Minoru Higa

Minoru Higa
Born	September 18, 1941 (1941-09-18) (age 70) Naha, Okinawa
Residence	Okinawa, Japan
Style	Shorin-ryu
Teacher(s)	Yuchoku Higa, Yogen Tamashiro, Yokomoto Isekichi
Rank	Hanshi 9th Dan, Kaicho of Kyudokan

Hanshi Minoru Higa (Sept. 18, 1941- present) is the Kaicho or federation president and Grandmaster of the Kyudokan School of Shorin-ryū. His efforts, along with that of his family have made Kyudokan very popular outside Okinawa.

Early life

Master Minoru Higa 10 th dan , nephew of the great masters Yuchoku Higa and Jintatsu Higa, was born in Naha, Okinawa on September 18, 1941. His first experience of martial arts (Judo) was at the age of 11, under the guidance of the master Yogen Tamashiro. In 1960 he became the pupil of the Judo-Master Yokomoto Isekichi and began practicing karate with his uncle Yuchoku Higa.

The same year he enrolled in the Japan Bodybuilding Center, driven by his passion for weight-training. From 1960 onwards Minoru Higa Sensei attended the famous temple of judo, the "Kodokan", attaining the grade of 4th Dan in this discipline.

His physique, which he developed through weight-training and intense practice of judo and karate, helped Master Higa to become the university boxing champion.

In 1964 he graduated in Business and Economics. ^[1]

Karate life and Spread of the Kyudokan

Following a special invitation in 1969, Master Minoru Higa put on a display at the Tokyo Budokan, for the Japanese Karate Championships; in 1971 he opened his gymnasium, the Naha Bodybuilding Center (today known as "Naha Gym"), whilst continuing his karate training under the guidance of his uncle Master Yuchoku Higa, at the Kyudokan Hombu Dojo.

In 1976 he became a member of the Ryukyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai, presided over by Master Kotaro Iha.

In 1977, together with his master Yuchoku Higa, he was invited to visit Argentina by the Shorin Ryu Kyudokan Federation (presided over by Master Jintatsu Higa), of that country for the Argentinian championships of Okinawa Kyudokan karate-do. During this period, some of the displays put on together with Yuchoku, Jintatsu, Oscar and Benito helped spread the name of the Higa family school. ^[2]

Presidency of the Kyudokan

As he was Vice-President of the Okinawa Kyudokan karate-do Federation, Minoru Higa Sensei decided to devote himself more fully to the growth of the school, and following the death of Master Yuchoku Higa, he himself became president of the World Okinawan Shorinryu Kyudokan karate-do Federation, an office he holds to this day.

As well as being a prominent entrepreneur and world representative of the Kyudokan school, Minoru Higa is a committee-member for the Okinawan Karatedo and Kobudo Federation, vice-president of the Ryukyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai Association, chief committee-member of the Okinawa Bodybuilding Association, a member and referee for the Japanese Bodybuilding Federation, and a member and referee for the Japanese Powerlifting Association.

In November 1998 he visited Italy for the first time as a guest of honour, accompanied by other eminent masters, in order to preside over and contribute, with displays and training sessions, to the international competitions of Shorin ryu Kyudokan Karatedo, hosted in Palermo by the Italian affiliate of the school. ^[3]

In April 2010 he was invited by Kyoshi 7 th dan Patrick Rault ( Kyudokan France www.kyudokan.fr ) to France to lead seminars in Paris and Canet en Roussillon, he also participated to the Famous Budo demonstration called Paris Bercy and shown the Kata Jyon , his wife Noriko sensei demonstrated a famous Okinawan traditional dance, a group of Kyudokan members composed of people from Germany, Poland , USA and France demonstrated Neihanshi Shodan.

Notes and references

1. ^ http://www.aekko.net/#minoru
2. ^ http://www.karate-zendo-hoyel.de/index.php?id=50
3. ^ http://www.europe-kyudokan.com/higa_family.htm

Persondata
Name	Higa, Minoru
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 18, 1941
Place of birth	Naha, Okinawa
Date of death
Place of death