Also known as
Bushi Matsumura · Wu Chengda
Description
Okinawan karate master who developed Shuri-te, a precursor to many modern
karate styles. Teacher of Ankō Asato, Ankō Itosu, and through them influenced
Gichin Funakoshi and modern karate. Born in the Ryukyu Kingdom, died after
Okinawa's annexation by Japan.
Teachers (3)
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person
Ason
sports_martial_artsShaolinquan
Possible
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1 source
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Single source, and it reports the claim as hearsay.
alt_routeIndirect
“Still others claim that he studied in Fuzhou under an instructor named Ason”
— 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
Sakugawa Kanga
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Possible
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2 sources
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One source states it; the other reports it as disputed, with Chinese teachers
named instead. Sakugawa's dates (to about 1815) leave little overlap with
Matsumura's (born 1797 or 1809).
“Matsumura was also a student of Sakugawa Satunuku.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
“While some researchers have reported that Sokon Matsumura studied under Kanga
Sakugawa, there is not total agreement on this issue.”
— 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
Iwah
sports_martial_artsShaolinquan
Probable
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2 sources
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Both sources go back to Funakoshi's account.
“Funakoshi stated that he studied under a Chinese attaché named Iwah”
— 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
“Matsumura Sokon (1809–1899) of Shuri studied what was said to be a form of
Shaolin boxing with the attaché Iwah.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
Students (8)
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Motobu Chōki
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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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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Matsumura Nabe
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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3 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Nabe Matsumura was the grandson of Matsumura Sōkon and was
privileged to extremely thorough training from his grandfather in the family
style; corroborated by Soken's own 1978 interview and the Moerfelden lineage
page
“Being related to Sōkon meant that Nabe was privileged to extremely thorough
training from his grandfather in the family's style, as well as the secret
White Crane system that was only taught to immediate family members.”
visibilityFirst-hand
“When Bushi Matsumura died he left the "hands" of his teachings to my
uncle, who was his grandson, Matsumura Nabe [...] My uncle only learned from
Bushi Matsumura and only taught me what he had learned.”
— Estrada, Ernie. (1978). Interview with Hohan Soken:
The Last of the Great Old-Time Karate Warriors, Part 1. FightingArts.com
link
history
info
“One of his best and closest was his grandson Nabe Matsumura (1860-1930), who is
also considered the successor of Bushi Matsumura and thus heir to the Matsumura
Shorin Ryu [...] For that reason his nephew Hohan Soken was probably his only
long-time student.”
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Kyan Chōtoku
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
(1886–1888)
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3 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Kyan studied under Matsumura Sōkon from the age of 16 for
two years; two other sources confirm it.
“From the age of 16 Chōtoku studied under Matsumura Sōkon for two years.”
“朝徳は、数え年１４才になった時、父朝扶から初めて空手の指導を受け、１６歳頃になると父を介して松村宗棍からセイサンや五十四歩の型を学んだ。[...]20歳のときに帰省し、首里手の松村宗棍、泊手の親泊興寛に師事し、空手道の大家となる。”
“Kyan (who was a disciple of Matsumura Sokon of Shuri, among others).”
— Goodin, Charles C.. (2021). Nagamine Shoshin:
Karate and Zen as Onelink
history
info
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Kyan Chōfu
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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Japanese Wikipedia states he studied tōde (karate) under Matsumura Sōkon
(唐手は松村宗棍に師事した); corroborated by the Wikidata P1066 claim, the Seibukan official
history (門下生としても知られる空手家) and Geoffrey Gaudion's account of an excellent
karateman of Matsumura's school
“父朝扶は、琉球王朝末期から明治にかけて活躍した著名な政治家であり、松村宗棍の門下生としても知られる空手家でもあった。”
“His father, Chofu Kyan, held the post of steward to the family of Sir Shotai,
the last of Ryukyu royal lineage. Chofu Kyan was good at chinese classics,
Japanese arts and lettering, and an excellent karateman.”
— Gaudion, Geoffrey E.. Shoshin Nagamine and Some of
His Masterslink
history
info
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Kentsū Yabu
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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3 sources
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The peer-reviewed Svinth article cites Tetsuhiro Hokama stating Yabu's
teacher was Sokon Matsumura; corroborated by Beisho and the Martial Arts Academy
of Marin lineage
“Tetsuhiro Hokama has written that Yabu's teacher was Sokon Matsumura
(Hokama, 1998, 35).”
— Svinth, Joseph R.. (2003). Karate Pioneer Kentsu
Yabu, 1866-1937. Journal of Combative Sportlink
history
info
“As a young man, Yabu was admitted as a student of the famous Matsumura Sokon,
dubbed "Bushi" (or "warrior gentleman") by the King.”
— Beisho (Okinawa Karate and Kobudo). Yabu Kentsu and
His 'Lost' Sonlink
history
info
“Under the tutelage of both Matsumura Sokon and Itosu Anko, Yabu became one of
the first to showcase Karate in Hawaii during the 1920s.”
— The Martial Arts Academy of Marin. Lineage - The
Martial Arts Academy of Marinlink
history
info
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Itosu Ankō
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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3 sources
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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
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Hanashiro Chōmo
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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2 sources
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EN Wikipedia states Hanashiro became a student of Matsumura Sokon, of the
Shuri-te style, early in his childhood, and started karate practice under him at
a very young age
“Early in his childhood, he became a student of the renowned master Matsumura
Sōkon, of the Shuri-te style [...] He started karate practice at a very young
age under Sōkon Matsumura.”
“Arakaki Ankichi (who studied under Gusukuma Shimpan, Hanashiro Chomo, Chibana
Choshin and Kyan Chotoku).”
— Goodin, Charles C.. (2021). Nagamine Shoshin:
Karate and Zen as Onelink
history
info
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person
Asato Ankō
sports_martial_artsShuri-te
Confirmed
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3 sources
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Independent sources state it.
“In a 1934 article, Funakoshi noted that Asato and Itosu had studied karate
together under Sōkon Matsumura.”
— Ankō Asato - Wikipedialink
“Both Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Ankoh Itosu were students of Matsumura, and
the several styles of Shorin Ryu are traced to these two men.”
— 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 Anko (also known as Asato Yasutsune, 1827–1906) was another prominent
student of Matsumura.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
Honours (1)
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receipt_longChikudun Pechin
Probable
Title
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1 source
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Japanese Wikipedia states he held the Ryukyuan rank of Chikudun Pechin (筑登之親雲上)
“唐名は武成達、位階は筑登之親雲上（チクドゥンペーチン）、号は雲勇、もしくは武長と称した。”
— Japanese Wikipedia article on Matsumura Sōkon
link
history
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6A
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Matsumura Sōkon. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6A - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6A, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Matsumura Sōkon}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage
Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN29MA64W22606R3WD6A}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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