Shorin-Ryu Seibukan – Tradition, Technique, and Personality

Shorin-Ryu Seibukan – Tradition, Technique, and Personality

Shorin-Ryu Seibukan is one of the classical, culturally deeply rooted styles of Okinawan Karate and stands in the tradition of Shōrin-Ryū (少林流), one of the oldest and historically most significant karate styles from Okinawa, Japan. The name Shorin-Ryu literally means “Small Forest Style” and, both linguistically and technically, refers to its origins in ancient Chinese Shaolin fighting methods as well as the local fighting systems of Shuri and Tomari on Okinawa.

In 1962, Master Zenryo Shimabukuro founded the Shorin-Ryu branch known as Seibukan (“School of the Sacred Art”). This style is characterized by precise, natural movement, fast footwork, and a balanced connection of defensive and offensive techniques—it is neither classically “hard” nor “soft,” but rather focuses on efficiency, speed, and correct body mechanics.

A typical Seibukan characteristic is that technical details are cultivated very consciously. Two features many practitioners immediately associate with Seibukan are:

• Fist position in Zuki (punches): Often, a slightly rotated fist alignment of about 45 degrees is emphasized (instead of strictly “horizontal”), which supports wrist structure, the line from forearm to fist, and power transfer through body rotation—especially in combination with clean hikite and stable hip work.

• Frequent stance transitions between Shiko-Dachi and Zenkutsu-Dachi: In many technique sequences and applications, the transition from a grounded, stable Shiko-Dachi to a forward-driving, dynamic Zenkutsu-Dachi (and vice versa) is used to control distance, angles, and timing. The result is a characteristic mix of stable rooting and explosive forward motion that makes the style technically easy to recognize.

Seibukan training methodology emphasizes the repetition of fundamental techniques (kihon), the careful execution of kata, and applicable partner drills (kumite), always with the aim of developing body and mind equally. In doing so, the style pursues not only effective self-defense, but also the philosophical dimension of Karate-Dō as a path of personal growth.

In the international development of the style, Sensei Jamal Measara, 10th Dan, plays an outstanding role: as a long-time teacher and head instructor for Germany and Europe, he has contributed significantly to the spread and solid transmission of Shorin-Ryu Seibukan. His decades of experience, his commitment to training, and his role as the highest examiner reflect the connection of traditional values and modern teaching methodology—a connection that continues to shape the character of Shorin-Ryu Seibukan to this day.

A style, however, does not live through its techniques alone, but above all through the people who have shaped it, passed it on, and kept it alive over decades. The following masters represent this living lineage—from the historical roots of Okinawa to today’s international transmission—and offer insight into the personalities on whose knowledge and experience our training is still built.

Sensei Kyan Chotoku

Kyan Chotoku was born in December 1870 in Shuri on Okinawa. He began training karate at the age of five under the guidance of his father Chofu and his grandfather. Over the years, Kyan Chotoku also trained with six other masters. Based on these experiences, he developed a karate that many Okinawan masters were convinced was among the most beautiful and effective.

Kyan learned most from his first teacher, Matsumora Kosaku from Tomari. This was followed by Peichin Oyademare and Peichin Maeda (Peichin was a title awarded to officials of the king). The next teacher Kyan sought out was Peichin Yara. After him, he learned from Matsumura Sokon, the king’s karate instructor. Finally, he traveled to the Yaeyama Islands to learn staff fighting (bōjutsu) from Peichin Tokumine. It is uncertain whether he learned the kata Tokumine No Kun directly from Peichin Tokumine or from one of Tokumine’s students.

After finishing school, Kyan Chotoku began teaching karate in his home village and in public schools. One of Kyan’s chosen and best students was Zenryo Shimabukuro. On September 20, 1945, Kyan Chotoku died of starvation at the age of 74.

Sensei Shimabukuro Zenryo

Shimabukuro Zenryo (1909–1969), after ten years of training under Kyan Chotoku, also taught in public schools until the beginning of World War II. From that point on, it was forbidden in Japan to practice any kind of martial arts. After the war, he resumed this activity. At the beginning of his career, Shimabukuro Zenryo did not yet have his own dojo, so training was held at his home. In 1962, he finally built a dojo.

He named it “Seibukan,” meaning: Sei Bu Kan – School of the Sacred Art. This name illustrates Master Shimabukuro’s attitude toward karate. Within karate circles, Shimabukuro was a highly respected member. In 1964, he was awarded the highest rank in Okinawan karate by the All-Japan Karate-Dō Federation: 10th Dan (red belt). On October 14, 1969, Shimabukuro Zenryo died from a ruptured appendix.

Sensei Shimabukuro Zenpo

Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro is the world chief instructor of Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate. He was born on October 11, 1943, on Okinawa and initially trained exclusively under his father, Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro. At the age of 19, his father sent him to the USA, where he lived as a sensei, taught, and participated in numerous championships. He won not only at the Pennsylvania State Championship in 1964, but also at the Canadian Internationals in 1965. After a successful competition career, he returned to Okinawa in 1966 to support his father.

At that time, Sensei Chozo Nakama—a student of Sensei Choki Motobu and Sensei Chosin Chibana—visited Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro. Because Nakama asked to be taught in the kata of Sensei Chotoku Kyan, the master assigned his son the task of instructing the relative. In return, the “student” felt the need to give something back to Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro. Therefore, he taught him Choki Motobu’s kata Naihanchi 1–3 and Passai Guwa (small Passai), as well as Chosin Chibana’s kata Pinan 1–5 and Jion. These kata, alongside the Kyan kata, are still passed on today.

Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro is currently, at the age of 79, a holder of the 10th Dan and represents one of the highest-ranking and most respected sensei on Okinawa. He holds senior positions in all four karate federations on the island and regularly visits Seibukan dojos around the globe. His travels also frequently bring him to Germany.

Sensei Jamal Measara – A Life in Service of the Martial Arts

Jamal Measara was born on July 29, 1949, in Seremban in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. From an early age, he developed a deep fascination with the world of martial arts. At the age of ten, he began training in the traditional Indian stick-fighting art Silambam as well as in the unarmed “Diamond Fist” art Vagare Musthi. After the sudden death of his teacher, he initially turned to boxing, before his path led him back to traditional martial arts—especially to Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate, which would shape his life from then on.

In addition to karate, Sensei Measara devoted himself intensively to Kobudō, the art of handling traditional weapons such as bō, sai, nunchaku, tonfa, kama, and others. This versatility and his openness toward different styles are also reflected in his later life journey.

Between 1975 and 1978, he served as a guest instructor in numerous countries—including the Philippines, Indonesia, England, France, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany. From 1970 to 1980, under the guidance of Professor Don F. Draeger—a renowned historian and Budō master—he deepened his knowledge in Shindō Musō-Ryū as well as in Aiki-Jitsu, the original form of today’s Aikidō.

From 1978 to 1980, Jamal Measara assumed the role of head coach of the Malaysian national karate team. During this time, he was also a co-founder of the Karate Federation of Malaysia as well as the Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Federation in India.

In 1980, his path led him permanently to Germany. Two years later, he married his wife Heidi Measara. Together, they founded the Budo Akademie Health & Fitness Center Kelheim, which they have run ever since—a place where traditional martial arts, modern fitness, and holistic health meet.

Sensei Measara holds the 10th Dan in Karate (DKV), the 7th Dan in Aikidō, and the 9th Dan in Kobudō. His outstanding contributions to martial arts have been honored, among other distinctions, with the title “Millennium Trainer.” He is the author of seven specialist books on traditional karate, head instructor and highest examiner of the Shorin-Ryu federation in Germany, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and an examiner for the Dan Commission of the German Karate Federation (DKV).

In addition, he serves as an instructor for national and international police special units, including the SEK, the LKA Saxony, as well as police academies in Dubai and India. His profound knowledge, decades of experience, and calm authority make him an exceptional figure in international Budō—and a bridge-builder between cultures, generations, and martial arts.