Kenwa Mabuni
Kenwa Mabuni (pictured right) had studied under the both maestros and he devised a method of his own and called it Shito Ryu method. Mabuni who was born in the year 1889 and he was 17th generation scion of Onigusuki, a famous samurai. Aware of his poor health at the small age of 13 Mabuni started intensive training of Karate under various masters. He created a new method named – Hanko Ryu which literally means half hard but changed it later to Shito Ryu to reflect a profound respect he had towards his masters. The name Shito is the combination of the first two characters from the name of each of the two masters he studied under- Master Higaonna and Master Itosu.
Later, around 1929, Master Mabuni moved to Osaka for the purpose to educate his art at different schools, universities and at places where he had followers. Master Mabuni further developed and promoted this special form of karate in the next few years. Shito Ryu is the form, which holds on the maximum to the previous forms of karate. Master Mabuni died on May 23rd 1952 at the age of 64 but his legacy was carried forward by the various students he had while teaching the art. Students of Master Kenwa Manubi included his son Kenzo Mabuni, (the founder of method Seishin Kai), Tokio Hisatomi Manzo Iwata, Ryusho Sakagami (founder of Itosu-Kai), Jun-ichi Inoue, Chojiro Tani (founder of the method Tani-ha Shukokai) Yoshiaki Tsujikawa, Ryusei Tomoyori, Ken Sakio, Kosei Kuniba and Toshiyuki Imanishi.
Soke Kenzo Mabuni
Soke Kenzo Mabuni, the son of Master Mabuni joined high school at the age of 13 and started practicing Shito Ryu. After the death of his father, Kenzo Mabuni was requested by his mother to carry forward the legacy of his father. Kenzo Mabuni decided to carry the legend of his father forward and taught the art to his students in the same manner and methods as his father used to do. Master Mabuni left his son the Shito Ryu name and the complete syllabus of the art. Kenzo Mabuni became the second governor to the organization. Kenzo Mabuni followed the syllabus exactly as his father had written down and hence, he called the art he taught as the pure Shito Ryu.
Once upon the request of his friend, Kenzo Manubi decided to show the world the art of Shito Ryu. He conducted seminars which made the art form much more popular among the general masses. Kenzo Manubi instituted an organization – the Shito Ryu International Karate Do Kai which now has branches in different parts of the world, all the teaching the Shito Ryu form of karate. The Shito Ryu form of karate is one of the popular forms of karate and martial arts and is prevalent among all the parts of the world.