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Grand Master Shian Toma
Master Shian Toma was born in 1929. He began his study of Karate at the age of
sixteen. From that time on he has dedicated his life to the study of Okinawan
Martial Arts. On Okinawa he began his training with Shinato Sokishi, a student
of Chojun Miyagi and Tatsuo Shimabuku. Sokishi only taught four kata, which he
had learned from his Goju Ryu Instructor, Chojun Miyagi, but trained his
students on them religiously. To this day Shian Toma maintains strict standards
of kata performance for his students, because of his original training from
Shinjato Sokishi. Later in his Karate Development, Toma had the privilege of
studying under Zenryo Shimabuku and Shigeru-Ryu (currently known a Chubu Shorin-Ryu)
and Okinawa Kempo Kai, respectively. Especially from Shimabuku, he learned the
kata of Shorin Branch, which he teaches today.
Shian Toma was a dedicated Karate practitioner, but he sought to understand the
greater depths of the Okinawan Martial Arts, which he achieved by seeking
instruction in the oldest extant art on the Island. This was achieved when he
began his training with Seikichi Uehara in 1968. Uehara teaches the system named
Motobu UdunDi Kobujutsu.
Motobu UdunDi Kobujutsu is the art founded by Uehara in 1947. It preserves the
ancient art of the Motobu family which is also known as Go Ten Te. The art was
founded in the seventeenth century, by Sho Koshin, the sixth son of Okinawan
King Sho Shitsu. Having learned his family's martial art, and not being the
eldest son, Sho Shitsu changed his name to Chohe Motobu and established his own
family. He created his own particular martial art, which he called Go Ten Te,
and passed on from father to eldest son Choyu Motobu. This was the beginning of
the modern era, so that the feudal age was over and the restriction to teach
only the eldest son was over. Choyu Motobu accepted Seikichi Uehara as his
student, hoping that it would encourage his son Chomo to train. Uehara and Chomo,
whose name of youth was Toraju, were close friends, thus Seikichi was allowed to
learn the complete, heretofore secret system. While Choyu Motobu founded the
Okinawan Karate Kenkyu Kai "Research Society", where he trained many
of the leading martial arts Masters of the day, it was only to Seikichi Uehara
that he taught the entire system.
When Choyu died in 1926, and Chomo refused to learn the system, and then passed
on himself, it left Seikichi Uehara as the last Master of Motobu Go Ten Te. What
is considered by many the main principle of Go Ten Te, and what separates it
from modern Karate, is Toide. Thus the secret is the "Taking Hand"
skill which is very similar to Aikijujutsu, but with a unique Okinawan
application. The interpretation of movement, which leads to typical Karate
techniques having concealed within them aspects of body manipulation. This is
why the throwing techniques of Toide are nearly limitless.
Motobu UdunDi Kobujutsu, as taught by Seikichi Uehara to Shian Toma, includes
not only Toide, but the familiar striking art, which is practiced in the ancient
manner without prearranged forms. Also taught are the full range of weaponry,
contained in the Motobu UdunDi curriculum, which includes: Katana, Wakizashi,
Nicho Tanbo, Yari, Naginata, Rokushaku Bo, Goshaku Bo, Uchi Bo, Jo, Nunchaku,
Tonfa, Kai, Sai, Choto, and Tanto.
Out of respect for his original teachers, Shian Toma requested permission from
Uehara, to add the practice of prearranged Kata to his martial arts. While
Uehara maintains the purity of the Motobu family art, he does allow outlying
schools to incorporate the formal kata into their individual schools. Shian Toma
calls his school and system of martial arts "SEIDOKAN". He teaches a
curriculum which includes Shorin-Ryu, Shorinji-Ryu kata and most especially
Motobu UdunDi Kobujutsu, which includes Toide, ancient striking skills, and
ancient weaponry.