Ken-Shin-Kan

Infobox martial art group
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imagecaption = Seiichi Akamine (founder) and the Ken-Shin-Kan logo
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name = Ken-Shin-Kan
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date founded = c.1960
country = flagicon|Brazil Brazil
founder = Seiichi Akamine
(1920–1995)
head = Raúl & Roberto Fernandez de la Reguera S.
arts = Karate
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ancestor schools = Gōjū-ryū
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Ken-Shin-Kan is a Gōjū-ryū karate school, founded by Seiichi Akamine. This school originated in Brazil and has spread to Chile, [http://www.kenshinkanakamine.cl/ Ken-Shin-Kan Chile] ] Uruguay, [http://www.gratisweb.com/kenshinkan/ Ken-Shin-Kan Uruguay] ] the United States, [http://www.kenshinkanusa.com/ Ken-Shin-Kan USA] ] Argentina, Paraguay, Honduras, Spain, and Australia. [http://www.kenshinkanakamine.cl/] [http://www.gratisweb.com/kenshinkan/] [http://www.kenshinkanusa.com/]

Founder

Seiichi Akamine was born in 1920 in Okinawa and began martial arts training as a child with his grandfather and, formally, under Chomo Hanashiro, Yabu Kentsū, and Chōtoku Kyan. Akamine practised Shuri-te until he met Chōjun Miyagi and devoted himself to the latter's Gōjū-ryū style. Within Gōjū-ryū, Akamine was most influenced by Higa Sekō (Miyagi’s right-hand man and also a disciple of Higaonna Kanryō or Higashionna) and Kanki Izumikawa (Izumigawa) (a senior student of Higa and close friend of Akamine). Akamine also learned other arts, including Kobudo, Kenjutsu, Judo, Uechi-ryū, Gensei-ryū, and Bugeikan Okinawa-te, as well as some traditional medicine like shiatsu, do-in, and kuatsu. [http://www.kenshinkanakamine.cl/INGLES/Biography/BIOGRAPHY%20OF%20SENSEI%20SEIICHI%20AKAMINE1.htm]

Akamine moved to mainland Japan for university studies and then opened a dojo, calling it "Shikan-Kan", as he was known also as “Shikan” Akamine. In 1950, Akamine joined other masters for a "Nippon TV" karate show: Hidetaka Nishiyama represented the Shōtōkan-ryū (Japan Karate Association), Ryusho Sakagami the Itosu-Kai Shito-ryū, Yasuhiro Koishi the Ryobu-Kai, H. Kenjo the Kenshu-Kai, Seiken Shukumine his Genseiryu/Taido-Kyokai, and Kanki Izumikawa and Akamine represented the Gōjū-ryū. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gensei-ryu]

In 1957, Akamine moved to Brazil, being one of the highest ranked masters to come to South America (8th "dan" from the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai) and the first Gōjū-ryū master in South America. He founded the Brazilian Martial Arts Association and influenced most of the Gōjū-ryū masters that still today teach karate and kobudo in Brazil. He later retired from this Association and in 1968 founded the Ken-Shin-Kan. Akamine died in 1995 in Brazil. [http://www.kenshinkanakamine.cl/]

References

[http://www.kenshinkanakamine.cl/ Official Head of School (Shihan) Roberto Fernández de la Reguera's website] [http://www.gratisweb.com/kenshinkan/ Official website for the School in Uruguay] [http://www.kenshinkanusa.com/ Official website for the School in the USA] [http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Spa/5152/ unofficial website for the School in Brazil]

External links

[http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Spa/5152 Ken-Shin-Kan Brazil]