Shinpan Shiroma
城間真繁
Okinawan karate teacher (1890–1954), also read Gusukuma, a student of Anko Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna and teacher of Yoki Uema and Seikichi Iha.
Quick Facts
JapanBiography
Shinpan Shiroma, whose name written with the characters 城間真繁 is also read Shinpan Gusukuma, was an Okinawan karate teacher. He was born in 1890 in Shuri and died in 1954 at the age of 64.
From 1903, when he was thirteen, he studied under Anko Itosu, and in 1908 he began training together with Kenwa Mabuni under Kanryo Higaonna, from whom he learned Sanchin. In 1909 he joined the Japanese navy. Andreas Quast counts him among the key students of Itosu.
He taught at the Shuri Dai Ichi elementary school, where he also taught karate, and was a respected acupuncturist. According to his student Seikichi Iha, he taught that karate consists of three elements: kata, its analysis or jutsu, and practical application or ryaku. He stressed strengthening on the makiwara and analysis of kata technique by technique.
In the Battle of Okinawa he lost many students, and after the war he reopened his dojo in Shuri. His students included Yoki Uema, Seiichi Iju, Seitoku Ishikawa and Seikichi Iha. According to his students, on the day of his death he still taught for two hours and then died in his sleep. English Wikipedia credits him with co-founding Shito-ryu with Mabuni, but Quast attributes the style name to Mabuni. We have not found a quotation with documented origin.
Early life
According to a 2020 interview with Seikichi Iha, Shinpan Gusukuma, also called Shinpan Shiroma, was born in 1890 in Shuri, Okinawa. Both readings are written with the same characters, but we have not found a first-tier source that would confirm the identity. Andreas Quast gives only the name Shiroma Shinpan in a list of the students of Itosu. According to Ernesto Estrada's interview with Iha, he had three sons and a daughter.
Training and teachers
From 1903, when he was thirteen, he studied under Anko Itosu. In 1908 he began training together with Kenwa Mabuni under Kanryo Higaonna and learned Sanchin from him. In 1909 he joined the Japanese navy. According to an article by Ernesto Estrada, Seikichi Iha became his student around 1950 and trained with him for about four years. The club website shorin-ryu.com names him among the members of the Kenwa Mabuni study group of 1918.
Contribution and innovations
He was a teacher at the Shuri Dai Ichi elementary school and taught karate there as well. According to Estrada, he was a respected acupuncturist and scholar, taught the old Shorin-ryu style, and stressed strengthening with the makiwara and analysis of kata technique by technique. According to Iha, he taught that karate consists of three elements: kata, its analysis or jutsu, and practical application or ryaku. His principle was to avoid unnecessary movement, generate power from the hips, and practise karate alongside a main occupation.
Legends and documented facts
English Wikipedia states that he co-founded the Shito-ryu style with Kenwa Mabuni and led its only Okinawan branch. Andreas Quast, however, attributes the name Shito-ryu to Mabuni, who composed it from the names Itosu and Higaonna, first used it in 1934 in Osaka and registered it in 1939. Wikipedia also gives a home dojo in Nishihara, while Iha speaks of a dojo in the village of Tera in Shuri. As his successor Wikipedia names Horoku Ishikawa, the interview with Iha Seitoku Ishikawa. The twelve reflections on kicks and punches that are attributed to him on the internet have no documented origin.
Legacy
In the Battle of Okinawa he lost many students, and after the war he reopened his dojo in the village of Tera in Shuri, and according to Estrada he moved to Naha in 1953. His students included Yoki Uema (1920–2011), founder of Shorin-ryu Shubukan, Seiichi Iju, Seitoku Ishikawa (1925–2013) and Seikichi Iha. According to English Wikipedia, Seiichi Iju was the first teacher of Shugoro Nakazato and passed the kata Gojushiho on to Shorin-ryu Shorinkan. According to his students, on the day of his death in 1954 he still taught for two hours and then died in his sleep.
Teachers, students and family
Associated Martial Arts
A Japanese karate style founded in Osaka by Kenwa Mabuni. The name joins the first characters of his teachers’ names, Itosu and Higaonna, and the style is known for its many kata.
KarateNotable figure→An Okinawan striking art reshaped in the 20th century into Japanese budo and an Olympic sport. Built on kata and hand and foot techniques.
Naha-teNotable figure→A historical Okinawan karate stream from the port city of Naha, tied to Higaonna Kanryo and his student Miyagi Chojun. Goju-ryu came from it, and Ryuei-ryu is listed beside it.
Shuri-teNotable figure→A historical stream of Okinawan karate from the royal city of Shuri, linked with Matsumura Sokon and Itosu Anko. It gave rise to Kobayashi-ryu, Shorin-ryu and Japanese Shotokan.