Shinken Taira
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Shinken Taira (平 信賢 Taira Shinken?, 1897 – 1970) was a Japanese martial artist, born as Shinken Maezato (前里 信賢 Maezato Shinken?) in 1897 on Kume Island in the Ryūkyū Archipelago.
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[edit] Early life
He was the second son in a family of three boys and one girl. He was given up for adoption as a child, (not an uncommon practice in old Japan). At some point in his early life he took on his mother's maiden name of Taira. As a young man, Taira worked in the sulfur mines in Minamijima. He suffered a badly broken leg when he was trapped in a mine shaft collapse, which caused permanent damage to his leg.
[edit] Karate
In 1922, after traveling to Tokyo to find work, he was introduced to Funakoshi Gichin, a fellow Okinawan and Karate instructor. Taira became a deshi (student) of Funakoshi Gichin in an effort to learn Karatedo. In 1929, Taira began his studies of Ryūkyū Kobudo under Master Yabiku Moden.
In 1932, after studying Kobudo for three years and Karatedo for 10 years he received permission from his masters to open his own Dojo. Taira began to teach Karatedo and Kobudo in the quaint hot springs resort town of Ikaho, Gunma Prefecture.
Taira had an insatiable appetite for Budo knowledge. He continuously researched and assimilated his findings into a Kobudo system that remains to this day. It was because of this constant search for knowledge that, in 1933, Taira was introduced by Master Funakoshi to Mabuni Kenwa. In 1934, Taira became deshi of Mabuni.
In 1940 Master Taira Shinken opened a Kobudo Dojo in Naha, Okinawa. He also opened Dojos in Kantō and Kansai, two major districts of central Japan.
[edit] Kobudo
In 1955 he established the Ryūkyū Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai, to promote the Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts as passed down to him by so many great masters.
Taira Shinken is credited with bringing together many of the Okinawan's oldest and most prominent weapons traditions into one comprehensive system of weaponry training. He left behind a legacy as an innovator of combining unarmed and armed combat, as an inventor who developed the Manji Sai, and brilliant martial artist.
Taira Shinken is the First President of the Ryūkyū Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai. He was succeeded in the association by Master Eisuke Akamine as the Second President who was then succeeded by Master Hiroshi Akamine the Third President. The association continues to present times at the Headquarters in the Nesabu neighborhood of Tomigusu City in the Naha area of Okinawa Japan.
Taira Shinken is credited with composing Maezato no Tekko, a Kata using metal horse sturrips. The name Maezato relates to his birth name. It was his proficiency at this Kata that allowed him access to the Yamani Ryu Bo School in Okinawa. There he continued his studies in Kobudo Cataloguing over 35 traditional Weapons Kata from around Okinawa.
