Download Student Guide - North Wind Martial Arts & Fitness

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OFMaster Kuniba, ShogoSoke of Motobu ha Shito-ryu1935-1992Soke Kuniba was born in Japan 5 February 1935. His father Kokuba, Kosei, began training himat age 5. Soke Kuniba's father determined that Soke Kuniba would be well versed in manydifferent arts. This kind of training was the old samurai way of creating a warrior. I think it isimportant to listen to the stories of the men that new the men that new Kuniba, Shogo Sokewhen he was young. From all the stories, one gathers a sense of a boy being very carefullycrafted into a warrior. Having met and trained with him I believe that he was more than just amartial arts master, he was in addition a philosopher, a poet, and a calligrapher. I watched himmake additions to a certificate that I had carried to Virginia to get his signature on for thepromotion of Joseph Ruiz to 8 th Dan and Hanshi. His brush strokes were beautiful to watch, theyflowed like a kata, and left me with a sense of having watched poetry in motion. I had listenedto the stories of Richard Baillargeon Hanshi, Joseph Ruiz Soke and really loved the tales of thehumanity of a great man. His martial skills when I first met him at a summer camp in NorthCarolina, truly amazed me, and other than my first teacher in Japan had never met anyone likehim. It was at that summer camp that he demonstrated a technique, standing leg lock, thatmade me really understand the difference between a technique that works and a TECHNIQUETHAT WORKS.Soke Kuniba was taught different arts by many very distinguished Masters. Some of themasters are listed below. However, Soke Kuniba did train in the Seishin Kai, which was ameeting place for accomplished Martial Artists from all over. Not just Karate oriented martialartists, but grapplers, swordsman, Kobudo-ka, and others that you can see listed:1. Master Mabuni shito-ryu Karate2. Master Kokuba, Kosei shito-ryu Karate3. Master Asakichi, Itoh Judo4. Master Gogetsu, Ishii Mugai-ryu Iai-Do5. Master Nagamine, Shoshin Shorin-ryu Karate6. Master Taira, Shinken Taira Kobudo7. Master Nakaima, Kenko Kobudo8. Master Shojin, Kosha Bo and Nunchaku9. Master Yamaguchi, Junko TonfaSoke Kuniba was trained in all the arts that are listed above and was promoted to Kudan inKarate in 1984 and Kudan in Goshin-Do by the Rengo Kai in Japan. Soke Kuniba has formulated