| 1 | Bodhidharma | Indian | - Traveled from India to China alone, over the Himalayan mountains. |
| | Approx. 516-528 AD | |
- Taught monks to include movement along with their meditation practice to strengthen their bodies, teaching breathing techniques and exercises. -First 'kata', lo han movements |
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- Purveyor of Zen Buddhism |
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| 2 | Kusanku | Chinese | - A Chinese martial
artist (some say he was a Shaolin monk, others that he studied under a Shaolin monk) who came to Okinawa around 1761. |
| | 1700s | |
- Kusanku was part of the 36 families who left China to live in Okinawa as trade emissaries. |
| | - Kusanku reportedly lived for a time in Kume village on Okinawa. |
| | - Our school's highest kata is named for him. |
| | - Legend says that Kusanku was attacked by the young Sakugawa (a bully)
one night on a bridge. Kusanku foiled the attack and scolded Sakugawa, telling him to have respect for his elders and not to misuse the martial arts. Later Sakugawa asked to train under Kusanku. |
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| 3 | Tode Sakugawa | Okinawan | - Also trained in China. |
| | 1733-1815 | | - Sakugawa is credited with establishing dojo etiquette on Okinawa. |
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- Legend says that Sakugawa taught young Matsumura to block by prodding him while he was tied to a tree. |
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- Sakugawa was born into a Samurai family in the Okinawan village of Shuri Toribori. His dying father suggested that he learn the fighting arts.
In Akata village, Shuri, Sakugawa found his teacher -- Peichin Takahara
(1683-1760). Takahara was a monk, mapmaker and astronomer |
| | - Legend also has it that on Takahara's death bed, he gave Sakugawa the name "Tode," which means "China (T'ang) Hand." |
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- When Kusanku returned to China, Sakugawa followed
him and remained in China for six years to study with him. Sakugawa
became a famous samurai, and was given the title of Satunuky or Satonushi
by the Okinawan king. Legend says that Sakugawa created the kata Kusanku
in honor of his teacher. |
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| 4 | Bushi Matsumura | Okinawan |
- Matsumura was a military chief, teacher of Azato and Itosu, and a high official to the King of Okinawa. |
| | 1796-1893 | |
- Known for the Sho Rin Ryu style and batsai kata |
| | - Spent 20 years in China studying martial arts. Another important teacher of Matsumura's was Iwah. |
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- Legend says that Matsumura would not fight or
train with any weapons. There is a story of a bullfight where Matsumura
defeats a bull with no weapons through intimidation alone. |
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- Legend also says that Matsumura's wife, Yonamine
Chiru, was a martial artist and would not marry him until he was able
to defeat her so he would not underestimate women. |
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| 5 | Yasutsune Azato | Okinawan |
- Azato was a military chief, from the upper class,
a scholar, and a skilled swordsman. He kept careful detailed records
of all of the Okinawan martial artists and their skills. |
| | 1828-1906 | |
- Legend has it that an unarmed Azato was victorious in duel
against a great swordsman named Kanna . Azato said that "if an opponent
refuses to be terrified and can remain cool-headed, victory can be
achieved." |
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- A well-known saying from Azato was that you should think of hands and arms as swords. |
| | - Thin, tall build. |
| | - Shorei Ryu |
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| 6 | Yasutsune Itosu | Okinawan |
- Almost all major schools of karate trace themselves back to Itosu. He was a secretary to the Okinawan King and he created the heian katas, bringing karate out of secrecy and into the schools for children to learn. |
| | 1830-1915 | | - Itosu was known for saying that "a man of character will avoid quarrels and loves peace. The more a karateka practices, the more modest he should be with others" |
| | - Itosu and Azato were contemporaries with different styles. Both were influential teachers of Gichin Funakoshi. Also, their sons were each students of the other master. |
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- Itosu had a barrel-chested build and was famous for his strength, and known for his deep horse stance and the tekki kata ). Itosu is known for saying that if an opponents blows do not hurt you, ignore them. |
| | - There is a story that Azato and Itosu went to a party together and found the gate locked, but the party was so loud inside that no one could hear them. So Itosu struck the lock and broke it to gain entrance. |
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- Sho Rin Ryu |
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| 7 | Gichin Funakoshi | Okinawan |
- Gichin Funakoshi is thought of as the father
of modern karate. He was nominated by leading Okinawan martial artists
to take karate to Japan as part of a decision to create
one combined school of karate to teach to the Japanese. |
| | 1868-1957 | |
- The concepts of belts and promotions were introduced by Funakoshi to align karate with the formalized martial arts of Japan; Judo, Kendo, etc. |
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- In this period, the term "empty hand" became the new definition of karate instead of "China hand", to reflect the nationalistic mood in Okinawa. |
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- The first public karate demonstrations by Funakoshi
in Okinawa occurred in 1902. The first karate demonstration in Japan
was in 1922. |
| | - His students built the first free-standing karate dojo for Funakoshi, called "Shotokan" or "hall of Shoto," which was Funakoshi's pen name for writing poetry |
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- Funakoshi emphasized "do" -- "the way"--
that the development of mental character is the ultimate goal of a
karate practitioner. |
| | - Funakoshi taught for many years in Japan and also traveled to other parts of the world, including Korea, to spread his teaching of Karate-do. |
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| 8 | Byung Jik Ro | Korean | - Direct student of Gichin Funakoshi; teacher of Il Joo Kim |
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- One of the 12 founders of Tae Kwan Do in Korea,
building off of a combination of ancient Korean fighting techniques
and Funakoshi's Karate. |
| | - Started three dojangs in Korea. |
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| 9 | Il Joo Kim | Korean |
- Came to U.S. in mid-1960s, taught Tae Kwan Do
and then later switched to teaching Karate-do. |
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- Our Korean influences give our school higher
kicks, a different side kick, and influence certain changes in our
kata from regular Shotokan karate. |
| | - Il Joo Kim studied under Byung Jik Ro in Korea. |
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| 10 | Hanshi George Anderson | American | - President of USA Karate Federation and other karate organizations, involved in bringing karate into Olympic competition. Founder U.S. Ju-Jitsu Federation. |
| | 1931 - | |
- Holds high-degree black belts in Shotokan karate
Tae Kwon Do, and Judo. |
| | - Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1931. |
| | - Earned his first black belt from Il Joo Kim in Tae Kwan Do. Anderson became the General Secretary of Kim's newly formed Taekwondo Association of Ohio. |
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- In the late 1960s, Il Joo Kim changed affiliations
to coordinate with his friend and newly arrived "brother," Tong Choo
Choi, who was affiliated with the Song Moo Kwan (Korean Shotokan),
whose founder, Byung Jick Ro, was a direct student of Gichin Funakoshi,
and Anderson followed. |
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- George Anderson is known to recite a koan: Imagine
a goose in a glass bottle with narrow neck, how do you get it out?
Imagine it out. |
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| 11 | Takahashi | |
- sword master who taught both Michael Ayers (3 yrs) and Bill Stefanacci (1 yr) and represents our samurai influence. |
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- served in the Japanese Armed Services as a crew member in World War II. He is of a Samurai family and studied martial arts extensively as a young man. |
| | - Sensei traveled Japan in his youth seeking out the last practitioners of old and forgotten sword schools to keep their esoteric techniques alive. |
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- He is also a renowned calligrapher and painter and is held in high esteem by a diverse group including former prime ministers and many renowned artists. He is an ancient Samurai in our modern World. |
| 12 | Shihan Michael Ayers | American |
- Founder of Tsuki Kage Ryu (Moon Shadow School), in San Francisco. The school name implies a well known Japanese metaphor about the importance of non-attachment and a clearing and opening of the mind in fighting situations. |
| | 1947 - | | - Born and raised in Northern Ohio. At the age of eighteen, Michael Sensei enlisted in the Army and spent 1-1/2 years in Viet Nam in the 101st & 82nd Airborne Divisions as Air Mobile Infantry where he was decorated for valor under fire. After discharge, he attended the University of Akron and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from that school. He has also studied art & MBA classes at Kent State University. |
| | - Michael Ayers started studying Martial Arts with (then) 6th Dan George Anderson at the University of Akron around 1971. Anderson awarded his 1st Dan in 1975. Michael Sensei was a founding member of the Center for the Martial Arts that Hanshi Anderson opened in Akron at that time. |
| | - Michael Sensei moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the early 1980s and opened a small school there in a dance studio exchanging cleaning the place for Sunday use of the floor. He later moved to San Francisco in 1986 and opened a similar school in the Potrero Neighborhood House, exchanging free classes for use of their gym on Saturdays. This was the origin of Tsuki Kage Ryu. |
| | - In California, Michael Sensei studied Omoto Senke tea ceremony with Shimaoka Sensei in Twin Peaks and Iai Jutsu & Aikido with Takahashi Sensei in San Bruno. He also opened a commercial school in Santa Rosa in 1993 but closed it the next year to move to Hawaii. He returned to California in 1995 and is Sensei Emeritas to the SF school with Bill Sensei, the principle teacher there. |
| | - Shihan Ayers received his 4th dan in 2002 from Hanshi Anderson and his 6th dan in 2005. |
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| 13 | Bill Stefanacci | American | - Bill-sensei
began his martial arts career by studying Shorin-ryu at the University of Arizona from 1981-85. |
| | 1962 - | | - In 1986 Bill joined the American Tae Kwan Do Association for a year in San Francisco. |
| | - He joined Tsuki Kage Ryu in 1987. By 1990, he was promoted to 1st dan rank under Michael-sensei, the founder of the school. During this time, Bill expanded his studies to include aikido and iaido, under Takahashi-sensei. |
| | - When Michael-sensei moved to Santa Rosa in 1992, Bill took over as sensei of Tsuki Kage Ryu. He took a brief absence, leaving the school under Kayaba's instruction. This is when he lived in Prague from 1993-94, where he practiced with Ty-Ga karate and a Shotokan school. |
| | - Bill also spent several months with the Heart of the Mission Aikido
school in 2000. |
| | - Currently, Bill-sensei is the head of Tsuki Kage Ryu. |
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