“The dojo is the place where courage is fostered and superior human nature is bred through the ecstasy of sweating in hard work. It is the sacred place where the human spirit is polished.”

-Shoshin Nagamine 

Our empty hand art is based on the Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate system. This system was founded by Grandmaster (Osensei) Shoshin Nagamine in 1947, and is considered one of the older traditional Okinawan Karate systems that have remained largely unchanged.


Shoshin Nagamine

Matsubayashi was derived by Osensei Nagamine in honor of two great Karate masters of Okinawa, namely Sokon Matsumura and Kosaku Matsumura. Osensei Nagamine started training karate at the age of seventeen in the year 1924. Although he had a number of teachers including Taro Shimabuku, Chojin Kuba and Kodatsu Iha, his primary teachers were Ankichi Arakaki, Chotku Kyan and Choki Motobu.


From left to right: Ankichi Arakaki, Chotoku Kyan, and Choki Motobu

Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu karate consists of 18 kata that have been unchanged since the styles inception, and seven yakusoku kumite exercises that Osensei Nagamine developed based on the fighting ability and influence of Choki Motobu, who remains a legendary figure in the history of Okinawan karate.

Two of the basic katas taught in many of today’s karate systems, namely Fukyugata Ichi and Fukyugata Ni were developed together by Grandmaster Nagamine and the legendary founder of Goju-Ryu karate Grandmaster Chojin Miyagi. In 1997 Nagamine sensei passed away and was recognized as an “Intangible Cultural Asset holder in the Field of Okinawan Karate and Martial Arts with Weaponry by the Okinawa Prefecture”.

Our syllabus includes bunkai, or fighting application from the eighteen kata which are used to better understand and apply the kata moves, as well as to sharpen ones karate skills in general. Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu practitioners also study “Kobujutsu” (weapons science). Weapons include bo, sai, tonfa, nunchaku and kama.

The Shinbukan Dojo of Rio Rancho is an official representative of the World Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do Association (WMKA). The WMKA is currently under the direction of Soke Takayoshi Nagamine, the son of Osensei Shoshin Nagamine. Soke Nagamine holds the rank of 10th dan and is dedicated to preserving the teachings of Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate throughout the world. Soke Nagamine resides in Naha, Okinawa and teaches at the Kodokan Nagamine Karate Dojo, the general headquarters of the World Matsubayshi-Ryu Karate-Do Association.


Soke Takayoshi Nagamine

Ryukyu Kobujutsu

Our weapon training is the second part of our curriculum, and is based on the teachings of the traditional Ryukyu Kobujutsu (weapons sciences of Okinawa). The preservation of modern Okinawan kobujutsu is generally traced to Moden Yabiku who founded the Ryukyu Kobujutsu Research Association around 1911. Yabiku taught kobujutsu on the Japanese mainland. Yabiku had learned karate from Anko Itosu, studied Yamani type bojutsu from Sanda Chinen, sai from Sanda Kanagusuku, and other weapons from Tawata Pechin.


Moden Yabiku
After Yabiku’s death and the end of the second world war, one of his senior students, Shinken Taira continued his teacher’s work by forming the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai. Taira left Okinawa in 1922 and began training karate with Ginchin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan karate), who introduced Taira to Moden Yabiku in 1929 and Kenwa Mabuni in 1934. Mabuni influenced Taira’s karate and kobudo, teaching him katas as well as techniques of bo and sai.

Taira is credited with composing Maezato no Tekko as well as inventing the Manji sai. Taira Sensei is most famous for preserving Okinawa's weapons traditions and creating a comprehensive system of Kobujutsu.


Shinken Taira

Three of Master Taira's most notable students were Eiisuke Akamine, Motokatsu Inoue and Ryusho Sakagami, all of whom have sadly passed away but their organizations under the guidance of their sons still continue to research, refine and promote Taira's work.


From left to right: Eisuke Akamine, Motokatsu Inoue, and Ryusho Sakagami

Our Ryukyu kobujutsu uses flowing movements with dynamic kumi for each of the weapons taught. At the Shinbukan Dojo of Rio Rancho students are offered the opportunity to study the kihon, kata and kumi of the following weapons: Bo, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Tekko, Kama and Tinbe/Rochin.

The two founding teachers of the SHINBUKAN Dojo of Rio Rancho have between them over sixty years of martial arts training. This is reflected in an integrated syllabus designed to impart a broad understanding and the relationship between all the varied aspects of the martial way.

We welcome and encourage all regardless of experience to come and share in our training. We look forward to serving our students and our community.

"Though you may spend your whole life fighting, you will not exhaust your foes, but if you quell your own anger your real enemy will be defeated."

-Maho Shudoshi