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Genseiryū

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Genseiryu is a karate style with roots in Shuri-Te, one of the three original karate styles on Okinawa (a Japanese island). It was developed by Seiken Shukumine (1925-2001) who combined classic techniques with his own thus developing special characteristics of Genseiryu. Sensei Shukumine had two known teachers, Sadoyama and Kishimoto. The name of Genseiryu was first used in 1953. In Japanese the name consists of three different characters. One is Gen (meaning 'deep and subtle truth'), Sei (meaning 'system and creating form') and Ryu (meaning 'school/tradition'). The combination of Gensei means 'to pursue deep truth and making it clear through the form'.

Genseiryu was for the first time demonstrated in Japan by sensei Shukumine in 1949. In 1964 he published his book Shin Karate-do Kyohan in which he describes the techniques of Genseiryu, in the book called Ko-ryu, which is translated into 'old school/tradition'.

In 1962 Shukumine sensei introduced a further development of Genseiryu which he named Taido. Taido is not to be regarded as Karate, but as a new martial art. This new Budo has a lot of acrobatic movements such as sommersaults and flips. Since leaving Genseiryu in 1962, Shukumine sensei held a friendly relation with the masters of Genseiryu who continued the lineage. He also appointed a chief instructor for the World Genseiryu Karatedo Federation. The first one being sensei Yamada, later followed by sensei Saito. Today the head instructor of this organisation is sensei Kanai.

One particular master, Kunihiko Tosa, a former student of sensei Shukumine, continued on his own path which he called Genseiryu Butokukai. He created the only still existing book on Genseiryu Butokukai with Shukumine sensei as a technical advisor. This book Genseiryu Karate-do Kyohan 2 was published in Japanese in 1984. For these advisory functions, Shukumine sensei had a lot of influence on GENSEIRYU even up until his death on November 26th 2001.

However, that last part is what is claimed by Tosa who wants that Genseiryu practitioners follow his organisation and buy his book about Genseiryu Butokukai. Tosa named himself succesor of Genseiryu but Sensei Shukumine didn't announce him as succesor. Actually, Mr.Tosa is not even allowed, by Japanese Law, to use the name Genseiryu without adding his style or organisation name Butokukai.
In fact Sensei Shukumine held contact with many Genseiryu teachers and his first succesor was Sensei Yamada, after him Sensei Saito and at the moment is Sensei Kanai head instructor of World Genseiryu. Sensei Shukumine gave lectures occasionally for invited Genseiryu teachers and took examinations. Tosa who turned his back to Sensei Shukumine was never invited. There are pictures of these occasions which I will try to add to this medium.

The World Genseiryu Karatedo Federation, with head instructor Sensei Kanai, is following the book Shin Karate-do Kyohan as a guideline to train the original Genseiryu. The Kata published in this book are:

  • Ten-I No Kata
  • Chi-I-No Kata
  • Jin-I-No Kata
  • Sansai
  • Naifhanchi
  • Bassai Dai
  • Koshokun-Dai

Please see the following writing of Sensei Shukumine (coming next edit)

Genseiryu is characterised by its genuine techniques such as i.e. Ebi-geri and Shajo-geri. Shiho is a special form of training developed in Genseiryu. Shiho translates into 'four directions' and comprises excercises in which a combination of techniques is repeated again and again in four different directions (front, back, right and left). Genseiryu has firm roots in what is generally referred to as Okinawa-te.

When Shukumine sensei left Genseiryu back in 1962, he urged all of his students to follow him into pursuing Taido. Because not all students wanted to do this, some students continued under their own names. To this day none of these schools ever officially claimed to do Genseiryu, but are adhering to their "own" style. Most of them refer to their style as identical with the name of the organization i.e.: Genwakai, Keneikai, Ryounkai, Seidokai.

This is also something Mr.Tosa claims, but is actually not true. All these styles first named their style Genseiryu and added their organisation name. At the moment the organisations Ryounkai and Genwakai changed their style name into their organization name. The others use Genseiryu as their style name. All organization train the basic Genseiryu Kata Ten-I, Chi-I and Jin-I no Kata. Some organizations changed the Kata according their own idea's. Only the Butokukai style is not training the Basic kata of Genseiryu they train the basic kata of Shotokan.

External links

Much more information on Genseiryu can be found here: