Seiyu Oyata

Taika Seiyu Oyata (October 19, 1930 - June 18, 2012) is the founder of RyuTe Renmei and Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu.

Family Heritage

Taika was born on the island of Henza, off the coast of Okinawa. Shortly after Taika's birth, the family moved to Kita Daito, located approximately 250 miles east of the main island of Okinawa. The youngest son of Kana Oyata, Taika traces his family lineage back to Zana Oyakata. In 1609, the Shimazu clan of the Satsuma Domain, Japan, invaded the Ryukyu kingdom. After a brief struggle, the Ryukyu king Sho Nei surrendered and the Shimazu took him and roughly one hundred of his officials to Japan. In 1611, the Shimazu forced Sho Nei and his councilors to swear various oaths admitting wrongdoing for the war and pledging allegience to the Shimazu. Zana Oyakata (this was his title), one of the king's closest advisors, refused to sign the oaths and was beheaded. The Shimazu changed the family's name to Shinda, which sounds like the word for death, and erased the Zana family history. Subsequent family members changed their name to Ikemiyagushiku and later to Oyata.

World War II

During World War II, the Japanese conscripted Taika into the navy, where, as part of his training, he was exposed to several Japanese martial arts; judo, kendo, naginata, yari, and iado. He also studied sword drawing from an old Bushi whose style was Gogai-Ryu. While in the navy, Taika trained as a kaiten kamikaze pilot.

Kaiten Type 1 miniature submarine

His three older brothers, Taro, Kiseii, and Akio, died in the war. Taika's death certificate had already been sent to his family and he almost certainly would have perished had the war not ended.

First Instructors (1946-1953)

After the war, the U.S. Army employed Taika, at the age of 14 years and 8 months, to take food and supplies to the islands off the east coast of Okinawa. Taika met Uhugushiku no Tan Mei during this time. Uhugushiku was a former bushi forced out of service during the Meiji Restoration. He was descended from the famous bushi Uhugushiku Kenyu, who was given the name "Uni" (devil, a postitive expression in Okinawan culture) for his military exploits.

Uhugushiku lived in a house on Teruma Beach not far from the ocean. Taika made deliveries six days a week and would drive his U.S. Army amphibious vehicle past Uhugushiku's house.

DUKW Army amphibious vehicle

Taika saw Uhugushiku fishing every day, and noticed he still wore a top knot on his head (the top knot, worn by the warrior class, had been outlawed at this time). Taika made inquiries about Uhugushiku in the village and discovered he was a Bushi. Taika introduced himself to Uhugushiku, and after some time Uhugushiku agreed to take Taika as his student only after learning Taika was descended from a noble family. Uhugushiku's family were kobudo (weapons) experts and he instructed Taika in traditional Okinawan weaponry.

In 1947, Uhugushiku introduced Taika to a martial artist named Wakinaguri, a sixth generation Okinawan whose family had immigrated from China. Wakinaguri was an expert on vital point strikes (kyusho jutsu). His fingers were the same length as a result of thrusting his hands into pumice sand from an early age.

Both Uhugushiku and Wakinaguri were kakure bushi, hidden warriors. They did not teach karate publically and both were prepared to take their knowledge to the grave.

Other Karate Instructors (1953-1958)

After Uhugushiku's death in 1951 and Wakiniaguri's death in 1953, Taika sought out other karateka to further his training. One of these was a certain Itoman Uechi (not Uechi-Ryu), possibly Kanei Uechi (b. 1904). Uechi was a student of Kenwa Mabuni and established the Shito-ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai.

Okinawan Kenpo (1958-1968)

In 1958, Taika became a student of Shigeru Nakamura (1894-1969) of Okinawan Kenpo. Nakamura had studied karate from famous masters such as Yabu Kentsu, Chomo Hanashiro, Kanryo Higashionna, and Anko Itosu while attending Iccu Middle School in Shuri. After graduating from the Prefectural Teacher's Training College, Nakamura spent ten years as a student of Shinkichi Kuniyoshi. Kuniyoshi was known for his striking abilities. He passed this knowledge on to Mr. Nakamura, who in his time was known as chiki bushi (punch warrior).

Mr. Nakamura had a desire to see all Okinawan karate united under one banner. In 1955, he formed with Zenryo Shimabukuro the Okinawan Kenpo Renmei (Federation).

From Mr. Nakamura, Taika learned the twelve empty hand kata he currently teaches. Mr. Nakamura was also a big proponent of bogu kumite, sparring incorporating padded gloves, chest protectors, and modified kendo masks. Taika also participated in a research group with Seikichi Uehara (1904-2004), the inheritor of the Motobu family system, where they compared tuite and analyzed weapons fighting.

Taika eventually opened his own dojo in Makiminato, Urasoe, Okinawa. Some of his students were U.S. servicemen from the local military base. In 1968, one of Taika's American students brought him to Olathe, Kansas for a short visit. While Taika was in America, Mr. Nakamura's organization became a victim of internal politics and the Okinawan Kenpo Renmei disbanded.

Ryukyu Karate-do League (1969-c1978)

Taika returned to Okinawa at the end of 1968, and Mr. Nakamura died in January of the following year. Taika then formed the Ryukyu Karate-do Renmei with Seikichi Uehara and Shian Toma. In 1973, some of Taika's American students, a group that included Jim Logue, Albert Geraldi, Greg Lindquist, and Bill Wiswell, formed The American Federation Of Ryukyu Kempo and Kobudo.

In 1977, Taika immigrated permanently to the United States and began calling his art Ryukyu Kempo, giving the Okinawan people their proper credit for the development of karate. The name Ryukyu Kempo itself is a generic term that can describe any Okinawan karate. Taika also introduced and popularized the terms tuite jitsu and kyusho jitsu.

Ryubei Karate Kobudo Rengo Kai (c1978-1985)

Ryubei literally means Ryukyu-American, and is formed from the first kanji for Ryukyu, and the second kanji for America.

On June 18, 1983, Taika gave one of the first public seminars on the art of tuite. The seminar was conducted at Whatsoever gym in Kansas City, Missouri.

Zenkoku Ryukyu Kempo Karate Kobudo Rengo Kai (1985-1995)

In 1985, Taika changed the organization name to the Zenkoku Ryukyu Kempo Karate Kobudo Rengo Kai.

Oyata Shin Shu Ho (1991)

In 1991, Taika founded Oyata Shin Shu Ho, which represents the culmination of his lifelong study of Okinawa's ancient protection arts. It is intended to promote the true nature of Okinawa's protection arts for the benefit of people and society and represents the essence of Mr. Uhugushiku's and Mr. Wakinaguri's arts, which had no definitive name. Oyata Shin Shu Ho is comprised of members of RyuTe selected for their character, knowledge, and skill. In 1994, the first twenty-eight candidates were inducted into Oyata Shin Shu Ho.

RyuTe (1995-present)

In 1995, Taika renamed his organization RyuTe. This was done to distance himself from other martial artists who had begun using the term Ryukyu Kempo to promote their karate. The "Ryu" of RyuTe is a reference to the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa and surrounding islands); so the literal meaning of the kanji for RyuTe is "Ryukyu hand." The kanji "Ryu" 琉 (from Ryukyu) sounds like the kanji 流; the latter kanji can mean current, flow, etc. and Taika liked the possible double meaning from the homonyms, as technique should be done in a flowing manner. But the "Ryu" of RyuTe is strictly a reference to Ryukyu.

References:

Apsokardu, Matthew. Shigeru Nakamura. Matthew Apsokardu, 2010

Logue, Jim. Ryukyu Kempo History and Basics. James D. Logue, 1989

Oyata, Seiyu. Ryu-Te No Michi. Oyata Enterprises, Inc, 1998

Richards, Lee http://tuite-kyusho.blogspot.com/2013/04/common-misinterpretations-of-ryu-vs.html

Sells, John. Unante The Secrets Of Karate 2nd Edition. John Sells and W. M. Hawley Library, 2000

Copyright © 2022, Amarillo Kempo Karate. All rights reserved. RyuTe Renmei ®, Oyata ShinShu Ho ®, Kyusho Jitsu ®, and Tuite Jitsu ® are registered trademarks of Oyata Enterprises. Any use or reproduction by other than a licensed agent is prohibited by federal trademark law.

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