History of Shi Do Kan Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do

In 522 CE the Buddhist monk Tamo (Bodhidharma) crossed the Himalayas into China's Fukien province and taught 18 breathing and body-cleansing exercises so warriors could meditate without falling asleep. These practices linked spiritual intent with functional conditioning.

By 618 CE the Chinese scholars Ch'ueh Yuan and Shang-jen expanded those movements into 170 offensive and defensive techniques called Ch'uan Fa, establishing the tactical vocabulary that would later blend with Okinawan ingenuity.

When the Okinawan kingdom of Chuzan entered a tributary relationship with China around 1372, sailors and diplomats carried this curriculum across the East China Sea, planting the seeds of Te throughout the Ryukyu Islands.

By the mid-1300s Okinawa was split into the Hokuzan, Chuzan, and Nanzan kingdoms. Weapons and wealth were limited, yet bandits and warlords preyed on villagers, pushing farmers and merchants to refine unarmed skills.

This pressure produced Te—also called Tode—an indigenous system that first developed apart from Chinese influence before later exchanges added new layers.

Three regional flavors appeared: Sui-te around the royal capital of Shuri, Nafa-te from the busy port of Naha, and Tumai-te from the artisan village of Tomari.

In 1429 Sho Hashu unified the Ryukyu Kingdom, and by 1470 a new Sho dynasty tightened control under King Sho Shin.

Sho Shin forbade the carrying of weapons by commoners, reserving open practice for trusted military functionaries. Civilian instruction moved into secrecy, and some techniques were lost because they could not be recorded publicly.

When Okinawa resisted full subjugation, the Satsuma clan invaded in 1609 on behalf of the Tokugawa shogunate, crushed the island, and blocked imports—including everyday knives.

Okinawan citizens were exploited for labor. Training emphasized hand and foot conditioning to strike through armor gaps, to overcome wooden or chain defenses, and to neutralize armed attackers immediately because being caught by a samurai often meant instant death.

Peichin Takahara, a widely respected 17th-century practitioner, taught Kanga "Tode" Sakagawa and insisted that karate balance moral character with fighting skill.

Sakagawa studied with several Chinese boxers and likely introduced versions of the Kusanku and Pasai kata, demonstrating how Okinawans gradually absorbed foreign concepts.

Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura, one of Sakagawa's famed students, served the Sho family as chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard. He earned the warrior title "Bushi" for his skill and traveled repeatedly to China to research new tactics.

Matsumura mentored Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu, the father of modern karate. Itosu added the Pinan kata series plus Naihanchi Nidan and Sandan, updated Kusanku and Pasai, and introduced Te into Okinawan public schools in 1901.

Chibana Sensei (1885–1969) trained directly under Itosu for 13 years and chose to remain in Okinawa teaching the pure art rather than pursuing sport-based popularity.

He believed karate should never be reduced to spectacle and in 1935 named his tradition Shōrin-Ryū to emphasize that it carried the original martial lineage.

In 1958 he founded the Okinawa Shōrin-Ryū Karate-Do Association to halt the deterioration of karate and to appoint a single successor who would inherit the Head Master title.

After Master Chibana's passing, his senior student Katsuya Miyahira received the family seals and presidency of the association.

Miyahira explained that he drew the name Shi Do Kan from Confucius, defining it as "The place dedicated to building a kind and benevolent character through the practice of karate."

His Lansing, Michigan dojo became headquarters for more than 30 North American schools and a frequent gathering place for practitioners who wanted direct guidance.

Seikichi Iha, one of Miyahira Sensei's most prominent students, now leads the North American Shi Do Kan Shorin-Ryu Karate Association. He began training over 60 years ago under Chibana and Shimpan Gusukuma before continuing with Miyahira in 1954.

Holding the rank of 10th Dan and the title of Hanshi, Iha Sensei has taught in Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, Guam, Los Angeles, and Michigan.

He is respected worldwide for his practical knowledge and warm teaching style, emphasizing friendship, cooperation, and healthy living through karate.

Allen Mayne Sensei began practicing in 1978 at age 12 under Michael Griffin, one of Iha Sensei's senior students. After Mr. Griffin closed the Grand Rapids dojo, Mayne kept teaching in schools and gyms until formally reopening the dojo in 1984.

He trained directly with Iha Sensei from 1994 onward, earning 6th Dan in 2002—the youngest age allowed under association rules—and 7th Dan plus the Grand Instructor title in 2009 from Katsuya Miyahira and Seikichi Iha.

Mayne Sensei teaches that karate's first purpose is to defend one's family and friends in real situations, and the second purpose is lifelong self-improvement rooted in duty, honor, and loyalty.