MKAA Matsubayashi-ryu Australia

Our connection to the birthplace of Karate, Okinawa

The link between the Australian association, and its official representatives is through a direct connection to Okinawa, to the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association (WMKA), the original federation formed by the founder of Matsubayashi-ryu, Osensei Shoshin Nagamine, and the one that has continued since with his mandate for the preservation of the Nagamine legacy.

Australia's two certified Dojo Owners, Australia's Chief Instructor, Sensei John Carlyle, and Canberra's Head Instructor, Sensei Reece Cummings have both travelled to Okinawa numerous times to train in Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do, as well as training and hosting Okinawan Karate masters Soke Takayoshi Nagamine and Sensei Toshimitsu Arakaki in Australia multple times.

Osensei Shoshin Nagamine1st Soke, Hanshi 10th DanOkinawa, Japan (b 1907, d 1997) 

Sensei Takayoshi Nagamine2nd Soke, Hanshisei 10th DanOkinawa, Japan (b 1945, d 2012) 

Sensei Yoshitaka TairaKaicho, Hanshi 10th DanOkinawa, Japan

Sensei Toshimitsu ArakakiFuku-Kaicho, Hanshi 10th DanOkinawa, Japan 

History of Matsubayashi-ryu

While Matsubayashi-ryu (松林流) Karate did not exist before Osensei Shoshin Nagamine founded it, its beginnings had existed for hundreds of years before. Matsubayashi-ryu can trace its lineage from Chinese Gung-Fu and the original Okinawan Karate. The original Okinawan Karate was named "to-te" which means "Chinese hand" (唐手) , and was divided into Shuri-Te (首里手), Naha-Te (那覇手) and Tomari-Te (泊手). Shorin-ryu was primarily developed from a combination of Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te forms, and is now divided into the four schools; Matsumura Seito (Pine Village Orthodox 松村正), Kobayashi-ryu (Young Forest 小林流), Shobayashi-ryu (Small Forest 少林流), Matsubayashi-ryu (Pine Forest 松林流). In 1936 the term "Te" was changed by Okinawan masters who met, and agreed on the term "karate" which means "empty hand", as they felt it reflected the nature of the art better.
Osensei Nagamine named his school in recognition of masters which he viewed as two of the most important and influential forbearers of Shorin-ryu. These people were Master Sokon Matsumura and Master Kosaku Matsumora. The name which Osensei Nagamine chose for his school comes from the kanji characters that can be pronounced in Japanese either as "Matsubayashi" or as "Shorin". Most people refer to it as "Matsubayashi" as to avoid confusion with the other "Shorin" associations.
"Matsubayashi-ryu Kodokan Karate and Ancient Martial Arts [Kobujutsu] Studies" was the official formation of the Matsubayashi-ryu in 1947 by Osensei Nagamine. Matsubayashi is the Okinawan pronunciation of the words for "Pine Forest". "Matsu" meaning "Pine" and "Hayashi" meaning "Forest", however when the two words are placed together the "H" of "Hayashi" is pronounced as a "B" turning it into "Matsubayashi". Furthermore, "Shorin" is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese word "Shaolin", which comes from the Shaolin Buddhist Temple in China. "Ryu" (流) is means style or school, however the literally meaning is "stream" or "flow" which apparently reflected Osensei Nagamine's thoughts of karate, and specifically Matsubayashi-ryu is a living, and flowing thing.
According to documentation another theory to how the name was formed is that Nagamine Osensei's nickname was "Gaajuu Maachuu" which was sometimes pronounced "Chippai Matsu", which means "tenacious pine tree".
Osensei Shoshin Nagamine was the founder (or 1st Soke) of Matsubayashi-ryu. Following his passing in 1997, his son, Sensei Takayoshi Nagamine (or 2nd Soke) continued his legacy until his passing in 2012. After the passing of the 2nd Soke, an association-based model was adopted with Sensei Yoshitaka Taira becoming Kaicho (President), Sensei Toshimitsu Arakaki becoming Fuku-Kaicho (Vice-President) of the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association. 