| Motobu Chōyū | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1857 Akahira Village, Shuri, Ryūkyū Kingdom |
| Died | 1928 (aged 70–71) Shuri, Okinawa, Japan |
| Style | Shuri-te, Motobu-ryū |
| Teacher(s) | Choshin Motobu, Matsumura Sōkon |
| Notable students | Seikichi Uehara, Tsuyoshi Chitose |
| Website | Motobu-ryu |
Motobu Chōyū (本部朝勇, 1857-1928) was an Okinawan karate master and elder brother of karateka Motobu Chōki.
Motobu Chōyū was born in Akahira village in Shuri, Okinawa. His father, Anji (Lord) Motobu Chōshin was a descendent of Prince Shō Kōshin (1655-1687), the sixth son of Okinawan King Shō Shitsu (1629-1668). [1]
Chōyū first learned the art of Te (the precursor to modern karate), which was passed down within the Shō royal family from father to eldest son. [1] He then studied Shuri-te karate and koryū ("old school") Japanese martial arts under the legendary karateka Matsumura Sōkon. [2] He later combined all these arts he had learned to create the Motobu-ryū style of karate. In his final years, he was the head martial arts instructor to the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Shō Tai (r. 1848-1879), succeeding Matsumura in that position. [1]