Okinawan Heritage

Suibukan of Indiana’s lineage can be traced from teacher to student over 400 years back to Okinawa:

Sensei Brian Bengtsson, along with Sensei Kris, received the teaching and daily operations tasks of Midwest Karate Academy from Sensei Wroblewski in 2016, and then facilitated the transition of the dojo from Midwest Karate Academy to Suibukan of Indiana. Sensei Brian had studied off and on for many years prior to 2016 and continued to study and teach karate, kobudo and Hojutsu until his retirement from Suibukan in 2023. Sensei Brian continues his life journey at The Quantum Realm Institute.

Sensei Wroblewski began training under Sensei Ninios in his teens, and gave the majority of his adult life to the study and instruction of karate. During his tenure the dojo, known as Midwest Karate Academy, was adorned with trophies and awards from his performances at tournaments and demonstrations. Sensei’s karate career took him on international travel several times, including trips to study under Sensei Nakazato in Japan. Sensei remained a close personal friend and steward to Sensei Ninios after accepting responsibility for running the school. He is well known for the pursuit of perfection of character through the practice of karate. Once, upon learning of his Kyoshi title ("teacher of teachers", or "master teacher"), a student asked Sensei Wroblewski, "What should we call you? Sensei? Kyoshi?" Without hesitating, Sensei told his student to, "call me Jerry." 

Sensei James Ninios, along with O’Sensei Yamashita, founded Midwest Karate Academy in 1964. He passed away in 2013 after suffering a brain aneurism many years prior. His martial arts career was storied, including a record of only one loss in 33 fights as a black belt in competition.

Extracted from his obituary, "...While serving in the United States Marine Corp in Okinawa, Jim was awarded his Black Belt by Master Eizo Shinabuku Sensei in 1962. Returning to South Bend, he met Tadashi Yamashita and formed Midwest Karate Academy in 1964 which continues today. Jim was Japanese Karate Association Grand Champion for two years. Jim was also American Karate Association Grand Champion. While preparing to defend his championship title in December of 1967 in Los Angeles, he suffered a brain aneurism. Jim fought back and continued to teach until he retired from instruction in 1977…"   

Master Tadashi Yamashita, 10th degree in Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karate do and 10th degree in Yamashita-Matayoshi Kobudo, is the chief instructor of Shorin Ryu and Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei in the United States. Born in Japan in 1942, he moved to Okinawa at 8 years old and began studying martial arts at 10. He achieved his first black belt at the age of 16. O’Sensei Yamashita is one of the most well known instructors at an international level and is considered to be an authority in the traditional arms of Okinawa. He is the youngest karate practitioner in the history of Japan to reach 7th degree black belt when he was just 27 years old; awarded to him in 1968 by Choshin Chibana and O’Sensei’s direct teacher, Shugoro Nakazato. In the United States alone there are over 60 traditional dojos under his supervision, not to mention multiple dojos all over Europe.

Described as a "one punch artist" by some of his American students, Sensei Nakazato developed his karate sparring into a fine fighting art. He first started karate training in 1935 under Seiichi Iju in Osaka, staying with him until 1940. At the same time Nakazato trained in kobudo under Seiro Tonaki. Next, Sensei Nakazato entered the Japanese army where he taught bayonet and military discipline to new recruits on the mainland. He returned to Okinawa to become a student of Sensei Chosin Chibana, and with Sensei Chibana in 1951 opened a dojo called the Chibana Dai Ichi Dojo. In 1955, after receiving his Shihan rank from Sensei Chibana, Sensei Nakazato opened the Shorin-ryn Shorinkan, Nakazato Dojo at Aja. On November 4, 2007, The Prime Minister, by the hand of the Japanese Emperor, awarded Sensei Nakazato the "Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Rays" - the Asahi Soukou sho. Sensei Nakazato is the ONLY martial artist to be presented with this prestigious award.

Sensei Choshin Chibana was born into a distinguished family in Okinawa's Shuri Tori-Hori village (presently Naha City). Sensei Chibana began his study of martial arts under Anko Itosu when he was about fifteen years old, and studied under him for thirteen years. When Itosu died at the age of 85, Sensei Chibana continued to practice alone for five years, and then opened his first dojo in Tori-hori district at the age of 34. During the World War II Battle of Okinawa, Sensei Chibana lost his family, his livelihood, his dojo, a number of students and nearly his life. He fled the war, but afterward returned to Shuri and began teaching again. In May of 1956, the Okinawa Karate Federation was formed and he assumed office as its first President. By 1957, Sensei Chibana had received the title of Hanshi (High Master) from the Dai Nippon Butokukai (The Greater Japan Martial Virtue Association). On April 29, 1968, Sensei was awarded the 4th Order of Merit by the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his devotion to the study and practice of Okinawan karate-do. Sensei Chibana was was dubbed the “Last Warrior of Shuri,” and was the last of the pre-World War karate masters. He was the first to establish a Japanese ryu name for an Okinawan karate style, calling Itosu's karate "Shorin-Ryu" (or "the small forest style") in 1928.

Itosu began his tode (karate) study under Nagahama Chikudun Pechin. His study of the art led him to Sokon Matsumura. He was famous for the superior strength of his arms, legs and hands. Itosu served as a secretary to the last king of the Ryukyu Islands until Japan abolished the Okinawa-based native monarchy in 1879. In 1901, he was instrumental in getting karate introduced into Okinawa's schools. In 1905, Itosu was a part-time teacher of To-te at Okinawa's First Junior Prefectural High School. It was here that he developed the systematic method of teaching karate techniques that are still in practice today. He created and introduced the Pinan forms as learning steps for students, because he felt the older kata were too difficult for schoolchildren to learn. The five Pinan forms were created by drawing from two older forms: kusanku and chiang nan. Itosu is also credited with taking the large Naihanchi form and breaking it into the three well-known modern forms Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, and Naihanchi Sandan. While Itosu did not invent karate himself, he codified the kata learned from his master, Matsumura. He taught many karate masters, including Gichin Funakoshi . Itosu’s head student and successor was Chosin Chibana, who formed Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu from Itosu's version of Shuri-Te.

Bushi Matsumura was born in 1797, and died in 1889. Matsumura grew up in Yamagawa village of the city of Shuri, Okinawa. He began his training in karate-do under Sakugawa when he was 14 years old. According to tradition, it was at Bushi’s father’s request that Sakugawa teach him. Sakugawa trained him up until his death. Bushi was recruited into the service of the Sho family. It is also known that he served as a bodyguard to the last three Ryukyuan Kings. Many sources say that Bushi Matsumura trained in China, and it is certainly a strong tradition. We do know that he spent at least 20 years there from the records that were kept for the Okinawan King. He also trained under the Chinese military attaché Kusanku. Matsumura originated the Pinewood kata Chinto and created the karate style of Shorin-Ryu. Among his noteworthy students were Yasutsune Azato, Yasutsune Itosu, Choshin Chibana, Choki Motobu and Chotoku Kyan.

"Tode" Sakugawa was born in 1733 in Shuri, Okinawa. He is considered a pioneer in the development of Karate. He studied under Peichin Takahara and Kusanku, who was a Chinese military attaché stationed in Okinawa. Sakugawa is known to have made several trips to China where he combined Chinese kenpo techniques with Okinawa-te. Through Sakugawa, the kata Kusanku was introduced. Also, important innovations were the Sakugawa Bo Form and dojo kun (dojo etiquette). Sakugawa is known to have studied the staff in China and later lived in the Akata village, Shuri. He taught the use of the staff to his most significant student Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura.