The Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei (全沖縄古武道道連盟) ("All-Okinawa Kobudo Federation") is a
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
organisation that began in
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
in 1972, and promotes the martial arts of two experts, father
Matayoshi Shinko and son
Matayoshi Shinpo.
From a young age, Shinko Matayoshi started to learn to use certain weapons, such as the Sai, Eku, Bo, and Kama through various teachers. They were Gushikawa Teragua, Yamane Chinen, Shishi Ryoko, and his father, Shinchin Matayoshi. Later, he learned to use Nunchaku and Tonfa, from Irai. In 1915, Matayoshi performed before the Emperor of Japan in Tokyo, along with other great martial artists. Later, in 1921, Matayoshi performed in another exhibition, this time in Okinawa, to the then Prince
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
.
Matayoshi Shinko later travelled to China to learn the arts of new weapons, such as the Sansetsukon, the Timbei/Seiryuto, Suruchin and Nunti. Alongside these, he also learned other Chinese arts such as traditional medicine,
acupuncture
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...
, and
Kung Fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
from a Chinese teacher called Master Kingai. Matayoshi also learned the art of riding (Bajutsu), throwing knives (Shurikenjutsu) and binding with ropes (Negenawajutsu) while he was living with
honghuzi
Honghuzi () were armed Chinese robbers and bandits in the areas of the eastern Russia-China borderland. Their activities extended over southeastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and Northeast China (then known as Manchuria). They operated in ...
("bandits" on the
China–Russia border
The Chinese–Russian border or the Sino-Russian border is the international border between China and Russia. After the final demarcation carried out in the early 2000s, it measures , and is the world's sixth-longest international border.
The Ch ...
).
When he returned to Okinawa in 1934, settling in the city of Naha, he taught his knowledge of weapons to his son, Shinpo Matayoshi.
Before the time of Shinko Matayoshi, peoples of Okinawa and China generally used to learn how to use different weapons in separation, since each weapon was treated as a martial art in itself (ie, there was no Kobudo, but the Sai art, Saijutsu; Bo art, Bojutsu, etc.). Matayoshi Shinko and Moden Son Yabiku (the creator of Ryukyu school Kobujutsu Kenkyu Kai) pooled their own knowledge of the various weapons, and Yabiku Moden ensures that this new art, of Kobudo or Kobujutsu, was known outside its existing boundaries.
[ :es:Zen Okinawa Kobudō Renmei] Matayoshi Shinko did not bother to popularize his knowledge, primarily transmitting his martial arts to his son and only child, Shinpo Matayoshi.
After the death of Shinko Matayoshi in 1947, Matayoshi Shinpo created the Ryukyu Kobudo Federation in 1970, which would be renamed in 1972 the "Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei" (All Okinawa Kobudo Federation). Matayoshi Shinpo undertook several worldwide journeys to teach and popularize the art of Kobudo that his father taught him, and as a result, the Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei is represented in many countries today. The Renmei became large and inclusive and celebrated the attitude of Matayoshi Shinpo who believed that Kobudo should be shared and enjoyed throughout the world.
Shinpo Matayoshi died in 1997, and the Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei continues under the leadership of his former student Shoshin Miyahira (2nd president), than Koki Miyagi (3rd president) and Yoshio Taira (4th president).
References
{{Reflist
Martial arts organizations