointed by the governor of Okinawa to be the instructor of karate for the Okinawa Branch of the Dai Nippon Butokukai (Greater Japan Martial Virtue Association). On May 4, 1938, he was awarded the Sho Nanai Award by the Japanese Emperor, Hirohito. At this time, Kyoda was the principal of Koshin Higher Elementary School. After his retirement in 1944, Kyoda moved to mainland Japan and lived in Beppu, on the island of Kyushu, until his demise.

Admiral Araki Sadao, of the famed Japanese 6th Fleet, gave Kyoda a poem when he saw Kyoda's method of karate-do:

Righteousness and tranquility
lead to the ultimate insight.

Kyoda died at 9:00 a.m. on August 3l, 1968, in Beppu City, Kyushu, Japan. The dirge (called the "death poem") written by Masamichi Ishikawa, presently a professor at Kokugakuin University and Deputy Dean, who had been a student of Kyoda from his early elementary school years, read:

Kyoda Jyuhatsu-sensei has become a spirit!
Have you seen?

In watching Kyoda practice his beloved Naha-te, which he called Toon-ryu in honor of his teacher, it was like truly watching a master's master.


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