Teachers (1)
-
Matsumura Sōkon
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Independent sources state it.
“In a 1934 article, Funakoshi noted that Asato and Itosu had studied karate
together under Sōkon Matsumura.”
— Ankō Asato - Wikipedialink
“It is generally accepted that Itosu trained under the great bushi Matsumura.”
— Cramer, Mark I.. (2018). The History of Karate and
the Masters Who Made It: Development, Lineages, and Philosophies of Traditional
Okinawan and Japanese Karate-doinfo
“Following the death of Matsumura, his students made further changes to the
style. For example, one of these students, Itosu Anko (also known as Itosu
Yasutsune, 1831–1915) created the five Pinan kata”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
Students (8)
-
Motobu Chōki
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
(1882–1890)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
EN Wikipedia states Motobu was invited at age 12 with his brother to be taught
karate by Ankō Itosu and studied under him for seven or eight years; the
Motobu-ryu official history confirms Itosu was hired at the Motobu Udundi when
Motobu was 12 (kazoe)
“at the age of 12, he and his older brother Motobu Chōyū were invited by Ankō
Itosu to be taught karate [...] He studied under Itosu for seven or eight
years.”
“幼少の頃より武に興味を示し、数え年12歳のときに首里手の大家・糸洲安恒先生を本部御殿に招聘して、長兄・朝勇先生と共に正式に師事されました”
-
Kyan Chōtoku
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
Geoffrey Gaudion's account states Chofu Kyan asked three masters - Sokon
Matsumura, Anko Itosu and Pechin Oyadomari - to teach his son; the Itosu
connection appears only in this source, hence probable
“At that time there were three noted karatemen in Okinawa: Sokon Matsumura in
Shuri, Anko Itosu, also in Shuri, and Pechin Oyadomari in Naha. Chofu asked the
three of them to teach his son karate.”
— Gaudion, Geoffrey E.. Shoshin Nagamine and Some of
His Masterslink
history
info
-
Kenwa Mabuni
sports_martial_artsKarate
Confirmed
(1902–1915)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Independent sources state it.
“he began his instruction in his home town in the art of Shuri-Te (首里手) at the
age of 13, under the tutelage of the legendary Ankō Yasutsune Itosu”
“Kenwa Mabuni was a student of both Higaonna and Yasutsune Itosu. Mabuni founded
the style of Shito Ryu that preserved the teachings of both Higaonna and Itosu”
— Cramer, Mark I.. (2018). The History of Karate and
the Masters Who Made It: Development, Lineages, and Philosophies of Traditional
Okinawan and Japanese Karate-doinfo
“Mabuni Kenwa (1889–1952), who combined the Naha di of Higashionna with the
Shuri di of Itosu Anko to create the Shito Ryu.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
-
Kentsū Yabu
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
The peer-reviewed Svinth article cites Dave Lowry stating Yabu's teacher was
Anko Itosu; corroborated by Tanzadeh and the Karate Page, which notes Yabu acted
as Itosu's shihan-dai
“On the other hand, Dave Lowry has written that Yabu's teacher was Yasutsune
"Ankoh" Itosu (Lowry, 1985, 11). Because both Matsumura and Itosu were
well-known karate teachers of the day, probably Yabu studied with both men at
different times.”
— Svinth, Joseph R.. (2003). Karate Pioneer Kentsu
Yabu, 1866-1937. Journal of Combative Sportlink
history
info
“He began training in ti, an early form of karate, under the guidance of Ankō
Itosu, one of the most respected masters of the time and a key figure in
modernizing and systematizing karate.”
“it is commonly accepted that Kentsu Yabu was a shihan-dai (師範代, assistant
instructor) for Anko Itosu when he taught karate at the Okinawa Prefectural
Normal School”
— Steinbrecher, Olaf. (2024). Did Kentsu Yabu teach
Passai? - The Karate Page. The Karate Pagelink
history
info
-
Hanashiro Chōmo
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The Wikidata P1066 claim links Hanashiro to Anko Itosu, and the EN article
frames Hanashiro as Itosu's assistant until Itosu's death in 1915 - an
assistantship that implies close tutelage but is not explicitly a
teacher-student relationship
“Hanashiro later on became Itosu's assistant and remained so until his
Itosu's death in 1915.”
-
Gusukuma Shinpan
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
(1903)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
EN Wikipedia states Gusukuma began the study of karate with Anko Itosu at the
age of thirteen; corroborated by his student Seikichi Iha's Fighting Arts
interview describing Gusukuma's Itosu-derived lineage
“At the age of thirteen, he began the study of karate with Anko Itosu”
“Among his students were Yoki Uema (1920 - 2011, founder of Shorin-Ryu
Shubukan), Seiichi Iju (who was the first teacher of Shuguro Nakazato, the
founder of Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan, and who taught the latter the kata Gojushiho),
Seitoku Ishikawa (1925 - 2013) and Seikichi Iha (born in 1932).”
— Iha, Seikichi. (2020). The Teachings of Shinpan
Gusukuma Sensei - By Seikichi Iha Sensei. The Karate Pagelink
history
info
-
Funakoshi Gichin
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Independent sources state it, including Funakoshi's own account.
“Anko Asato (安里 安恒, Asato Ankō, Azato Yasutsune in Japanese, 1827 – 1906) was a
Ryūkyūan master of karate. He and Ankō Itosu were the two main karate masters
who taught Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate.”
— Ankō Asato - Wikipedialink
visibilityFirst-hand
““When I studied under Master Azato, considered to be the greatest karate expert
of his time, I was his only student; and when I trained under Master Itosu, he
had very few students”
— Cramer, Mark I.. (2018). The History of Karate and
the Masters Who Made It: Development, Lineages, and Philosophies of Traditional
Okinawan and Japanese Karate-doinfo
“Asato and Itosu were among the instructors of Funakoshi Gichin (1868–1957), who
in turn was one of the pioneers of karate in Japan.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
-
Chibana Chōshin
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
Uchi-deshi (1899–1912)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
EN Wikipedia states Chibana began his study of martial arts under Anko Itosu in
1899 at about age 15 and trained under him for thirteen years until he turned
28; the Kata Step by Step biography of Chibana confirms the 1899 start and
thirteen years of training
“Choshin began his study of martial arts under Ankō Itosu in 1899 when he was
about fifteen years old [...] for thirteen years until he turned 28, Choshin
trained under Itosu.”
“Chibana began his formal martial arts training under Itosu Ankō in 1899, at the
age of fifteen [...] continuing his training until he was 28. After Itosu's
passing at the age of 85, Chibana continued his practice independently for
another five years before opening his first dojo.”
Honours (1)
-
receipt_longpechin
Probable
Title
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
Low-rank Ryūkyūan Pechin (samurai class) as documented in Wikipedia biography
“A low-rank Ryūkyūan Pechin, Itosu was small in stature, shy, and introverted as
a child.”
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6B
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Itosu Ankō. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6B - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6B, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Itosu Ankō}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database},
year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6B}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
Database content on this page is CC BY-SA 4.0;
the database right is separately reserved. Licensing