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History of Taiyo Washin Ryu
- Since there is little documentation of early forms of weaponless fighting, the origin of karate remains hidden in a mist of oral tradition and legend. During the course of human history, particular forms of weaponless combat and self-defense have gained their own followings in various regions of East Asia, but all of them have underlying similarities. It is therefore accepted that karate is related, in one way or another, to other forms of weaponless martial arts.
GENSEI RYU to GENWA KAI
- In about the same year that Gichin Funakoshi went to Japan, Seiken Shykumine was born in Okinawa. He began training te at a young age under the supervision of masters Sadoyama Yasutsune and Kishimoto Soko. He continued this training until 1950.
- In 1950, Master Shykumine traveled to Japan to teach his style of te, which he later named Gensei Ryu. As with many early systems of te, Gensei Ryu consisted of only the most basic techniques.
- Collaborating with certain of his advanced students Master Shykumine developed new techniques for Gensei Ryu. He also adapted and organized kata, as well as standardized and indexed techniques.
- In 1960, Master Shykumine was elected vice-president of the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei. In 1962, he was named “saiko shihan” (supreme master instructor) of the Nihon Karate Budo Kyo-Kai. It was then that he formally dissolved Gensei Ryu and founded a new art which he called Taido.
- Taido incorporated a strong acrobatic influence. Some of Shykumine’s students did not agree with the change and felt that Taido did not meet their needs as students of karate. As a result this group, some who had trained in Gichin Funakosi’s Shotokan style, founded Nippon Karatedo Genwa Kai that same year. Its leaders were Takaaki Aoki, Yoichi Takahashi, Yusako Nakamura, Tadaya Iwaya and others.
- Hiroshi Tajima began his karate training in 1963 as a student of Genwa Kai. In 1973, Sensei Tajima traveled to Canada and the United States, subsequently taking up residence in Dayton, Ohio. He continued his karate training as a student of Genwa Kai, achieving “shihan” (master instructor). By this time he had been appointed Director of Genwa Kai’s U.S. headquarters. At the peak of Genwa Kai’s participation Master Tajima was Director for three dojos in Dayton, one in West Milton, Ohio, as well as dojos in Michigan, California and Toronto, Canada. By 1999, due to the increasing administrative expense, Genwa Kai had closed all dojos outside of Japan
GENWA KAI to TAIYO WASHIN RYU
- For over 30 years Master Tajima had remained faithful to the Genwa Kai philosophy and structure. However, he realized through his years of teaching that Genwa Kai did not address all of the needs of the student, especially in a Western culture. After an unsuccessful meeting at Genwa Kai headquarters in Japan, where he tried to effect changes, he returned to the U.S. and stepped down as Director.
- After meeting with certain of his advanced students Master Tajima founded Nihon Karate-do Taiyo Washin Ryu in 1995. He created a revised structure for training that helps the student to transition from basic techniques, to kata, to fighting kata and forms, to actual fighting with an opponent. However, the foundation of Taiyo Washin Ryu is still much the same as Genwa Kai, as well as having a traceable form to Gensei Ryu. Taiyo Washin Ryu remains a traditional Japanese style of karate that focuses on a few practical techniques, the effectiveness and artistic form of those techniques, and training both the mental and physical aspects of karate. Presently, the U.S. headquarters for Nihon Karate-do Taiyo Washin Ryu is in Dayton, Ohio, with another dojo in Los Angeles, California.
- Today U.S. Taiyo Washin Ryu consists of third and fourth generation students of the Okinawan te taught to Master Shykumine. It is important for our purposes to realize that, with every generation, there have been improvements for the betterment of the style and the student. As a Taiyo Washin Ryu student you are assured of a strong sense of tradition, which can be applied and enriched in a twenty-first century context. Through practice of Taiyo Washin Ryu karate, every student has the opportunity to seek and discover the true path to enlightenment.
- For more information about Taiyo Washin Ryu Karate or to schedule a meeting with Master Sensei Hiroshi Tajima, please call 937-236-1450. Thank you.