OKINAWA  SHORIN-RYU  KARATE-DO  KYUDOKAN

-The Higa Family School of Karate-do-

 

The Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate Do Kyudokan School, now known as the Higa Family Karate-do, is a traditional school renowned throughout the world because of its history, its accumulated culture and the traditions handed down over the centuries by the fore fathers of Karate in Okinawa. The Kyudokan Karate-do, founded by the Master Yuchoku Higa (1910-1994), one of the most famous 10th Dan in the world, known as the strong fist of  Okinawa (Yuchoku No Teji Kun). He is the uchi deshi of the famous Chosin Chibana Sensei (Founder of Kobayashi (Shorin) Ryu) .

It has roots of the ancient Shorin School, or in other words Shuri te (The hand of Shuri). This is an evolving school in the sense that, although it is an art handed down from generation to generation, it has advanced its technical content with regard to the art of movement, without losing the spirit of the original. The element of fundamental difference with the rest of the Shorin systems, is in the work of rotation of hip, of which sensei Yuchoku Higa made a deep study.

Currently Grand Master, Minoru Higa (9th Dan-Hanshi) one of the most honorable masters in Okinawa works as the president of Kyudokan. And Hanshi, Oscar Higa (9th Dan), who currently lives in Italy works as the technical director and the representative of Europe. His brother, Kyoshi, Benito Higa (8th Dan) works as the representative for whole South America. The Late Master Jintatsu Higa (8th Dan-Kyoshi) (1912-1983) who was the brother of Yuchoku Higa receives the honour of introducing Kyudokan to South America.

 Kyudokan style has established in more than twenty countries around the world including  Okinawa, Japan, Italy, Argentina, Ecuador, Germany, USA, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Morocco, Hungary, Malta, India, Romania, Spain etc

 

Some of the basic features of the Kyudokan School are as follows:

  • The Myo Mamoru principle, namely the concept of defending and protecting (sheltering) the body;
  • Development of Ki (energy) by means of systematic Hara (tandem) work and the principles of Yin and Yang: hard-soft relaxed-tensed slow-rapid;
  • The rule of Kokyu (breathing);
  • The Marumi-Muchimi principle, namely circularity of movement and the conclusion of the technique at its maximum level.

The Kyudokan School motto - Kyudo Mugen (the study-trail is never-ending) symbolizes the spirit of the school, that is, constancy in practice and an endless search for perfection as a way towards growth, as an antithesis to the confining mentality. "...the study-trail is neverending. The karate pathway is as immensely vast, profound and bondless as the heavens that go on for ever beyond all limits".

By

Sensei, Indishe Senanayake (2nd Dan)

Representative & Chief Instructor

Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Karate-do Kyudokan Association – Sri Lanka Branch