Shito-Ryu Karate was founded by Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952), an Okinawan Karate master who studied Naha-te and Shuri-te.
Shito-Ryu was formed by the combination of kata and techniques from these two styles. Mabuni Sensei named the Shito style by taking the first characters (kanji) from the names of his two teachers, Ankoh Itosu (Shuri-te) and Kanryo Higashionna (Naha-te). The name Shito-Ryu was named to honor his instructors. Other Karate styles and many well-known instructors can trace part of their lineages back to Mabuni Sensei.
The second Soke of Shito-Ryu was Mabuni Kenzo (1927-2005), Mabuni Kenwa's second son. Mabuni Kenzo trained for over 65 years in Shito-Ryu Karate.
The third Soke of Shito-Ryu is Mabuni Miwako. She is the elder of Mabuni Kenzo's two daughters. After Mabuni Kenzo passed away in June 2005, she assumed the position of Tsukasa Soke with the full approval of the Saiko Shihan Kai (Head Council of Teachers).
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