Also known as
Motobu Chouki · Motobu Choki · もとぶ ちょうき · 真三良 (childhood name)
Description
Okinawan karate master (1870-1944) and founder of Nihon Denryu Heiho Motobu
Kenpo (Motobu-ryu), born into the royal Motobu Udundi family; studied under Ankō
Itosu, Matsumura Sōkon, Sakuma and Kōsaku Matsumora, and became famous in
mainland Japan after defeating a foreign boxer in Kyoto at age 52.
Teachers (3)
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Itosu Ankō
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
(1882–1890)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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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”
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Matsumura Sōkon
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Motobu secretly continued his training under Sōkon Matsumura
and Sakuma from Shuri; the Motobu-ryu official history confirms Motobu studied
secretly under Matsumura and Sakuma
“Therefore, he secretly continued his training under Sōkon Matsumura and Sakuma
from Shuri, and by the time he was over 20 years old, he was confident that he
could defeat his brother in kumite.”
“糸洲先生だけではあきたらず密かに首里の松村宗棍先生や佐久間先生といった伝説の大家のもとにも通って修業されました。松村先生は糸洲先生の師でもあり、「近世の唐手の達人中、松村先生ほど精妙を極めて他に強かった者はない」（本部朝基）といわれる達人で、朝基先生は親友・屋部憲通先生とともにこの松村先生の愛弟子でした。”
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Matsumora Kōsaku
sports_martial_artsTomari-te
Confirmed
(1889)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Motobu began studying under Kōsaku Matsumora from the age of
19 or 20, learning especially irikumi; the Motobu-ryu official history confirms
Matsumora teaching from age 19 and records his praise of Motobu's talent
“From the age of 19 or 20, Motobu, along with his older brother Chōyū and his
friend Kentsū Yabu, began studying under Kōsaku Matsumora. He was taught by
Matsumora, especially irikumi, an ancient form of kumite”
“また、19歳の頃からは泊手の大家・松茂良興作先生にも師事されました。組手稽古の最中、朝基先生の一手が松茂良先生の顔に入ったことから、「年の若い者としては非常に武才がある」（琉球新報・昭和11年）と、松茂良先生が激賞された逸話が伝えられています。”
Students (7)
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Ueshima Sannosuke
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
(1925)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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JA Wikipedia states Motobu Choki's Shuri-te and Tomari-te were among the
karate taught at Ueshima's Osaka dojo from 1925, and that Ueshima helped
edit Motobu's 1926 kumite book; the EN Wikipedia article on Motobu names
Ueshima among his students in Osaka from 1923
“大阪市東淀川区に移り1925年（大正14年）上島柔道場を開設。また沖縄の空手教師数名がそこで空手も練習し、教えた。教授陣は以下のとおり：本部朝基の首里手と泊流。”
“In 1923, he opened a karate dojo in Osaka. Among his students at that time were
Tatsuo Yamada and Sannosuke Ueshima.”
“Motobu enjoyed contact with many karate exponents in Tokyo who were sympathetic
to his methods, including Otsuka Hironori of Wadoryu, Konishi Yasuhiro of Shindo
Jinenryu and Ueshima Sannosuke of Kushinryu.”
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Shimabuku Tatsuo
(1942–1943)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Shimabuku sought out Choki Motobu in 1942 and studied with
him for approximately one year; the Advincula biography places a year of study
with Motobu in Naha in 1938 (conflicting date, kept in notes)
“In 1942, Shimabuku sought out another famous Shorin-Ryu instructor, Choki
Motobu [...] Shimabuku studied with Motobu for approximately one year.”
“In 1938 at age 30 he studies with Choki Motobu again in Naha for one year.”
— Advincula, A. J.. (1997). Dragon Man: Shimabuku
Tatsuo Sensei, founder of Isshin-ryu Karate and Kobudolink
history
info
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person
Ōtsuka Hironori
sports_martial_artsKarate
Confirmed
(1929)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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Independent sources state it.
“To broaden his knowledge of Karate, Ōtsuka also studied with other prominent
masters such as Kenwa Mabuni of Shitō-ryū and Motobu Chōki.”
“昭和4年（1929年）には、同じく船越門下の大塚博紀（後に和道流を開く）が朝基のもとを訪れ、師事している。大塚は後年、「ともかく本部さんは文句なく強い人という印象です」と述懐した。”
“Choki Motobu was an instructor to Shoshin Nagamine, Hironori Otsuka, and
Yasuhiro Konishi, the founders of Matsubayashi Ryu, Wado Ryu, and Shindo Jinen
Ryu (Ryobu Kai), respectively.”
— 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
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person
Nakama Chōzō
(1936)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
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EN Wikipedia lists Choki Motobu among the teachers Nakama also studied with;
Jahana's 1978 article states Nakama learned karate directly from Motobu
(dojo opened around 1940); the Motobu-ryu official history confirms he studied
under Motobu
“however, Nakama also studied with Chomo Hanashiro, Chōtoku Kyan, Kenwa Mabuni,
Choki Motobu, and Kentsu Yabu.”
“Also, when Motobu Chōki briefly returned to Okinawa to attend the
"Roundtable of Karate Masters" (1936), Nakama Sensei learned kumite
from him.”
— Motobu, Naoki. (2023). Nakama Chōzō's Gojūshiho
- Motobu-ryu Bloglink
history
info
“He learned karate directly from Choki Motobu (1871-1944). It was about 1940
that Choki Motobu opened his own Dojo(=a training hall) in Nishishinmachi
(=Kumecho now), Naha city after returning to Okinawa from Osaka”
— Jahana, Seijin; East Wind Budo. (1978). The Legend
of Choki Motobulink
info
“That was Nakama Chozo sensei. He had also studied under Motobu Choki sensei.”
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Nagamine Shōshin
sports_martial_artsShorin-ryu
Confirmed
(1936)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
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Nagamine's own autobiography describes studying under Motobu Choki for six
months from April 1936 while at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy in Hongo
ward; confirmed by JA Wikipedia (1936, Tokyo) and the Goodin article (1936,
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy)
visibilityFirst-hand
“In April 1936, I was sent to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, as a
trainee policeman, and, during a six-month period I had a chance to receive some
advice about peculiar Kumite movements from then celebrated master of Karate,
Mr. Choki Motobu in Hongo ward, Tokyo.”
— Nagamine, Shoshin. A Short Autobiography of
Grandmaster Shoshin Nagaminelink
history
info
“1936年（昭和11年）には、東京にて本部朝基にも師事する機会に恵まれた。”
“While studying at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy in 1936, he received
instruction under the renowned kumite (sparring) expert, Motobu Choki”
— Goodin, Charles C.. (2021). Nagamine Shoshin:
Karate and Zen as Onelink
history
info
“During his time as a police officer, Nagamine received further instruction in
karate from Chotoku Kyan and Motobu Choki”
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Miyahira Katsuya
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Miyahira was also instructed by Anbun Tokuda and Choki
Motobu; the Shorinryu.de biography confirms he deepened his kumite in Motobu
Choki's dojo
“Miyahira was also instructed by Anbun Tokuda and Choki Motobu.”
“Later, Miyahira deepened his knowledge mainly in Kumite in the dojo of Motobu
Choki.”
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person
Konishi Yasuhiro
sports_martial_artsKarate
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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Independent sources state it.
“Later Konishi studied Karate with Motobu Chōki and Mabuni Kenwa.”
— Ryukyu Bugei website
link
“東京では、船越義珍の門弟でもあった小西康裕（後に神道自然流を開く）が中心となり、本部朝基後援会が結成された。”
“Choki Motobu was an instructor to Shoshin Nagamine, Hironori Otsuka, and
Yasuhiro Konishi, the founders of Matsubayashi Ryu, Wado Ryu, and Shindo Jinen
Ryu (Ryobu Kai), respectively.”
— 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
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01KZC4PN03JMN9C9YQTKMEQE3A
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Motobu Chōki. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KZC4PN03JMN9C9YQTKMEQE3A - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KZC4PN03JMN9C9YQTKMEQE3A, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Motobu Chōki}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database},
year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KZC4PN03JMN9C9YQTKMEQE3A}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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