Also known as

Description

Okinawan martial arts master (1898-1976), a former policeman who formed the Yamani-ryu bojutsu school and taught bojutsu privately at his home in Tobaru, Shuri; possibly studied karate under Chōjun Miyagi; students included Chōgi Kishaba and Chōkei Kishaba.

Teachers (2)

• Ch
  Chinen Sanra

  linkOkinawan Kobudō 2

  Probable

  EN Wikipedia states Chinen formed Yamani-ryu and named it after his father Sanra Chinen, also a teacher of bojutsu - implying the father was his teacher; Motobu Naoki's article confirms Sanra as the Yamane-ryu founder and Masami (his grandson) as head of the family after the war.

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  EN Wikipedia states Chinen formed Yamani-ryu and named it after his father Sanra Chinen, also a teacher of bojutsu - implying the father was his teacher; Motobu Naoki's article confirms Sanra as the Yamane-ryu founder and Masami (his grandson) as head of the family after the war.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Chinen named the style after his father Sanra Chinen who was also a teacher of Bōjutsu and known as Yamani Usumei and Yamane Tanmei."

  — Masami Chinen - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English) linkinfo

  "Old Man Chinen is Chinen Sanra, who is famous as a master of bojutsu... Chinen Sanra's bojutsu school is called the Yamane-ryu. After the war, his grandson, Chinen Masami, served as the head of the family."

  — Motobu, Naoki. (2023). Forgotten Masters of Karate - Motobu Naoki (note.com)linkinfo

  "Masami Chinen was the last member of the Chinen family to teach the art. Upon the death of Masami Chinen, the Chinen family passed the title of Soke to his student, Chogi Kishaba."

  — Yamanni Chinen Ryu Kobujutsu - Houston Karate linkinfo
• 
  Miyagi Chōjun

  linkGoju-ryu 1

  Uncertain

  Single hedged mention in the Haff interview with Toshihiro Oshiro ("studied Shuri style karate, I believe, and also some under Sensei Miyagi") - a step below a generic mention and retractable

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Single hedged mention in the Haff interview with Toshihiro Oshiro ("studied Shuri style karate, I believe, and also some under Sensei Miyagi") - a step below a generic mention and retractable

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "My bo teacher was a direct student of Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu. And his teacher, Masami Chinen, studied Shuri style karate, I believe, and also some under Sensei Miyagi to understand stances, maybe footwork."

  — Haff, William H.. (2008). Interview with Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro: Yamanni Ryu - Bo-Jutsu of Okinawa. Oshiro Dojolinkhistoryinfo

Students (2)

• 
  Nakazato Shūgorō

  linkOkinawan Kobudō 3

  Confirmed

  EN Wikipedia states Nakazato resumed bojutsu training in 1955 under Masami Chinen, with whom he stayed until 1958

  (1955-1958)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  EN Wikipedia states Nakazato resumed bojutsu training in 1955 under Masami Chinen, with whom he stayed until 1958

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In the same year, Nakazato resumed bojutsu training, this time under Seiro Tonaki's teacher's son, Masami Chinen, with whom he stayed until 1958."

  — Shūgorō Nakazato - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
• Ki
  Kishaba Chōgi

  linkOkinawan Kobudō 3

  Confirmed

  EN Wikipedia article on Masami Chinen names Chōgi Kishaba as one of Chinen's students who privately practiced Yamani-ryu kata, the Haff interview with Toshihiro Oshiro independently calls him a direct student of Masami Chinen, and the Houston Karate page states the family passed the Soke title to him upon Chinen's death

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources

  fact_check

  EN Wikipedia article on Masami Chinen names Chōgi Kishaba as one of Chinen's students who privately practiced Yamani-ryu kata, the Haff interview with Toshihiro Oshiro independently calls him a direct student of Masami Chinen, and the Houston Karate page states the family passed the Soke title to him upon Chinen's death

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Another student of Chinen's, Chōgi Kishaba and his student Toshihiro Ōshiro also privately practised Yamani Ryu katas."

  — Masami Chinen - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English) linkinfo

  "...his brother, Chogi Kishaba, who was a direct student of Masami Chinen and is the only active instructor for Yamanni-Chinen Ryu bojutsu still teaching in Okinawa."

  — Haff, William H.. (2008). Interview with Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro: Yamanni Ryu - Bo-Jutsu of Okinawa. Oshiro Dojolinkhistoryinfo

  "I believe there were other Yamanni-ryu instructors. They learned from Masami Chinen or his grandfather Sanda but I heard that only Kishaba sensei knows all the Yamanni-ryu katas."

  — Tran, Dong. (2008). Oshiro Toshihiro: The Way of Yamanni-ryu. Oshiro Dojolinkhistoryinfo

  "Masami Chinen was the last member of the Chinen family to teach the art. Upon the death of Masami Chinen, the Chinen family passed the title of Soke to his student, Chogi Kishaba, who had begun training with Chinen as a teenager and remained with him as a student until his death."

  — Yamanni Chinen Ryu Kobujutsu - Houston Karate linkinfo

Sources