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The Spirit of Old Japan Shorinjiryu Karate Comes to New York
No, this is not another article about Doshin So, founder of the esoteric art known as shorinji kempo. Rather, it’s about a style of karate founded by a man who’s seldom mentioned when people discuss the history of the Okinawan arts — and that’s an unfortunate oversight because in 1964 it was his system that was showcased at the New York World’s Fair. (That, by the way, was the first sanctioned demonstration of karate at a large public event in the United States.) It's also unfortunate because his teachers were among the most famous in Japan. The man’s name is Kori Hisataka, and his art is shorinjiryu karatedo. Interestingly, Doshin So was one of his top students.

History and Development of Harmony By Karate Program
Hisataka founded the art in 1946. An exceptional, if often overlooked, figure in the history of karate, he was born on April 22, 1907 and died on August 13, 1988. He claimed to be a direct descendent of Seiwa, the 56th emperor of Japan.

As was normal for male children of upper-class families in Okinawa, Hisataka began studying the budo quite early in life. His first teacher was Anko Azato, and he was fortunate enough to have also trained under goju-ryu founder Chojun Miyagi, shito-ryu founder Kenwa Mabuni and weapons expert Sanda Kinjo. His main instructor, however, was Chotoku Kyan.

In 1929 Hisataka toured Taiwan with Kyan and another master named Ryosei Kuwae. The trio demonstrated karate at an international festival held at the Taipei Martial Arts Center. As they traveled the country, they reportedly never lost a challenge match. Hisataka stayed in Taiwan the longest, eventually continuing on to China, where he studied the Fukien tenbin bo style, shorinji kempo, hakkyoku kempo, bojutsu, saijutsu and traditional medicine. After returning to Japan, he relocated to Tokyo, where he learned judo from Sampa Toku at the Kodokan. His diligence enabled him to rise to the rank of fourth-degree black belt in a single year.

Because of its connection to Okinawa and China, shorinjiryu karatedo spans the spectrum of martial arts techniques. Here, John Mirrione Jr. (left) demonstrates a sweep takedown.

The current head of Hisataka’s system is his son, Masayuki Hisataka. His dojo is located in the Waseda area of Tokyo. In Essential Shorinjiryu Karatedo, he wrote, “My father paid tribute to all his teachers and their superior knowledge of the arts by honoring three of the greatest influences in the development of his form of karatedo: Okinawan shorinjiryu karate, Chinese shorinji kempo, and Ryukyu kudaka jima shishiryu bojutsu and kudakaryu karate-jutsu.”

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