Modern Day Founder of
Kobudo (Ryu Kyu Kobudo)
Taira Shinken was born Maezato Shinken on
the 12th June 1897, in the village of Nakazato'on the island of Kumejima. Officially recorded as Maezato Shinken,he often
used his mother's maiden name 'Taira'.
He graduated from Nakazato Elementary school
and later worked at a mine in Minami Jima.
At the age of 25 he travelled to Japan intent
on studing Judo. In Tokyo he met Funakoshi Gichin. He was so impressed with Funakoshi in 1922 he became a live student and
remained for eight years. he became Funakoshi Sensei's assistant instructor and one of his closest students.
In 1929, with Funakoshi's recommendation,
he entered Yabiku Moden's dojo to study Ryukyu Kobudo. Here he mastered the Bo, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, and Eku.
1932, he was granted permission to open a
dojo, teaching karate and kobudo. In 1933 he received his formal teaching license in Ryukyu Kobudo from Yabiku Sensei.
In 1934,Taira Shinken began receiving instruction
form Mabuni Kenwa where he expanded his knowledge of kata and technique of the bo and sai under Mabuni Sensei's watchful eye.
He remained a student of Mabuni until 1940 when he returned to Okinawa.
During his time teaching in Gunma Prefecture
that Taira allegedly developed the Mariji sai and ifs accompanying kata. The mariji sai has had a long history in China and
Okinawa, and Taira's inspiration for the weapon apparantly came after visiting a Buddhist temple to pray for success of his
newly opened dojo. It was there that he saw a large manji which to Taira resembled a Kobudo weapon. This inspired Taria to
create a weapon from its shape, and the kata Jigan no sai. .
In 1940 Tiara returned to Okinawa and after
the death of Yabiku Sensei.
1941, Tiara establised the Ryukyu Kobudo
Hozon Shinko-Kai, the association for the promotion and preservation of Ryukyu Kobudo in Naha. It is based on the organizition
of Yabiku Sensei's Ryukyu Kobujutsu Kenkyu Kai.
The Hozon Shinkokai included instruction
in the use of nine different weapons and their respective kata's. early 1960's he published the first book on Ryukyu Kobudo
in Japanese entitled "Ryukyu Kobudo Taiken" which helped greatly to popularize the art in Okinawa.
Later in the 1960's he formalized and strengthed
his association by appointing his students to different positions in the Shinko Kai and established testing and licensing
standards for his students.
In 1963, The Kokusai Karate-do Kobudo Renmei
was formed with Higa Seiko as the chairman and Taira Shinken as the vice chairman.
In 1964 he was recognised as a master teacher
of Kobudo by the All Japan Kobudo Federation and awarded his Hanshi certification.
After Taira Shinken's death, Akamine Eisuke,
took over the postion as chairman of the Ryukyu Hozon Shinko Kai. In an attempt to expand Ryukyu Kobudo, Akamine Sensie opened
his own dojo in 1971, naming it the Shinbu Kan. This was followed by other students of Taira Shinken also opening their own
dojos.
