Ken-Shin-Kan
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The Ken-Shin-Kan Goju-Ryu Karate-do school was founded by Master Seiichi AKAMINE (Okinawa 1920 – Brazil 1995). Master Akamine started his Martial Arts way as a child with his grandfather and, formally, under Masters Chomo HANASHIRO, Kentsu YABU and Chotoku KYAN (Shuri-te) until he met Master Chojun MIYAGI and devoted himself to the Goju-Ryu. However, the most important Goju-Ryu Master for him was Seiko HIGA, Miyagi’s right hand and also disciple of the great Master Kanryo HIGASHIONNA (or Higaonna), one of the greatest Naha-te Masters, and Kanki IZUMIGAWA [[1]], a senior disciple of Higa Sensei, a Sempai and very good friend of Akamine-San.
Never leaving his Master in Goju-Ryu, Akamine Sensei also learned from other Masters and Arts (Kobudo, Ken-Jutsu, Judo, Uechi-Ryu, Gensei-Ryu, Bugeikan Okinawa-Te...), as well as some traditional medicine techniques like Shiatsu, Do-in and Kuatsu; always looking to follow the complete Bushido and help people.
He moved to mainland Japan to continue his university studies and then he opened a Dojo, calling it Shikan-Kan, as he was known also as “Shikan” Akamine.
In 1950 he joined other Masters for a "Nippon TV" Karate-do show: Hidetaka NISHIYAMA represented Shotokan-JKA, Ryusho SAKAGAMI the Itosu-Kai Shito-Ryu, Yasuhiro KOISHI represented Ryobu-Kai, H. KENJO the Kenshu-Kai, Seiken SHUKUMINE his Genseiryu / Taido-Kyokai, and Kanki IZUMIGAWA and him (AKAMINE) represented Goju-Ryu (see: [2]).
In 1957 he moved to Brazil, being one of the highest ranked Masters to come to America (8th Dan from the Butokukai) and the first Goju-Ryu Master. He founded the “Brazilian Martial Arts Association”, having more than 1000 pupils, influencing directly or indirectly most of the Goju-Ryu Masters that still today teach Karate-do and Kobudo in Brazil [3] and even Masters from other styles (check: [4] and [5] ).
Later, defining his Karate-do as a “scientific study of the Goju-Ryu”, he founded the School that makes him immortal in the Karate-do History: “the School of the strong spirit”, the Ken-Shin-Kan (see Shihan Raúl FERNÁNDEZ [[6]] and Shihan Roberto FERNÁNDEZ [[7]] pages for more details and historical pictures).
His School has spread also to Uruguay [8], Chile [9], Argentina, Paraguay, Honduras, the United States [10], Spain and Australia, taking his message: “Only the strong and pure hearted people may reach the noblest ideals.”
