Eizo Shimabuku
Master Shimabuku has trained with many great masters over his life. A few of those include, Chojun Miyagi, Choki Motobu, and Tatsuo Shimabuku, his older brother. Even with these instructors Master Shimabuku wasn’t done with his learning. Shimabuku began training with Chotoku Kiyan. Master Kiyan taught him that Shorin-Ryu karate system, the sai, and the Bo staff. He began his training with Master Kiyan at the age of sixteen and worked with him under his death in 1945. Shimabuku would go to Master Kiyan’s dojo everyday to learn the art of Shorin-Ryu. Master Shimabuku created his own branch of Shorin-Ryu called Shobayashi-Shorin-Ryu. An interesting note about this is that Master Shimabuku trained in Goju-Ryu for six years. From this training he added the kata Sanchin to his branch of Shorin-Ryu. Master Shimabuku is one of the top instructors to the US arms men, which have been stationed in Okinawa. He was one of the few who were willing to teach to Americans. One of his best known students in America was Joe Lewis, a world karate Champion.
