Historical Masters

[camotheman]

Hey all,

If you could choose one karateka from the past to train with, who would you pick, and why? They have to be deceased, and you cannot have trained with them while they were living.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Would certainly want to train under Miyahira, who taught my present sensei. It could have happened because he was still alive and teaching until early 2000’s(Master Miyahira passed in 2010).

Lived very near his dojo and crossed paths several times in Okinawa at karate related events and local festivals. 

Another one would be the founder of Shorin ryu小林流、Master Chibana Chosin who trained Miyahira and taught until his final day in 1969. 

 

[sensei8]

Great question and topic, @camotheman; thank you for starting this topic.

Well, that type of question is quite difficult to answer with just one historical name because there’s quite a lot of masters that reside in the hall of bushido.

Then there’s the unknown masters that aren’t known, and I’m sure those type of masters have and do exist. No sense in going down that path.

So, for the sake of this topic, and because I can’t decide which one to choose, I’ll have to mention two known historical masters that I’d love to train with, and why.

>Soken Matsumura. Why?? He was bodyguard to 3 Okinawan kings; that’s an impressive MA resume. His applications of karate techniques were of focus of effective efficiency on the battlefield. For me, he was the foundation of the Shuri lineage, of which Shindokan belongs to.

>Chotoku Kyan. Why?? His focus on speed and evasion within his mastery of movement, which is deeply interwoven in Shindokan’s 4 key factors, can’t be denied.

I would love to train under them both so that I can better understand Shindokan and perhaps increase my MA betterment.

[DarthPenguin]

For me it would be Sensei Nakayama former JKA chief instructor. I have heard multiple times from very senior karateka that if they are ever unsure they refer to the 'karate bible' aka Best Karate series. So to learn from the author himself would be amazing.

Would also be incredible to take some BJJ classes with Rolls Gracie. Everyone always says how far ahead of his time he was and how incredible so that would be an amazing experience

[aurik]

I think for me it would be Kanei Uechi.  Kanbun Uechi was the founder of our style, but Kanei (his oldest son) evolved our style into what we know it as today.  When Kanbun brought his karate over from China, he only had 3 kata, along with the kotekitae (conditioning exercises).  When Kanei took over, he had senior instructors create 5 new "bridging" kata to ease the transitions from Sanchin -> Seisan -> Sanseiryu.  Furthermore, after the bridging kata were developed, he modified them to create a clear progression between the 3 original kata through the 5 bridging kata.

He also added the yakusoku kumite drills, the junbi undo warmups, and hojo undo supplementary exercises to the style.  While other of Kanbun Uechi's senior instructors may have originally developed the additional kata and exercises, Kanei Uechi codified the curriculum and made the style what it is today.

[Revario]

I would choose Aragaki Seisho who was first teacher of Tsuyoshi Chiitose as well as a teacher for Higoannoa Kanryo. 

[camotheman]

On 6/7/2026 at 11:49 AM, sensei8 said:

Great question and topic, @camotheman; thank you for starting this topic.

Thanks! I thought it would be a fun question

[Furinkazan]

Hirokazu Kanazawa, easy.  And not necessarily for the martial arts training itself, but because I believe he embodied the "do" aspect of karate-do more than anyone else.  That would be what I'd show up for.

[Wastelander]

From a purely historical perspective, I would want to train with "Todi" Sakugawa Kanga, as he is essentially the origination point for Shuri-Te styles, depending on which oral histories you believe. He taught "Bushi" Tachimura, and may have also taught "Bushi" Matsumura (although the oldest documentation we have about his teacher is about Yabiku Peichin, not Sakugawa). He might have created Naihanchi and Kusanku. He was supposedly so connected to Chinese arts that he was nicknamed after them (although there is little documentation to support the theory that he actually transplanted Chinese arts). Just all-around a cool experience.