sible for having karate recognized by the Dainippon Butokukai (Great
Japan Martial Virtues Association) in 1933. Funakoshi Gichin practiced a
form of Shuri-di that was later to become known as Shôtôkan Karate.
Shôtô (Pine Wave) was the poetic pen name used by Funakoshi. Funakoshi
trained many influential Karateka, including Egami Shigeru, who assumed
the title of chief instructor of the Shôtôkan after Funakoshi’s death in 1957;
Nakayama Masatoshi, under whose leadership and guidance the Japan
Karate Association developed in 1955; and Ôtsuka Hironori, who founded
the Wadô-ryû in 1934.
Chibana Chôshin popularized Shuri-di as taught by Itosu on Okinawa
and was the first to refer to the art as Shôrin-ryû (Japanese; Kobayashi-
ryû). Chibana’s student, Nakazato Sugurô, continued the Kobayashi style.
The influence of Kyan Chôtoku may be seen in the Shôrin-ryû karate
of Shimabuku (also Shimabukuro) Eizô, who founded the Shobayashi-ryû.
Shimabukuro also studied with Miyagi Chôjun, Motobu Chôki, and his
elder brother, Shimabukuro Tatsuo, who was also a student of both Kyan
Chôtuku and Miyagi Chôjun. Shimabukuro Tatsuo later combined the
teachings of Kyan and Miyagi to form the Isshin-ryû. Shimabukuro Eizô
preserved the traditional Shuri-di kata, and after Kyan’s death he sought
out Chibana Chôshin to correct any alterations in the Shobayashi forms.
Nagamine Shôshin trained under Kyan and later formed the Matsubayashi-
ryû. Nagamine also trained under Motobu Chôki and Arakaki Ankichi,
who was Kyan’s student and Nagamine’s senior.
Sôken Hohan trained in Shuri-di under Matsumura Nabe, the grand-
son of Matsumura Sôkon, from whom he learned the White Crane form,
Hakutsuru (pinyin baihequan). Sôken immigrated to Argentina in 1920, but
returned to Okinawa in 1952 and began teaching Matsumura Orthodox
Shôrin-ryû. Kise Fusei continues to teach the Matsumua Orthodox style.Naha-di
Higashionna (Higaonna) Kanryô (1853–1915) was the living embodiment
of Naha-di. Naha-di itself was composed of the philosophy and nine kata
that Higashionna brought back from Fuzhou and taught at his home in
Nishimura. Between 1905 and 1915, Higashionna taught in the Naha Ku-
ritsu Shôgyô Kôtô Gakkô (Naha Commercial High School) at the invitation
of the principal, Kabayama Junichi. Training at the high school consisted of
warm-up exercises, hojo undô (Japanese; supplementary exercises), Sanchin
kata, kakie(Japanese; pushing hands), and yakusoku kumite(Japanese;
fixed sparring).
While his group at the high school was taught karate as a form of
physical education, Higashionna’s private lessons were designed to trans-
mit the combative principles that he had learned from Xie Zhongxiang.246 Karate, Okinawan