SENSEI
Those who made the road
before
Choshin Chibana
 1885-1969
Choshin Chibana was born June 5, 1885 in Torihori
village, Shuri.
He started karate training with Ankoh Itosu at the
age of 15. He stayed with Itosu, his only instructor, until his dead
in 1915.
Choshin Chibana opened a dojo in Torihori in 1917
and taught Itosu's karate as it was taught to him by Itosu. When he
began to teach, he wanted to be able to differentiate the various
styles which developed within the Shorin Ryu system. Rather than
naming his style after himself, which was the popular practice, he
called his style Kobayashi-ryu or 'young forest style'.
Later he moved to Chinen until 1948, when he
returned to Shuri.
He was the karate instructor for the Shuri police
department from 1954 to 1958.
Chibana became in May 1956 the first president of
the Okinawa Karate Kobudo Renmei.
Choshin Chibana died from cancer on February 26,
1969.
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