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Minowa Katsuhiko (Uechi-ryu karate)
On January 12th 2003, just two days after his 74th birthday, Minowa Katsuhiko passed away. Minowa had a long and impressive background in the Okinawan fighting traditions. At the age of 27, along with some friends, he entered the dojo of the late Uechi Kanei where he began to practice Uechi-ryu Karate-do. While his friends soon tired of practice, Minowa continued enthusiastically. Two years after entering Uechi Kanei’s dojo he received the rank of shodan.
At about the same time as receiving his shodan, Minowa began to study Ryukyu Kobudo under Taira Shinken, considered the leading weapons authority on Okinawa at that time. Others studying with Taira at that time would go on to become weapons masters in their own right. From Taira Shinken, Minowa became proficient in the use of the bo, sai, tonfa, nunchaku, eku, rochin and tinbe, tikko, nicho-gama and suruchin.
By 1968 and 1970 respectively, he had received his teaching licenses in Uechi-ryu and Kobudo. Minowa established his own dojo in Matsukawa-cho, Naha, which he ran for several years from 1970 to 1977. He then turned over responsibility for the Matsukawa dojo to his most senior student Kinjo Masakazu and returned to Amami Oshima, his place of birth. He soon established his own association, the Shinshukai and began teaching Uechi-ryu Karate-do and Ryukyu Kobudo until he retired from full-time teaching in 1987. At this point, the Amami dojo was turned over to his most senior student there, Yoshimura Hiroshi.
Minowa Katsuhiko ultimately attained 9th dan in Uechi-ryu Karate-do and 8th dan in Ryukyu Kobudo. He was a warm and kind man known for his modesty. He instilled in his students not only a thorough technical understanding of Karate-do and Kobudo, but also a passion and a desire to learn more. He will be truly missed.
Mario McKenna
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