Seidokan Karate Kobudo

In 2002 Hobbs Sensei and I wrote an article for Traditional Karate Magazine that covered the history of Seidokan Karate. I have continued to research this topic and would like to present some updates here;

Shian Toma the founder of the Seidokan dojo, had many teachers in his lifetime. Among them were Shinzato Sokishi, Uchima Tanmei, Nakamura Shuguro, Shimabukuro Zenryu, Ire Matsutaro and Seikichi Uehara.

In recent years there has been some discussion that he never trained with Shimabukuro Zenryo.
In an effort to research this issue, I spoke with Sensei Walter Dailey. Walter Dailey was among one of the first Black Belts of the Seibukan and a direct student of Shimabukuro Zenryo.

Mr. Dailey assured me that as early as 1962 and as late as 1966 that Toma Shian was present in the Seibukan Dojo learnign directly from Shimabukuro Zenryu. I asked Mr. Dailey if Shimabukuro Zenpo was present for these training sessions and he advised me that Zenpo Sensei was both on and off of the Island during the time. Mr. Daliey assured me that Toma was in fact a student of Shimabukuro Zenryo, he said that other reports of Toma Seki and Maeshiro being the people to teach Toma Shian his kata were incorrect.

Toma Shian is also listed in the lineage of Nakmura Shuguro of Okinawan Kenpo, there seems to be some controversy to this as well, though I am not sure why, as Nakamura himself listed him as his student. There are several pictures of Toma and Nakamura together, additionally Toma and Oyata Seiyu were close friends. In fact after Nakamura Sensei passed away, Oyata and Toma founded the Ryukyu Kenpo Renmei, with Uehara Seikichi as an advisor in 1969.

Aslo in recent years there has been some controversy regarding Toma Shian and his connection to Motobu-Ryu. Toma Shian trained under Uchima Tanmei, who was a student of Motobu Toraju, it has been discovered that Motobu Toraju was a nickname for Motobu Chomo, the son of Motobu Choyu. Motobu Chomo had trained under his father and also under his uncle. He was well versed in the kata of Shuri-Te as well as Udundi. He lived for a period in Wakayama and also trained with his uncle Motobu Choki. It is from Uchima that Toma first learned the Pinan kata and the kata that is called Passai Sho in the Seidokan curriculum.

In 1969, Toma Shian became a direct student of Uehara Seikichi and a member of the All Okinawan Karate Kobudo Rengokai, as well as, the Motobu-Ryu association. Toma was the first person to introduce Motobu -Ryu to North America. He was among one of the first people promoted to 9th Dan in Motobu-Ryu by Uehara Seikichi and was his senior student for several years. Uehara gave Toma permission to name his art containing karate kata as Seidokan Mobobu-Ryu.

Therefore Toma Shian had a dual lineage to booth Motobu Choyu and Motobu Choki.

Another question that has arisen over the years is why are the Pinan kata of Seidokan different from the Pinan kata of the Seibukan? This is really quite simple. Shimabukuro Zenryo did not teach the Pinan kata series, he taught the seven kata - Seisan, Wansu, Passai, Nahanchi, Chinto, Gojushiho and Kusanku that he learned from Kyan Chotoku and the kata Wanchin that he developed.

The Pinan kata of Seidokan are from Motobu Chomo. The Pinan kata of Seibukan were added by Shimabukuro Zenpo from his study under Nakama Chozo of Kobayashi-Ryu. In fact the same question has been asked about why the two dojo share a similar Passai but also have a different Passai. They were added to the respective dojo in the same manner as the Pinan kata were. In fact Shimabukuro Zenpo has added several kata to the Seibukan dojo from Nakama Chozo such as Fukyu 1-2, nahanchi 1-3, Pinan 1-5, Passai Gwa and Jion.