Supreme Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro
 

(O. Sensei) President of the International Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate Association Okinawan - Japan. 9th Dan, Karate.

"A Peaceful Country maintains a well trained army to protect itself not, to invade another Country. It is the same with a well trained martial artist... ."

Karate is ever changing and yet it is essentially changeless. In the last 60 years there have been numerous radical changes in Karate, both in theory and in technique. Modern Karate, as it is practised today, is no longer a true martial art in the strictest sense.

This is because of the lack of dedication and indolent mentality of the instructors, and also because of the free unchecked flow of money. This has resulted in the dilution and simplification of the art from Karate masters to students. It was achieved at the cost of deliberately eliminating many combat oriented deadly techniques.

However, there is at least one combat art which has not surrendered its martial art heritage to materialism

Shorin-Ryu Seibukan karate under its Grandmaster Zenpo Shimabukuro. Seibukan (Holy Art School) the name chosen by late Grand master Zenryo Shimabukuro, 10th Dan Red Belt and father of the present Grandmaster produced some of the best fighters in Okinawa. His son Zenpo Shimabukuro was one of the best in the History of Okinawan Karate. Yet he is virtually unknown. He still teaches at the international Seibukan Karate Headquarters in Okinawa. Many Americans may recall Zenpo Sensei’s tournament career . . . 1963 Pennsylvanian State Championship; 1964 National Kata Championship and Canadian International Championship.

In his early fifties, Shimabukuro Sensei is an urbane soft spoken powerhouse of a man. He strongly believes Karate is not a Sport, but is for real life situations. If you were to ask Zenpo Shimabukuro Sensei, he would give you the following thought provoking explanation. Just like a peace loving country has its armed forces with it's arsenal of guns, missiles and other weapons and practises with them every day, year in and year out, so does one practice the martial art.

A peaceful Country maintains a well trained army to protect itself not, to invade another Country. It is the same with a well trained martial artist, unlike many other Karate masters Zenpo Sensei can still show the incredible power behind Karate. Many masters will tell one to use the hip to generate more power, but they are unable to demonstrate it, either because they are too old or out of condition.

Zenpo Shimabukuro Sensei is an exception. He can still mesmerize the crowd with flawless movement of his Kata and Kumite. Only in the Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Dojo in Okinawa does the Sensei select the students whom he will teach and not the student who chooses the teacher like in many other schools.