Oki Shikina - Another early "Mixed Martial Artist" from Hawaii
Oki Shikina
June 10, 1904 - December 1983Oki Shikina was born in Yonabaru, Okinawa and came to Hawaii with his mother at the age of 5 to join his father who was working on a plantation in Puunene, Maui. Three years later, his family moved to the Big Island.
A big child, Shikina weighed 150 pounds by the age of 14. Okinawans were generally smaller than other Japanese at that time so Shikina was considered to be quite large. Shikina learned Judo and Sumo as a child and excelled at both. About 1923, his family moved back to Maui. In the 1925 Maui East-West Sumo Tournament, Shikina represented the East and defeated Masurao Yamaguchi to become the champion.
In September 1927, Kentsu Yabu and Admiral Kenwa Kanna visited Maui. Shikina met with Yabu, who was also a Okinawan Sumo enthusiast and coach. Okinawan Sumo differs from Japanese Sumo.
Seishin Uehara referees an Okinawan sumo match in Honolulu on October 17, 1948.
Photo courtesy of his family.
Later that year, Shikina moved to Honolulu where he entered many Sumo tournments. He met Taro Miyake, a Japanese Judo teacher who had gone to England to teach Judo but became a professional wrestler. In December 1929, Shikina went to New York to become a professional wrestler. This was the start of a long career in wrestling.
In 1934, he was in Hawaii during the visit of Chojun Miyagi and learned Goju-Ryu from him.
Shikina may have been "Oki" (big) for a Japanese, but he was considerably smaller than most of his wrestling opponents. Actually, Shikina was only 5 feet 8 inches tall. He said that his knowledge of Judo, Sumo, Karate and boxing gave him an edge in wrestling. In the 1950's, Shikina opened The Sportsman Bar in Honolulu. Later, he became a wrestling referee in Japan.
When Okinawans talk about martial artists in Hawaii, they always remember with pride Oki Shikina, a big man who was very successful at many arts.
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