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Matsubayashi-ryū

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Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu)
Official logo
Official logo
Date founded1947
Country of originOkinawa, Japan
FounderO-sensei Shōshin Nagamine
Arts taughtKarate, Kobudō
Ancestor schoolsTomari-te, Shuri-te, Shōrin-ryū

Matsubayashi-Ryū (松林流), is a style of Okinawan karate founded in 1947 by Shōshin Nagamine (1907–1997). Its curriculum includes 18 kata, seven two-man yakusoku kumite (pre-arranged sparring) routines, and kobudō (weapons) practice.[1]

Nagamine named his style in honor of the two most important masters that his teachings were based upon: Sōkon Matsumura of Shuri-te,[2] and Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari-te.[3] He chose to name the school using the first kanji characters from both master's names Matsu (松) and the style is pronounced in Japanese "Matsubayashi".[4][5] Matsubayashi-ryū is a style of Shōrin-ryū and the terms Matsubayashi-ryū and Shōrin-ryū can be used interchangeably (but not together).[4] Normally, the style is referred to as Shōrin-ryū, but when a definite distinction is required between the other styles of the Shōrin-ryū family (Kobayashi Shōrin-ryū, Shōbayashi Shōrin-ryū and Matsumura Seito Hohan Sōken) then it is called Matsubayashi-ryū.[6] Nagamine also credited Motobu Chōki as the teacher who inspired his seven Yakusoku Kumite Forms.

Matsubayashi-ryū is one of the better-documented traditional karate styles, owing to Nagamine's book, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-dō.[7] as well as Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters.[8]

After the death of Nagamine OSensei in 1997, many of his senior students formed their own organisations to teach Matsubayashi-ryū. In the years following Nagamine Takayoshi, continued to lead the organization, but was unable to get unification, due to politics within the organization. Since 2012, Yoshitaka Taira has been the association president. There are now, many other organizations which are continuing the teachings of O Sensei outside of the WMKA.

Kata

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Kata are sets of moves in Karate and are considered the most important part of the Matsubayashi-ryu style.

Ranks

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These are the ranks as set out by the World Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Association (WMKA) and the Kodokan Nagamine Karate Dojo (World Honbu).

Mudansha

  • 8th Kyu - White Belt, one green stripe
  • 7th Kyu - White Belt, two green stripes
  • 6th Kyu - Green Belt, three white stripes
  • 5th Kyu - Green Belt, two white stripes
  • 4th Kyu - Green Belt, one white stripe
  • 3rd Kyu - Brown Belt, three white stripes
  • 2nd Kyu - Brown Belt, two white stripes
  • 1st Kyu - Brown Belt, one white stripe

Yudansha

  • 1st to 10th Dan - Black Belt

Shogo Titles

  • Renshi (6th Dan) - Black Belt with one stripe
  • Kyoshi (7th & 8th Dan) - Black Belt with two stripes
  • Hanshi (9th & 10th Dan) - Black Belt with three stripes
  • Hanshisei (10th Dan) - Black Belt with four stripes

Major organizations of Matsubayashi-ryu

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After the passing of the Matsubayashi-ryu founder, Shoshin Nagamine, in 1997 many practitioners of Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do were affiliated with the Nagamine Honbu Dojo and the Okinawan Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Federation.

  • World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-Do Association (WMKA) - Yoshitaka Taira and Toshimitsu Arakaki[9]
  • European Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Association (EMKA)] Ole-Bjørn Tuftedal[10]
  • Okinawa Shorin-ryu New Zealand - Kevin Plaisted
  • Matsubayashi-ryu Karate Association of Australia (MKAA) - John Carlyle[11]
  • Matsubayashi-Ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Argentina - Shigehide Akamine Hanshi
  • SKKA North American Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Karate & Kobudo Association - Eihachi Ota[12]
  • NAMKA North American Matsubayashi Ryu Karate Association - Don Caponigro
  • Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate - Midwest-honbu-dojo - Bill George[13]
  • World Shorin-ryu Karate-Do Federation (WSKF) - Board of Directors
  • Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu International - Patrick Beaumont
  • Okinawa Shogen-Ryu Karate-Do Association (founded by Taba Kensei) [1]
  • Matsubayashi-ryū Karatedō Tenyōkan Association (Tiida Ryū) - Lara Chamberlain
  • Shorin Ryu Karate-Do International - Figgiani Jerry (Technical Director: Tamaki Takeshi)
  • SKKA Canada
  • Association Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do and kobudo Yamane-Ryu Romania - Dumitru Alexandru

Well-known Matsubayashi-Ryu practitioners

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Ranks and honorifics have been excluded from the list for simplicity.

Okinawa

  • Shoshin Nagamine, Founder of Matsubayashi-Ryu, O-sensei (1907–1997)
  • Takayoshi Nagamine, Second generation headmaster (Sōke) of Matsubayashi-Ryu[14]
  • Seigi Nakamura, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine, and Chief Instructor at the Honbu dojo
  • Masao Shima, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine [15]
  • Yasuharu Makishi, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine [16]
  • Toshimitsu Arakaki, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine [17] [18]
  • Yoshitaka Taira, student of Shoshin Nagamine [19][20]
  • Kiyoshi Shinjo, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine [21]
  • Eihachi Ota, Student of O-sensei Nagamine & Senior student of Masao Shima.[22][23][24][25]
  • Kiyoshi Nishime, Student of O-sensei Nagamine & Senior student of Masao Shima[26][27]
  • Takeshi Tamaki, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine[28][29]
  • Chotoku Omine, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and sent to the United States to promote Matsubayashi-Ryu by Shoshin Nagamine [30][31]
  • Taba Kensei , Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine, President of WMKA at the death of Shoshin Nagamine, and Founder of his own organisation, the Okinawa Shōgen-ryū Karate-Do Assn. [32][33]
  • Chokei Kishaba, Senior student of Shoshin Nagamine and Founder of Shōrin-ryū Kishaba Juku
  • Ansei Ueshiro, student of Shoshin Nagamine, sent to the United States to promote Matsubayashi-Ryu [34][35]

United States

  • James Wax, First non-Okinawan to receive a Black belt from Shoshin Nagamine in Matsubayashi-Ryu. [36]
  • Sam Palmer, Student of Ueshiro Sensei [37]
  • Joseph Carbonara - Student of Chotoku Omine [38][39]
  • Bob Yarnall, Student of Jim Wax[40]
  • Frank Grant Student of Jim Wax and Shoshin Nagamine, Chairman of the World Shorin-ryu Karate-do Federation[40][41][42][43]
  • Bill George, Student of Soke Takayoshi Nagamine [44][45]

Canada

  • Frank Baehr - Student of Shoshin Nagamine[46]

References

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  1. 1 2 ^ Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques. ISBN 0-8048-3205-6, page 86.
  2. ↑ "Shuri-te Lineage". Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Tomari-te Lineage". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  4. 1 2 Nagamine, Shoshin. Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do. Page 22.
  5. ↑ ^"首里手系 Shuri-Te Group(11/15)｜沖縄空手古武道道場一覧". Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  6. ↑ ^ Nagamine, Shoshin. Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do. Page 23.
  7. ↑ Nagamine, Shoshin (15 September 1998). The Essence of Okinawan Karate-dō. Tuttle. ISBN 0-8048-2110-0.
  8. ↑ Nagamine, Shoshin (2000). Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters. Tuttle Pub. ISBN 0-8048-2089-9.
  9. ↑ "World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-Do Association Homepage". Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  10. ↑ "European Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karate-Do Association Homepage". Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  11. ↑ "Matsubayashi-ryu Karate Association of Australia Homepage". Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  12. ↑ "SKKA Homepage". Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  13. ↑ "Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate - Midwest Honbu Dojo Homepage". Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  14. ↑ "A Simple Man by Bill George, Paperback". Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  15. ↑ "SKKA Masters". Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  16. ↑ "Makishi Yasuharu". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  17. ↑ "Toshimitsu Arakai Interview" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  18. ↑ Okinawan Karate - 沖縄空手 (2018-12-10). Sensei - Masters of Okinawan Karate #1 Arakaki Toshimitsu - 沖縄空手. Retrieved 2026-07-22 – via Youtube.
  19. ↑ "Yoshitaka Taira Sensei Hanshi 10th Dan Kodokan". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  20. ↑ "Yoshitaka Taira Designation of Okinawa prefecture intangible cultural asset holder". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  21. ↑ "World WMKA Seminars Outside of Okinawa from August-November, 2013". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  22. ↑ "Eihachi Ota, Hanshi (9th Dan)". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  23. ↑ "Interview With Eihachi Ota". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  24. ↑ Michael, Rovens; Polland, Mark (25 Oct 2006). Okinawan Karate: The teachings of Master Eihachi Ota. Empire Books. ISBN 978-1933901053.
  25. ↑ Masters Magazine (2025-06-07). Eihachi Ota (FULL Version) "One On One Interview". Retrieved 2026-07-22 – via Youtube.
  26. ↑ Interview with Shihan Kiyoshi Nishime: A Journey to 1960's Okinawa Karate. 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2026-07-22 – via Youtube.
  27. ↑ Interview with Shihan Kiyoshi Nishime: From Okinawa's Countryside to Martial Arts Mastery. 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2026-07-22 – via Youtude.
  28. ↑ Okinawan Spirit - 沖縄の心 (2019-05-21). Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate #4 Takeshi Tamaki - 沖縄空手. Retrieved 2026-07-09 – via YouTube.
  29. ↑ "Takeshi Tamaki". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  30. ↑ "Omine Dojo Instructors and History". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  31. ↑ "SRKDI SHORIN RYU HISTORY". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  32. ↑ "Taba Kensei". Okinawa Shorin-ryu. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  33. ↑ "Shogen Ryu Lineage". shogenryu.com. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
  34. ↑ "Grand Master Ansei Ueshiro". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  35. ↑ "Ansei Ueshiro". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  36. ↑ "SHORIN-RYU KARATE USA 30th Anniversary Commemorative Journal" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  37. ↑ "Sensei Sam Palmer". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  38. ↑ "Sensei Carbonara". YouTube.
  39. ↑ "Remembering Sensei — The Good Men Project". Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  40. 1 2 ^ "History of Matsubayashi - Yarnall Dojo". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  41. ↑ "Frank Grant". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  42. ↑ "Hanshi Frank Grant". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  43. ↑ Grant, Frank; Slutsky, Jeff. My Promise To The Master: A Comprehensive Analysis of “The Next Step” for Shoshin Nagamine’s Matsubayashi-ryu. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1496033734.
  44. ↑ George, Bill. A Simple Man. Empire Publishing. ISBN 978-1087837819.
  45. ↑ "Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate - Midwest-honbu-dojo About". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  46. ↑ "WMKA Remembrance Hall". Retrieved 2026-07-22.

Sources

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