Shūkōkai

Shūkōkai (修交会, shūkōkai^?) is a group of closely related styles of Karate, based on Tani-ha Shitō-ryū, a branch of Shitō-ryū developed by Chōjirō Tani in the late 1940s, and refined by his student Shigeru Kimura.

History

Chōjirō Tani (谷 長治郎 Tani Chōjirō) was born in 1921,^[1] and started his formal karate training under Miyagi Chōjun, who founded the Gojū-ryū style, while a student at the Doshisha University in Kyoto. After a few years, Miyagi Chōjun returned to Okinawa and the founder of Shitō-ryū, Kenwa Mabuni took over the teaching. Upon graduating from university, Tani began learning Shuri-te and then Shitō-ryū from Mabuni as well. After many years of training under Mabuni and becoming one of his most senior students, Tani received the certificate of succession from him and became the head of Shitō-ryū, enabling him to use the name Tani-ha Shitoryu.

Chōjirō Tani began teaching the Karate style Shūkōkai (meaning the way for all)^[2] at a dojo in Kobe, Japan in 1946. Shūkōkai was designed around the study of body mechanics, is very fast due to its relatively high stance aiding mobility,^[3] and is known for the double hip twist, which maximises the force of its strikes; making it one of the most hard-hitting Karate styles.

Tani's most senior student, Sensei Shigeru Kimura, left Japan in 1965 to teach Shūkōkai in Africa. He developed Shukokai even further, emphasising its power and strength; and was regarded as an expert on the style.^[4] He continued to teach after travelling to Europe, before settling in the United States in 1970 at the age of 29, where he taught at Yonezuka's Cranford dojo for two years; creating the first Shukokai World Tournament in 1981. When he was 37 years old, he was the youngest ever to have held the 7th Dan with an acknowledged style. Sensei Kimura died of a heart attack at the age of 54.^[5] Tani died on 11 January 1998.^[1]

Grading

The white belt (10th Kyu) is assigned to beginning students, who then progress to brown belt (1st Kyu), before reaching black belt (Dan). Certain Shukokai Karate associations do not have a red belt grade, making the white belt a ninth Kyu. In addition, certain associations also require a probationary black belt grade (Shodan-Ho) before progressing to fully fledged dan grading.

Branches

Shūkōkai split into several independent branches throughout the world

• Kimura Shukokai International^[6] grew out of the Shūkōkai school taught since 1978 in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA and later in Tenafly, New Jersey by Shigeru Kimura, a long time student of Tani.^[7][8] After Kimura's death in 1995, this international organization was formed to promote his style, co-led by his four senior students: Eddie Daniels, head of Shukokai Karate Federation, Bill Bressaw, head of American Shukokai Karate Union, Chris Thomson and Lionel Marinus of South Africa. This branch has also been brought to the forefront by Gavin Armstrong who still maintains a dojo in Tenafly, New Jersey, and Ken Domney who maintains a dojo in Ridgewood, New Jersey.^[9]
• Kobe Osaka International, founded in 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland (as Kobe-Osaka Club) by Tommy Morris, a student of Yoshinao Nanbu and Chōjirō Tani.
• Shukokai Karate Union, founded in 1969 in Sheffield, England, and currently led by Stan Knighton, a student of Tani and Kimura.^[10]
• Sankukai, founded in 1971 in Paris, France by Yoshinao Nanbu, a student of Chōjirō Tani. Yoshinao Nanbu abandoned the style to create Nanbudō in 1978, and Sankukai is currently taught by several national organizations throughout the world.
• Kofukan International founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1974 as Shūkōkai World Karate Union Europe but renamed in the early 1980s to distinguish itself from the numerous Shūkōkai organizations. Kofukan was founded by Yasuhiro Suzuki, a student of Tani, and is currently managed by Keiji Tomiyama and Naoki Omi.^[11]
• KenYu-Kai Karate founded in 1980 by Terry Pottage in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.
• Samurai Karate International founded in 1980 by Paul Mitchell in Australia, who is a student of Masutatsu Ōyama of Kyokushin, Chōjirō Tani and Kimura of Shuko-kai^[12]
• Miyake Shuko-Kai International founded by Kunio Miyake, a student of Chōjirō Tani, in 1985 in Westminster, California, currently headquartered in McAllen, Texas.^[13]
• Battistello Shukokai Karate founded in 1989 by Luc Battistello and Sonia Leonardi of Australia, who trained under Alan Murdoch, a student of Thomas Morris, Shigeru Kimura, and Chojiro Tani. Alan Murdoch was the first to bring Shukokai to Australia.
• Shukokai Karate Association founded in 1991 by Malcom Hudson of KenYu-Kai karate in the West Midlands of England.^[14]
• Dudley Shukokai Karate Club founded in the early 1990s in West Midlands and Dorset, England, now headed by Mandie Read, a student of Kimura.
• Kobushi Shukokai Karate Association founded in 1998 by John Harris, a student of Kimura, in West Midlands.
• Kawata-ha Seikukai Karate founded in Kawanishi, Hyōgo, Japan after the passing of Chōjirō Tani in 1998 by Kawata Shigemasa, his most senior student^[15][16]
• Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union founded in 1998 by Haruyoshi Yamada, 10th Dan, a student of Chōjirō Tani, in Amagasaki, Hyōgo, Japan, with branches in 13 other countries.
• Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Europe The Shito-Ryu Shukokai Union officially decided to be represented in Europe and appointed the Shito-Ryu Shukokai Union Europe. Actually it is led by KAMOHARA Tsutomu sensei, 8th dan as Chief instructor and Mr. HAUSNER Thomas, 7th dan as President. Its headquarter is located in Vienna, Austria, where Mr. Hausner resides. Member countries are: Austria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jersey, Portugal, Scotland, Wales.
• Alliance of Shukokai Karate founded in 2001 by George Campbell , Adrian Coan and Stewart Proctor of Kimura tradition, in North West England
• Shūkōkai World Karate Association, a union of Seikukai and Samurai Karate International with headquarters in Kobe, Japan, founded in 2004 ^[17]
• The Horan Shukokai Cente Founded in 2005 by Andy Irvine 3rd Dan who trained under John Horan 7th Dan and is based in Blackpool, England.
• The Garforth Shukokai Club has been noted as combining traditional karate with competition Karate in the North of England.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "CHOJIRO TANI - TANI-HA SHITO-RYU (SHUKOKAI)". Shuriway. http://www.shuriway.com/chojirotani.html. Retrieved 11 May 2010. 
2. ^ What is Shukokai on www.Shūkōkai.com
3. ^ "SHUKOKAI-RYU KARATE-DO ASSOCIATION". http://www.btinternet.com/~shukokairyu/. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
4. ^ "The History of K.S.K.A". KOBUSHI SHUKOKAI KARATE ASSOCIATION. http://www.kobushishukokai.com/page12.htm. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
5. ^ "Master Kimura 10th Dan". http://www.kobushishukokai.com/page11.htm. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
6. ^ Kimura Shukokai International
7. ^ Shigeru Kimura on shuriway.co.uk
8. ^ About Shigeru Kimura on Shūkōkai.com
9. ^ http://www.shukokai.com/SGA.html
10. ^ Stan Knighton on sku.org.uk
11. ^ History of Kofukan at kofukan.org.uk
12. ^ Q&A with Shihan Paul Mitchell, extracts from Impact Magazine (Issues 31 & 33, 1995) and Blitz Magazine (Vol 10 no. 12 & Vol 11 No. 1, 1996).
13. ^ Kunio Miyake on miyake-Shūkōkai.com
14. ^ Malcolm Hudson on Shūkōkaikarate.org.uk
15. ^ Kaicho Kawata Shigemasa, an interview by Brett Sampson and Kohji Doi
16. ^ Still Samurai, 2003 Blitz Magazine article on Sensei Kaicho Kawata Shigemasa
17. ^ Japan 2004 SWKA Groundbreaking