| Kanken Tōyama | |
| Birth Date: | September 24, 1888 |
| Birth Place: | Gibo Village, Shuri, Okinawa |
| Death Place: | Shuri, Okinawa, |
| Martial Art: | Shūdōkan Karate (founder) Okinawan martial arts (Shuri-te), various forms of Chinese martial arts including Taijiquan |
| Teacher: | Itosu Anko |
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.
Kanken Toyama, was born Oyadomari Kanken in Shuri, Okinawa, Japan, in 1888 (Meiji 21).
He trained under: Itosu Anko and Itarashiki primarily, and under Ankichi Aragaki, Azato Anko, Chosho Chibana, Oshiro, Tana, Yabu Kentsu[1] and Kanryo Higashionna.[1]
At 9 years old, he began his karate (Shuri-te) training under Ankō Itosu, and remained a student there until Itosu died in 1915.He also studied Naha-te under Kanryō Higaonna and Tomari-te under Ankichi Aragaki.
In 1924 Toyama moved his family to Taiwan, where he taught in an elementary school and studied Chinese Ch'uan Fa, which included Taku, Makaitan, Rutaobai, and Ubo. Given this diverse martial arts background, the Japanese government soon recognized Toyama's prowess, and awarded him the right to promote to any rank in any style of Okinawan karate. An official gave Toyama the title of master instructor.
In 1927, he was attacked by a swordsman belonging to a koryu school, who may have had mistaken Toyama to another Karate practitioner he had grudge with. Toyama managed to subdue the swordsman after evading his swing, catching the swordsman's arm, and ramming the swordsman onto an earthen wall and fell unconscious.
In early 1930 he returned to Japan and on March 20, 1930, he opened his first dojo in Tokyo. He named his dojo Shu Do Kan meaning "the hall for the study of the karate way." Toyama taught what he had learnt from Itosu and the Ch'uan Fa and did not claim to have originated a new style of karate. Toyama had numerous Korean born people studying Karate, including Yoon Byung-in, Yun Kwae-byung, and Kim Ki-whang.
After World War II ended, Toyama donated hundreds of books to Okinawa Prefecture because his hometown of Okinawa was severely damaged by the war and there was a shortage of books for school children to read. Due to this achievement, the title of "Karate Dodai Shihan" was sent by Takanobu Shikiya, the first governor of Okinawa. Also, following the war, martial arts were banned by GHQ. To get around the ban and continue Karate, a handful of Toyama's highest ranking students formed a dojo named Kanbukan (Hall of Korean Martial Arts) and appointed Yun Kwae-byung (who had a special status as third country person) as its director to avoid being shut-down by GHQ.
On December 10, 1947, Toyama was assaulted by an intoxicated American soldier without warning. Toyama did not resist the attack and allowed the soldier to beat him. Eventually, the American soldier tired of beating him and ran away. Toyama was not seriously injured by the incident.
Around 1948, Toyama had a dispute with Gichin Funakoshi over the "head family of karate". Toyama, who admits to being a direct disciple of Itosu, argued that Funakoshi was only a sideline under the Itosu gate (Funakoshi was a direct disciple of Anko Asato), and that those who were not directly connected to Itosu were not legitimate Okinawa Karate. Another issue in this controversy was that Toyama was a graduate of the Okinawa Normal School, while Funakoshi was from the Hayashi course (one-year course) of the Okinawa Prefecture Normal School. Toyama argued that only those who learned from Itosu in the main course of the Normal School were the successors to Itosu.
However, Itosu began teaching at the Normal School in 1905, and even though Funakoshi was enrolled in the main course, he was born in 1870. Funakoshi could not have had the opportunity to study under Itosu. In any case, through the Toyama-Funakoshi controversy, it seems certain that there was a sense of discrimination between direct and collateral among the disciples of Itosu.
Toyama held demonstration at the National Karatedo Championships (currently the National Karatedo Championships with Armor) started by his disciples.
When the former All Japan Karatedo Federation (currently the All Japan Karatedo Federation Renbukai) was established in 1951, Shudokan became the general headquarters, and Toyama contributed to the spread of karate as a sport of Armored Karate as a master. Around this time, Tsuru Shobo published books such as "Mysterious Secret Karatedo," "Protective Training Karatedo," and "Karadodo Daihokan."
Toyama believed that "there is no school in karate" and he has maintained a non-school principle throughout his life. Kanken Toyama died on November 24, 1966, in Shuri, Okinawa.
Toyama, who admits to being a direct line of Anko Itosu, has maintained a non-school principle throughout his life, did not give the school name to his karate, and denied the existence of the school itself. The theory is that "there is no reason why the most solemn feat should have two or three different styles of feats."[2] Toyama said, "It is the usual way of karate to practice in various ways, and it is fundamentally different from the school," said all of the things that were named the school at that time. I thought that it should not be established as a school, considering it as a difference in the training of.
In his book "Karate Dodaihokan," Toyama talked about Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu, which were already well known at the time, by writing: "It is being told to the world as if this second class now exists, but there is no solid basis or evidence on historical facts."[3] He insisted that they were integrated in the same format.
In addition, regarding the various schools that were born in the early Showa period, Toyama himself asked questions when he met Kenwa Mabuni of the Shito-ryu and Chojun Miyagi of the Goju-ryu, and Mabuni said, "Isn't it more meaningful to give it a name, and it's also meaningful to think of your teacher?" Miyagi said, "Because people in the world are not aware of karate, the whole picture is expressed in two letters, Go and Juu. "In the end, the name of the karate is meaningless because it is a genuine Okinawan karate with no style or school."
In addition, regarding the fact that new schools were frequently born at that time, "Recently, there are some unknown karateka who have introduced a strange new name. These are people who do not know the whole picture of orthodox karate."[4]
Toyama describes karate as "a martial art that protects itself with a hand-held karate based on the principles of stiffness, yin and yang, and breathing, and is free to attack and defend against enemies, with ethical lessons as the first priority."
In the three books left by Hiroken, the following six articles are described as moral lessons.
Toyama had the following seven mysterious techniques as the inherited from Anko Itosu.[5]
The individuals listed below are Shudokan pupils of Toyama as listed in Karate-Do Tai Hokan.[6] The translated partial list includes the karate-do shihan and hanshi title license and high degree rank (fifth dan to eighth dan). The '*' symbol indicates persons and organizations that did not train directly with Toyama, but were confirmed as members with the responsibilities of the shihan title and high degree rank. The '?' symbol indicate partial or missing translations.
| Name | Title | Position / Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iji Choshin | Shihan | Okinawa Shuri City To Sho Kan | ||
| Iwasa Kahoya | Hanshi Shihan | Hokaido Superior Branch Coal Mine, Branch Mining Director | ||
| Ito Mikihiro | Hanshi Shihan | Tokyo Distinguished College Teacher, Mori Dojo Director | ||
| In Hei Jin (Yoon Byung-in) | Shihan | Seoul, Korea Dojo | ||
| In ? Hei (Yun Kwae-byung) | Shihan | Tokyo Kanbukan (Korean Martial Hall) Director | ||
| Inoue Kiyoshi | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan Ota District | ||
| Izumikawa Hiroki | Hanshi Shihan | Kawasaki City, Senbukan Director | ||
| Hanaue Toshio | Hanshin Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Atsugi City, Kodokan Director | ||
| Toshishinga Fumio | Shihan | Hokaido, Toshishinga Dojo Director | ||
| Chitose Tadashi | Hanshin Shihan | Chiba Prefecture, Choshi City Nen Dojo Cho | ||
| Onishi Eizo | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture, Iyo City, Koei-Kan Karate-Do Founder/Director | ||
| Onishi Kazuhiro | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture, Kawanoishi | ||
| Ogawa Hideharu | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Shinjuku District | ||
| Watanabe Kenichi | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Ota District, Seidokan Director | ||
| Katsumura Masao | Hanshin Shihan | Yokohama City, Seidokan Director | ||
| Yoshikawa Hideo | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Nerima District, Seifukan Director | ||
| Yoshida Tetsuo | Shihan | Ibaragi Prefecture, Tatsugazaki City, Taiikukyokai Karate Club Director | ||
| Tamaki Hakufu | Hanshin Shihan | Oita Prefecture, Beppu City, Tachinaka Section Junior High School Principal | ||
| Takamine Michio | Shihan | Kyushu | ||
| Mou Hozo | Shihan | Kyushu | ||
| Tsuchiya Hideo | Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Odawara City | ||
| Narazaki Takeo | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Setagaya Kempokan Director | ||
| Nakagomi Ichiro | Shihan | Yamanashi Prefecture, Yu Dan Sha (Grade/Ranking) Chairman | ||
| Korishima Ichiro | Hanshin Shihan | Tokyo, Retired Army Lieutenant General | ||
| Kurita Yoshifumi | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture | ||
| Yabiku Isamu | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Muronouchi | ||
| Fujiwara Fumiyoshi | Shihan | Fukuoka City, Tenjin Cho, Seiki Dojo Director | ||
| Kinoshita Yoshifumi | Shihan | Saitama Prefecture, Kitaadachi County | ||
| Koizumi Shonosuke | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Meguro District | ||
| Koyasu Michio | Shihan | Kyushu | ||
| Amamiya Hiroshi | Shihan | Yamnashi Prefecture, Shioyama City | ||
| Akamine Shozuke | Shosuke Shihan | Kawasaki City, Nakajima | ||
| Arai Toshiro | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Toshima District, Chihaya Preparatory School Director | ||
| Arakaki Ryusho | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Yoyogi Shudokan Branch Dojo Director | ||
| Sakura Toshio | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Daito District | ||
| Kinjo Hiroshi | Hanshi Shihan | Tokyo Renbukan Shihan | ||
| Shimabukuro Kosuke | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District, Shimabukuro Dojo Director | ||
| Shibanaka Iwao | Shihan | Ehime Prefecture | ||
| Shimono Keiji | Shihan | Self Defense Force General Affairs Director | ||
| Higa Yoshito | Hanshi Shihan | Okinawa, Public Prosecutor General | ||
| Higa Yoshiaki | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District | ||
| Higashiona Hiroshi | Hanshi Shihan | Kanagawa Prefecture, Omichikan Headquarters Director | ||
| Higa Seitoku | Shihan | Ryukyu Public Prosecutors Office, Prosecuting Attorney |
Other students awarded shihan and hanshi title license and high degree rank but not referenced in Karate-Do Tai Hokan.
| Name | Title | Position / Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isao Ichikawa | Hanshin Shihan | Founder Karatedo Doshinkan | ||
| Morita Sadao | Shihan | Yokohama City | ||
| Suzuki Hideaki | Shihan | Tokyo Metropolitan, Ota District | ||
| Suzuki Yoshitsugu | Shihan | Shizuoka Prefecture, Seishukan Director | ||
| Sunabe Koichi | Shihan | Yokohama City, Tsurumi District, Sunabe Dojo Director | ||
| Akitani Seiji | Shihan | Shudokan Chairman | ||
| Murata Yoshitaro | Shihan | Hokaido | ||
| Takazawa Masanao | Shihan | Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture (deceased) |