Shōbayashi Shōrin-ryu ( is a style of

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

n Shorin-ryu

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

founded by Eizo Shimabukuro. Eizo Shimabukuro (1925-2017) dropped the Chatan Yara no Kusanku and the Oyadamari no Passai he learned from Chotoku Kyan and he added Kusanku Sho and Dai and Passai Sho and Dai of Yasutsune Itosu lineage. It is said that Eizo Shimabukuro learned these Itosu kata as well as Pinan Shodan to Godan and Naihanchin Shodan to Sandan from Choshin Chibana. However, in his book "Okinawa Karatedo Old Grandmaster Stories" Eizo Shimabukuro says that Chibana was too old to teach and so Chibana referred Shimabukuro to his senior student, Nakazato, for instruction. Eizo Shimabuku also added two kata from his time in Goju-ryu with Chojun Miyagi. These kata being Seiyunchin and Sanchin (Eizo Shimabukuro used to call his version of Sanchin, Sanchu). At one time Shimabuku taught Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu side by side.

History

Although Chinese martial arts began spreading to

in the 14th century, it was not prominent until the 18th century, when Kusanku, a Chinese military official, visited Okinawa and gave a demonstration. In subsequent visits, he started teaching "

chuan fa Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with 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 c ...

" (meaning "fist way") to Okinawans. Kanga Sakukawa blended Kusanku's ''Chuan Fa'' with indigenous Okinawan martial arts to form the first martial art style called karate. His student

Sokon Matsumura Seres Group () (previously known as Sokon Group or Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Co., Ltd, ) is a Chinese automotive manufacturer founded in September 1986 with headquarters in Chongqing, China. Born as a manufacturer of components for househol ...

blended Sakugawa's style with

Shaolin kung fu Shaolin kung fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is the largest and most famous style of Chinese martial arts, kung fu. It combines Chan Buddhism, Chan philosophy and martial arts. It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in ...

to form

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. Matsumura was Anko Itosu's primary instructor, and both Matsumura and Itosu instructed Chotoku Kyan and Choki Motobu. Several of Kyan's students would go on to lead their own branches of karate. These are:

Shoshin Nagamine ''Shoshin'' () is a concept from Zen Buddhism meaning beginner's mind. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying, even at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. The term is especial ...

( Matsubayashi-ryu), Tatsuo Shimabukuro ( Isshin-ryu), Eizo Shimabukuro (Shobayashi Shorin Ryu), Joen Nakazato (Shorinji-ryu), and Zenryo Shimabukuro (Shorin-ryu Seibukan). Eizo Shimabukuro studied under Chojun Miyagi before taking up Shuri-Te under Chotoku Kyan. Although Kyan then became his primary instructor, Shimabukuro also studied under Choki Motobu and weapons under

Taira Shinken was a Japanese martial artist, born as in 1897 on Kume island in the Ryūkyū archipelago. Early life He was the second son in a family of three boys and one girl. He was placed for adoption as a child (not an uncommon practice in old Japan ...

. In 1959 at the Kodokan in Japan,

Kanken Tōyama Kanken Tōyama (遠山寛賢 Tōyama Kanken, 24 September 1888 – 24 November 1966) was a Japanese schoolteacher and karate master, who developed the foundation for the Shūdōkan karate style. Background Kanken Toyama, was born Oyadomari K ...

promoted Eizo Shimabukuro to 10th Dan. At the age of 34, Shimabukuro was the youngest person ever to receive such an honor. Tatsuo was senior to Eizo and when he started Isshinryu, Eizo took over. Eizo studied often with his older brother Tatsuo, which may explain why the kata are so similar and Eizo retained Sanchin and Seiunchin Shōrin-ryū {{karate-stub