Taira Shinken
Kobudo instructor to Tatsuo Shimabuku
Taira Shinken
demonstrates: Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bo, & Nunti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkMRkYF8QY&t=19s
Taira Shinken Nunchaku Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws7zUD8p7nI
Taira Shinken Bo
Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEe9rLJ3QZU
Taira Shinken
Tseken Shitahaku Sai Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CQy3sI-MwM
Taira Shinken
Hamahiga Tonfa Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9yMuuw3L_0
Taira
Shinken Nunti Kata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z75we0D8hWA
Taira Shinken -
Manjisai-jutsu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqoqxUxNPe8
Spear OKINAWA KARATE Ryukyu Kobudo. Taira Shinken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUXTnuvQiPA
Taira Shinken - Ryūkyū Kobudō Taikan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dicRNplz-jM
https://www.usadojo.com/shinken-taira/
Shinken Taira called “The Father of Modern Kobudo” was born
Shinken Maezato on June 12, 1897 on the island of Kumejima (Kume Island) off of
Japan. Shinken Taira was the second son in a family of one girl, and three
boys, however, as was often the custom young Taira was put up for adoption.
Later in life Master Taira would decide to use the name Taira, which was his
mothers maiden name. Tradition has it that Master Taira was introduced to
kobudo by his grandfather Kanegawa Gimu (1862-1921) although some sources say it
was not through his grandfather. Young Taira acquired the nickname of Mosa,
which means rascal, due to his mischievous nature. Taira finished grade school
at the Nakazato Jinjo Elementary School.
After finishing school Young Taira went out on his own in search
of work. He eventually landed a job working at the sulfur mines on Minamijima
Island, an island next to his home island of Kumejima. Young Taira worked hard
but disaster struck when a support beam in the mine collapsed trapping him
under the rubble. Fortunately he was able to dig his way out of the mine,
however, he sustained injuries, including lacerations, contusions, and a badly
broken leg which was to leave him with a limp for the rest of his life. Master
Shinken Taira was unable to continue working at the mine and had to return home
to Kumejima Island. Eventually he landed another job as a miner at Kitadaito
Jima, but quit after being mistreated and ridiculed by his fellow workers,
calling him such names as worthless and useless, because of his health and
physical condition, which was a result of his injuries at the mine. This
prompted young Master Shinken Taira to attempt to improve his physical health.
He decided to move to Tokyo to start anew. At first he thought of studying judo
with the famous Jigoro Kano, however, his need for work and the other life
essentials seemed to smother this idea to study judo. Providentially like many
Okinawans that moved to Tokyo Master Shinken Taira found accommodations at the
Meisai Juku an Okinawan dormitory for students, where he met the legendary
Gichin Funakoshi.
As of September 1922 young Shinken Taira being very impressed
with his meeting and conversations with Master Funakoshi had became a student
of the Master, and he became a Uchi-Deshi or live in student at Funakoshi’s
dojo. He studied hard eventually becoming an Assistant Instructor at Master
Funakoshi’s Dojo. During Master Shinken Taira’s studies with Master Funakoshi
they traveled extensively in the Kanto area promoting and demonstrating karate
at several universities, including Nihon Medical University, Chuo University,
Ritsumei University, and Meiji University. During these demonstrations Master
Taira would often perform Tameshi Wari and could break as many as 6 boards at a
time utilizing a shuto or knife hand strike. As a result of his rigorous
training under Master Funakoshi his health was restored and his physique became
that of a strongman.
During his studies with Master Funakoshi for some seven or eight
years, he met other Okinawan karate masters providing him with a strong
foundation and background encouraging him to broaden his studies to include
kobudo. As of 1929 he was studying directly under Master Yabiku Moden, the main
kobudo Master on the island of Okinawa at that time. In 1932 he moved to the
Gunma Prefecture. At this time he also opened his first dojo at the Hot Springs
Resort of Ikaho, Ikahononsen City. In August of 1933 at a seminar Master
Shinken Taira was awarded his Shihan Menkyo certification or instructors
certificate, by Master Yabiku Moden.
In constant desire to learn more Shinken Taira asked Master
Funakoshi to introduce him to a friend and colleague of Master Funakoshi’s that
he met in Osaka years earlier, named Master Kenwa Mabuni. Master Shinken Taira
asked Master Funakoshi for this favor while he was visiting Master Shinken
Taira’s dojo in the same year of 1933. As a result of this help from Master
Funakoshi young Master Shinken Taira did become a student of Master Mabuni ,who
was the first person to introduce Kobudo to the mainland of Japan.
Many of Master Mabuni’s students also later supported Master
Taira. Such as Sakagami Ryusho, Master Mabuni’s Son, Kunishi Yasuhiro, Kuniba
Shiyogo, and Hayashi Teruo, as well as both Eizo and Tatsuo Shimabuku. It was
these men that were responsible for the spread of Master Taira’s Kobudo
throughout the world.
Through Master Shinken Taira’s efforts a standard methodology of
teaching was established which formerly did not exist. He was responsible for
studying and preserving dozens of neglected kobudo traditions. He went on to
produce several of his own kata which became famous in their own right for such
weapons as, the Sansetsuken or three sectioned staff, the Tekko, two kata for
the Nunchaku, and a kata embodying the central elements of staff fighting,
Kungo No Kun.
Master Taira was very innovative and created a formal exercise
to augment his theories of Sai Jutsu by creating a modified weapon (a unique
design of the Manji Sai which is used on the end of the Nunte Bo – a bo with a
sai at the end attached as one instrument) called the Manji Sai. He got the
idea for the weapon while meditating in a temple in the Gunma Prefecture,
though some say it was a local Buddhist Temple outside the city, where he had
gone to pray for the success of his new dojo. It was while at this Temple where
he noticed an unusual religious ornament which was a large Manji, the ancient
Sanskrit symbol of life and rebirth, which reminded him of an Uchinan No Nunte,
or Okinawan fishing gaff, which is shaped similarly to a swastika or Manji.
Upon this interesting experience at the temple he went back to his dojo and
created the design for his unique version of the Manji sai and a kata utilizing
his new weapon which embodied his theories of Sai Jutsu. His new kata was a
combination of techniques he had learned from other sai kata, but it also took
advantage of the Manji sai’s unique shape which he had created. His new weapon
had sharp points on both sides of the weapon. This new kata he created was
called Jigen No Sai. An interesting note was made that the name Jigen No Sai
can be translated as “foundation of love”, or “compassion”, this choice for the
name of the new kata may have been deliberate, since he came up with the idea
of the new weapon while at a Buddhist Temple.
Master Shinken Taira returned home in 1940 where he continued
his research and teaching. By 1944 World War II was in full force and suffering
on his home island of Okinawa was at an all time high. Master Taira and a few
of his students teamed up with a local group of entertainers and decided to
tour the island to help lift morale. After the war was over he returned to his
home village, Kume Jima, where he helped the Allies to rebuild which gained him
much popularity.
In 1948 he resumed his work of restoring kobudo as a prominent
art. During this time he met Kamiya Junsei a legendary Okinawan bo/sai
authority from whom he learned the Choun, Soeichi Bo Jutsu, and the Yaraguwa
Sai Jutsu. Also around this time he founded the “RyuKyu Kobudo Kenkyu Kai” realizing
that he alone could not carry on such a massive work. This society was created
to collect, preserve, and promote Okinawa’s kobudo legacy. His following became
widely supported by many masters of Kobudo and Karate-Do to numerous to list.
His notoriety gained him international acclaim especially among
the American Armed forces. As a result the U.S. military asked Master Shinken
Taira to do exhibitions which were covered by all branches of the media
including TV and radio. He was then asked to introduce his work to the U.S.
which he did for fifteen different weapons with full directions, and complete
sets of photographs illustrating their use, which are kept at the Smithsonian
Institute. In 1960 he was awarded an Honorary Shihan Menkyo or Teachers License,
from the Institute of Ancient Japanese Martial Arts Studies by the 14th
headmaster of Koga Ryu Ninjitsu and President of the institute. In 1963 he
formed the “Kokusai Karate Kobudo Renmei International” or “International
Karate/Kobudo Association”. He also published his first book on his research
called “RyuKyu Kobudo Taikan” or the Encyclopedia of Ryukyu Kobudo. This book,
now out of print, illustrated a few kata and biographies of the most acclaimed
masters of Okinawa. RyuKyu Kobudo Taikan was supposed to be the first of five
books to be published, but as a result of failing health Master Shinken Taira
was never able to complete the other works.
In 1964 he was awarded his Hanshi Menkyo or Masters
Certification, from the Zen Nippon Kobudo Renmei. During his life Master
Shinken Taira also developed an oversized makiwara or punching board, used for
the bo to build power and improve kime (focus) and accuracy. He also created bo
and sai from bamboo, based on the design of the Kendo shinai, and experimented
with and attempted to create armor for full contact weapons sparring, which
would be strong enough to resist the blows of a staff, and yet flexible enough
so as to not hinder movement.
These efforts were later abandoned by Master Shinken Taira most
likely because of the war and shortage of materials. During his lifetime Master
Taira learned and mastered the use of many weapons such as, the sai (metal
truncheon), bo (6″ staff), Eku (oar), Tonfa (right angled hand truncheon),
Nunchaku (wooden flail), the three sectioned staff, Manji Sai, Nunte Bo, Tekko,
and as many as six other weapons, for a total of over fifteen weapons, and over
thirty kata.
In 1970 with his health failing and fearing that his work would
disappear he promoted his number one student Akamine Eisuke, awarding him his
Shihan Menkyo, or full Teachers License, and changed the name of his
organization to the “Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai”. Later that same year
Master Shinken Taira died on Thursday, September 3, 1970 from stomach cancer at
age 73 surrounded by over 50 of his students. His number one disciple Akamine
Eisuke carried on his legacy and taught until his death in 1999.
the Author Renshi Matt Zagacki
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