SENSEI
Those who made the road before
Choshin Chibana
1885-1969
Choshin Chibana was born June 5, 1885 in Torihori village, Shuri.
He started karate training with Ankoh Itosu at the age of 15. He stayed with Itosu, his only instructor, until his dead in 1915.
Choshin Chibana opened a dojo in Torihori in 1917 and taught Itosu's karate as it was taught to him by Itosu. When he began to teach, he wanted to be able to differentiate the various styles which developed within the Shorin Ryu system. Rather than naming his style after himself, which was the popular practice, he called his style Kobayashi-ryu or 'young forest style'.
Later he moved to Chinen until 1948, when he returned to Shuri.
He was the karate instructor for the Shuri police department from 1954 to 1958.
Chibana became in May 1956 the first president of the Okinawa Karate Kobudo Renmei.
Choshin Chibana died from cancer on February 26, 1969.