Enshin Karate
円心空手Full-contact karate founded by Ninomiya Joko in 1988, headquartered in Denver. It rests on sabaki, deflecting an attack and moving to the opponent's blind spot.
Quick Facts
JapanCharacter & Origin
Training
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Enshin Karate
About Enshin Karate
Enshin karate is full-contact karate that, according to English Wikipedia, was founded in May 1988 by Ninomiya Joko, a Japanese karateka living in Denver. Ninomiya was born on 27 January 1954 in Yawatahama and in 1969 joined Ashihara Hideyuki's Kyokushin dojo. When Ashihara broke with Kyokushin in 1980, Ninomiya went with him and led the American region of Ashihara karate from Denver before founding his own style. The official Enshin karate website says the core of the style is the sabaki method, a set of techniques that turn the opponent's force and momentum against him and move the defender to his blind spot for a counterstrike. According to it, the style also includes grabs, sweeps and throws known from judo. The website says the name consists of en, an open unfinished circle, and shin, heart. Enshin holds the Sabaki Challenge tournament in Denver, which English Wikipedia describes as an open full-contact tournament for advanced competitors of any style, held since 1989. Another English Wikipedia article mentions Ninomiya's Denver tournament as early as 1978.
History
English Wikipedia says that Ninomiya started judo at twelve and, after his fourteenth birthday, met Ashihara at a police gym, joining his dojo a year later. At seventeen he was, according to it, the youngest competitor at the All Japan tournament, and after the 1973 championship he was sent to Kyokushin dojo in New York, where he stayed as an instructor. Japanese Wikipedia says he taught at Shigeru Oyama's dojo in White Plains and then opened his own Kyokushin dojo in Denver. According to English Wikipedia, in 1977 he could not compete because of a thumb injury from a sword in training, and in 1978 he won the All Japan tournament. According to it, most American instructors and students of Ashihara karate followed him into the new organization in 1988.
How it differs
English Wikipedia says that Enshin karate has most of Kyokushin's striking techniques and in addition sweeps, grabs, throws and takedowns known from judo. Kotobank says that the rules of Kyokushin kaikan prohibit a direct punch to the head. Japanese Wikipedia calls Enshin kaikan the most significant of the sabaki branches that came out of Ashihara kaikan.
Technique
English Wikipedia names front, knee, roundhouse, axe, side, back and spinning back hook kicks, straight punches, hooks and uppercuts, knifehand and elbow strikes, and also sweeps, grabs, throws and takedowns. According to it, kicks to the groin and knee joint are taught for self-defense but are not used in kumite or at tournaments for safety reasons. After an opponent is knocked to the ground, the finishing strike is only indicated. The official website says the core is the sabaki method, which turns the opponent's force and momentum against him.
Training
The official Enshin karate website offers an online video library of basic techniques, kata and sabaki, and training at the headquarters in Denver. English Wikipedia says that Enshin karate schools are in Asia, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and the USA, and Ninomiya travels to them to give seminars on the sabaki method.
Competition
According to English Wikipedia, the Sabaki Challenge is a knockout full-contact tournament for men and women of any style, with weight classes. A sweep or takedown scores 1 point, a takedown finished with a fast indicated strike 3 points, head kicks are allowed, punches and elbows to the head and neck are not, and a grab on one side of the body may last three seconds. Japanese Wikipedia gives a grab slightly shorter than four seconds and lists joint locks, chokes, ground fighting and punches to the face as fouls. It says the world tournament is held every April in the USA and the All Japan tournament every October in Japan. We have not found official written rules of the tournament.
Today
Japanese Wikipedia says the headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, led by Ninomiya Joko, and that since its founding the organization has had branches in 33 countries. The official website names, besides Grandmaster Ninomiya Joko, also Koichi Ninomiya with the title Vice Grandmaster and shihan Jota Ninomiya. The official website announces World Sabaki Challenge 2026 on 23 May in Denver.
Did you know
English Wikipedia says that the first Kyokushin world tournament in 1975 was captured by the documentary Fighting Black Kings (1976), and Ninomiya finished third there. According to it, Ninomiya called Ashihara his first and only karate teacher. Japanese Wikipedia writes that he is one of the models for the character Ninomiya, Ashihara's student in the manga about Oyama. English Wikipedia lists his books Sabaki Method: Karate in the Inner Circle (1998) and My Journey in Karate: The Sabaki Way (2000).
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Enshin karate?
Ninomiya Joko, a student of Ashihara Hideyuki, in May 1988. Earlier he led the American region of Ashihara karate from Denver.
What is the Sabaki Challenge?
An open full-contact tournament in Denver for advanced competitors of any style. Points are also given for sweeps and takedowns and short grabs are allowed, according to English Wikipedia.
What is the difference between Enshin and Kyokushin karate?
English Wikipedia says Enshin takes over most of Kyokushin's striking techniques and adds sweeps, grabs, throws and takedowns. In addition, the Sabaki Challenge rules score sweeps and takedowns.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.