- Zenryō Shimabukuro
was a karate master and the founder of
Shorin-ryu Seibukan karate .Zenryo Shimabukuro was born in
Shuri , Okinawa in 1908 [http://www.aaakaratemn.com/pages/l-zenryoshimabukuro.htm] . He earned his living as a baker andtatami maker, but had studied karate under the karate masterChotoku Kyan . He began his training with Kyan in 1932, but trained with him until Kyan's death in 1945, excluding the years duringWorld War II , when karate instruction had ceased.Following World War II, Shimabukuro opened his own
dojo , teaching karate out of his home. His students included his son Zenpo Shimabukuro and his nephew Zenji Shimabukuro, each of whom became karate masters in their own right. One of his early students was an Americanparatrooper , who arranged for Shimabukuro to teach karate to some of the other American paratroopers stationed in Okinawa.In 1960, he became president of the Okinawan branch of the Japan Karate-do Federation/All-Japan Karate-do Federation, though the branch later withdrew and became the Okinawan Karate-do United Association. In 1962, Shimabukuro founded his school, which he named Seibukan (meaning "Holy Art School"). In 1964 he was awarded a 10th dan red belt, which is the highest rank available within the Okinawan Karate-do United Association.
In 1967, the Okinawan Karate-do United Association became the All-Okinawan Karate-do Federation, with Shimabukuro continuing to serve as the organization's vice president.
On
October 14 , 1969, Zenryo Shimabukuro died ofappendicitis . His son Zenpo Shimabukuro became the master of the school his father had founded, Seibukan.External links
* [http://www.ii-okinawa.ne.jp/people/seibukan/ His official site (Japanese)]
* [http://www.seibukan.org/lineage.html Seibukan.org's biography of Zenryo Shimabukuro]
* [http://www.seibukan.org IOSSKA (International Okinawan Seibukan Shorin-ryu Karate-do Association) The Official International site ]
* [http://www.akseibukan.org Alaska/Northwest Seibukan (USA) ]
* [http://www.zentokukai.com/origins/ZT_History.pdf Article about Seibukan karate with information about Shimabukuro (including photographs)]
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