TOYAMA KANKEN: A SHORT HISTORY (1965)

The late Head Master and founder of Okinawa Seito Karate-do Shudokan was born of nobility in Shuri City, Okinawa, on September 24, 1888 (the 21st year of the Meiji Era). He began his formal training in karate-jutsu (then called TODE) under Cho Itarashiki, in the year 1897. In the same year, young Toyama apprenticed himself to the famous Shuri-te expert, Itosu Ankoh.

In 1907, to further and round-out his studies of traditional Okinawan karate, he was accepted as a student of Higaonna Kanryo of the Naha-te system. He continued training in both Shuri-te and Naha-te until the demise of both Itosu and Higaonna in 1915.

In 1907 Toyama had already become an assistant Shihan under Itosu at the Okinawa Teacher's College in Shuri City and in 1914 he also held a high office at the Shuri City First Elementary School.

In 1924 Toyama moved his family to Taiwan where he taught elementary school and studied the following systems of Chinese Kenpo (fist methods):

a. Taku (also called Hakuda by the Japanese) Kenpo

b. Makaitan Kenpo

c. Ruta-obai Kenpo

d. Ubo Kenpo

Taku Kenpo is one of central China's Hotsupa Kenpo (Northern School Fist Methods) and is further classified as Naiji Kenpo (Internal Fist Methods) by the Chinese.

Makaitan Kenpo and Ruta-obai Kenpo, from which the techniques of "nukite" came, and Ubo Kenpo, all belong to the Nampa Kenpo (Southern Fist Methods) and are classified as Gaiji Kenpo (External Fist Methods). These latter three systems come primarily from the island of Taiwan and from Fukuden, China.

Early in 1930 Toyama moved again from Taiwan to Japan and on March 30, 1930, he opened his first karate training hall at Ishihama- machi, Asakusa, Taito-ku, in Tokyo. He called his school the SHUDOKAN which is translated as "The Hall for the Study of the WAY (the "WAY" being the karate-way)."

In 1933 Toyama moved his residence and his school to the present location at 9-409, Shimo Meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. The Shudokan's telephone number is 712-1918.

Toyama's specialties in Okinawan karate-do were:

a. The kata Useishi (presently called Gojushiho).

b. The "AKU RYOKU HO" (grappling methods) of Itosu Ankoh and Cho Itarashiki and similar Chinese methods of finger and hand strengthening.

Toyama also authored two books, KARATE-DO TAIHOKAN and KARATE-DO. In 1949 Toyama Kanken was awarded the special title of Okinawa Bushi (Okinawan Warrior) by the Governor of Okinawa, the Honorable Koshin Shikioku.

Toyama Kanken did not claim to have originated a new style, system or school of thought, nor did he combine the different styles that he had learned. Although the majority of the people who trained in his Shudokan karate training hall learned his basic Itosu Shuri-te karate-jutsu and his advanced Higaonna Naha-te karate-jutsu, his training hall's full curriculum afforded the following:

Shudokan Training Hall Curriculum


A. Okinawa Seito Karate-do (Okinawa Orthodox Karate-do)

1. Shuri-te karate-jutsu

2. Naha-te karate-jutsu


B. Okinawa Kobu-jutsu (Okinawa Ancient Martial Arts)

1. Bo-jutsu (Stick Art)

The stick of Tenryu and the stick of Sekisen; the stick of Shushi-no-kun (sho, dai and koryu); the stick of Sakugawa (sho, dai and koryu); the stick of Yonegawa; the stick of Sunakake (sho, dai and koryu); the stick of Hakuson (sho, dai and koryu); the stick of Tsuken; the stick of Teruya; the stick of Oshiro; and ending with the stick of Chibana.

2. Sai-jutsu (Hair Pin Art)

Hair pins of Tawada, hair pins of Chatanyara, hair pins of Matsumura, hair pins of Tsuken Shitahaku and hair pins of Hamahiga-no-sai.

3. Nunchaku-jutsu (Flail Art)

Nakasone flail (sho and dai)

4. Tunfa-jutsu (Handle Art)

Handles of Yakaa; and handles of Hamahiga


C. Taiwan Chi-nah Kenpo (Taiwan's Chinese Fist Method):

1. Taku Kenpo (or Hakuda Kenpo)

2. Makaitan Kenpo

3. Ruta-obai Kenpo

4. Ubo Kenpo


D. Joshi-no Goshin-jutsu (Self Defense for Women):

1. Aoyanagi-no-kata (the Green Willow Form)

2. Hagoromo-no-kata (the Robe of Feathers Form)


E. Tsuru-no Shuho (Techniques of the Crane)

In 1960 the Shudokan Training Hall (by this time called the All Japan Karate-do League General Headquarters Shudokan) despite its small size, had a tremendous membership of over 200 active black belt ranked students. In addition, high ranking master-teachers from Okinawa and throughout Japan came on a regular basis to receive instruction from one of the last remaining Okinawan masters of the old generation.

Toyama Kanken died on November 24, 1966, at the advanced age of 78.

Teachers of the late Toyama Kanken included the following:

Cho Itarashiki - A Shuri-te expert from Shuri City, Okinawa. He is Toyama's first teacher and is remembered as the first one to ever defeat the famous Okinawan boxer, Motobu Choki.

Itosu Ankoh - Another Shuri-te expert from Shuri City. Toyama became his student while attending the Shuri City First Elementary school and continued with him until Itosu's demise on January 26, 1915. Itosu is credited as the first one to publicly teach the Okinawan secret martial art of karate-jutsu in April of 1903.

Higaonna Kanryo - A Naha-te expert from the port city of Naha, Okinawa. Toyama studied with this Naha-te expert from 1907 until this master's demise on December 4, 1915. Toyama considered himself a complete instructor of both Shuri-te and Naha-te.

Chen T'ong Tai and Lim Tung Tong (Chin Bu Sei and Rin Ken Do in Japanese) - Toyama migrated to Taiwan in 1924 and first studied Hakuda Kenpo and Ubo Kenpo from Chin Bu Sei in the capital city of Taipei. He later moved to Taichung and studied Ruta-obai Kenpo and Makaitan Kenpo from Rin Ken Do. He studied with these two master-teachers until he migrated to Japan in 1930.

Chibana Choshin and Kyoda Jyuhatsu - Toyama considered these two master-teachers as his seniors in the orthodox karate-do. He received instruction in the higher Shuri-te and Naha-te katas from these two experts. Toyama also received specialized training in kobu-jutsu from Chibana (Chibana did not consider himself well versed in kobu-jutsu, hence he did not actually teach it although he was very familiar with the techniques) and ancient Okinawa grappling methods from Kyoda.

Toyama Kanken was not only an outstanding karate instructor he was also an educator of some note. The following is another excellent article written by him entitled, "The Definition of Karate-do" from the book "Karate-do Taihokan:"

Nowadays karate-do has spread far and wide, not only in mainland Japan but also all over the world. It can be said that karate-do originated from the indigenous Okinawan martial art called "TEE" (pronounced "tea" in the Okinawan dialect and "tay" in the Japanese) and was eventually passed on from generation to generation.

It is this author's opinion that modern day karate-do was influenced by the Hoppa Kenpo and Naiji Kenpo of mainland China and Ubo Kenpo and Ruda Kenpo of Taiwan (kenpo is defined as the art of self-defense that makes use of the techniques of the fist).

The ancient experts and masters of "TEE" developed this martial art through their genius and superhuman methods of training. It must also be said that their training was based on sound logic and the original laws of nature. Further, that these methods have now been passed on to us in the form of the modern-day orthodox karate-do.

The basic principles that orthodox karate-do is based on thrusting, piercing, chopping, kicking, knocking down, pushing, twisting and correct breathing. It can also be said that all of these methods can be considered an active or passive act if one attains the correct Zen mind. By learning these techniques one is able to protect one's self without the use of weapons.

In the end, the techniques of karate-do can be used as an aggressive or defensive method but I (Toyama Kanken, the author of this article) must state emphatically that above all, karate-do is a MARTIAL ART that requires ethical instruction and instructors as its first principle.


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