was an Okinawan martial artist and the 11th ''

sōke , pronounced , is a Japanese term that means "the head family ouse" In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term '' iemoto''. Thus, it is often used to indicate "headmaster" (or sometimes translated as "head o ...

'' of Motobu Udundī. He was also Ryukyuan royalty and the 11th head of the ''Motobu Udun'', a branch of the Ryukyuan royal family. His younger brother was a karate master,

Motobu Chōki was an Okinawan karate master and founder of Motobu-ryū. He was born into a branch of the Ryukyuan royal family, and at the age of 12, he and his older brother Motobu Chōyū were invited by Ankō Itosu to be taught karate. Motobu also studie ...

Life

Motobu Chōyū was born in 1865 in Shuri Akahira, the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the first son of father Chōshin and mother Ushi. His father, Prince Motobu Chōshin (''Motobu Aji Chōsin'') was a descendant of Shō Kōshin, aka Prince Motobu Chōhei (1655 - 1687), the sixth son of Shō Shitsu (1629–1668), the King of Ryukyu. The Motobu family was one of the

cadet branches A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and inco ...

of the Ryukyuan royal family called the ''Motobu Udun'' ("Motobu Palace") and was one of the most prominent families in Okinawa. Chōyū learned the martial art passed down in the Motobu family, called ''ushu-ganashi-mē no bugei'', or "the king's martial art," from the age of six. He then studied

Shuri-te Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts, such as karate, tegumi and Okinawan kobudō, kobudō, which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island. Due to its location (between "Mainland Japan" and Taiwan), Okinawa was influenc ...

karate and '' koryū'' ("old school")

Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...

under the legendary ''karateka''

Matsumura Sōkon Matsumura (written: lit. "pine tree village") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese handball player *, Japanese synchronized swimmer *, Japanese curler *, Japanese painter *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese math ...

. In 1881, Chōyū invited Itosu Ankō to the palace of the Motobu Udun, where he and his brother Chōki learned karate from him. From the age of 24 or 25, Chōyū, along with his younger brother Chōki and his friend Kentsū Yabu, began studying under Matsumora Kōsaku from Tomari. Chōyū had three sons, but the downfall of the family combined with the emigration of his sons to mainland Japan made the succession of Motobu Udundī difficult. He decided to teach Motobu Udundī to his student Uehara Seikichi, and asked Uehara to teach this martial art to his second son Chōmō, who lived in Wakayama. In March 1918, Motobu Chōyū, along with other martial arts masters, was invited to a martial arts seminar at the Okinawa Prefectural Normal School. He demonstrated the kata of ''Shōchin'' (''Motobu-shi Sōchin''). Uehara went to Wakayama in 1923 and spent six months teaching Chōmo the techniques he had learned from Chōyū. In 1926, together with Miyagi Chōjun, Chōyū founded the Okinawa Karate Research Club in Naha and became its president. In 1928, he became ill and died. The Motobu Udun tomb where Motobu Chōyū also rests is designated as a historic site in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, as a tomb of Ryukyuan royalty.

Historic Sites

The family tomb is the Motobu Udun Tomb in Ganeko, Ginowan. On February 25, 2021, the Motobu Udun Tomb was designated a cultural property historical site by Ginowan City in recognition of its high value as a material that unravels the relationship between Ginowan District and royal descendants at that time. It has since become a major spot for karate tourist visiting from all over the world.

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External links

Motobu-ryu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Motobu, Choyu Okinawan male karateka 1865 births 1928 deaths People from Naha 19th-century Ryukyuan people

Life

Historic Sites

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