Genseiryu Karate-do International Federation
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The master of Genseiryu, Kunihiko Tosa, started training Karate as a student of Seiken Shukumine (the founder of Genseiryu Karate-do) in 1952, which is one year earlier than the official naming of Genseiryu in 1953. In 1962 Seiken Shukumine left the world of Karate-do in order to pursue his newest creation Taido, which has nothing to do with Karate as it is a completely new martial art. Kunihiko Tosa continued promoting Genseiryu, as he declined Seiken Shukumine's offer to join him in Taido. In 1962 Kunihiko Tosa established his own domestic organisation: The Nippon Karate-do Genseiryu Butokukai due to the fact that Seiken Shukumine started the Japan Taido Association thus leaving the Karate scene in pursuit of Taido.
The Tokyo Honbu Dojo (translation: Honbu Dojo = headquarters) established by Kunihiko Tosa way back in 1959 became the new honbu dojo of the domestic NKGB organisation. The only official Genseiryu organisation prior to 1962 was established by Seiken Shukumine in 1953. This organisation was dissolved in late 1961 or early 1962, which is also part of the reason for Kunihiko Tosa to establish the Nippon Karate-do Genseiryu Butokukai. Butokukai is a member, and the official worldwide Honbu Dojo (headquarters) of the Genseiryu Karate-do International Federation. Butokukai is the name of Kunihiko Tosa's own personal dojo.
The Genseiryu Karate-do International Federation has around 150 dojos worldwide. Kunihiko Tosa is the supreme master and president of this organisation and is today recognized as 9th dan (9th black belt) in Genseiryu, and officially recognized as 8th dan inside the All Japan Karate-do Federation (JKF). No one has ever before been awarded this high rank in Genseiryu. Even the founder, Seiken Shukumine, was awarded only 8th dan.
Kunihiko Tosa wrote/published the first book ever on Genseiryu in 1984. The book's title is: Genseiryu Karate-do Kyohan 2 and contains a preface by Seiken Shukumine (1925-2001) who is the founder of Genseiryu Karate-do. The preface can be read in its entirety in both Dutch, English, Japanese and Danish at this site of: GKIF-Denmark. This book contains pictures and detailed discriptions of the 9 advanced kata of Genseiryu (a total of 23 kata are taught and practiced in Genseiryu). A short history of each kata can as well be read at the before mentioned site. These are translations from the book and are of course copyrighted material and should be treated as such at all times. The versions of the kata in this book are the official versions recognized in Japan by i.e. the All Japan Karate-do Federation (JKF). Any other versions or interpretations of these kata are not to be considered as Genseiryu Karate-do.
The author, Kunihiko Tosa, planned a 2 volume series, one containing the basics of Genseiryu and the other containing the advanced kata of Genseiryu. Due to the costs of issuing two volumes at that time (early 1980's), Kunihiko Tosa decided to first issue the sequel. Kunihiko Tosa assumed that such a book containing the advanced kata was much more needed than a book on the basics of Genseiryu. Kunihiko Tosa will publish the first volume containing the basics of Genseiryu at a later date, thus completing the Genseiryu volume series.
The Genseiryu Karate-do International Federation is the only officially recognized organisation of Genseiryu Karate-do in Japan. No other organization is in any way whatsoever recognized as such.
