Autobiography Part 17: Mr. Chew, Door Opener for Seibukan & Matayoshi Kobudo in Malaysia

Q: Sensei, in the previous clip, you told us about karate in Malaysia. Could you please continue that story?

A: Yes, it was about Malaysian karate. I told you how karate started in Malaysia with the father of Malaysian karate, Mr. Chew, and how he went to Okinawa. I'll continue to explain what happened to karate in Malaysia or, more specifically, the karate that we practice later. In the beginning, it was a different kind of karate, and later it changed into Shorin-ryu, but before Shorin-ryu, it changed into Seibukan.

This name change came about because of an advertisement Mr. Chew placed in a karate magazine after visiting Okinawa. In English, it was written "Seibukan Dojo." One of my senior instructors had a disagreement with Mr. Chew, which led to a falling out. After that, he decided to leave him. He saw this magazine ad for Seibukan Karate, so he adopted the name "Seibukan," as it was written in English.

There was no patch or emblem; it was just "Seibukan." So, he wrote "Seibukan" and added an emblem featuring two sai and a fist. Inside the emblem, he wrote "Seibukan Karate-Do." However, the "Seibukan" written in kanji was different from the way it's written in Okinawa. The meaning was understood, but the pronunciation and writing were different.

When he went to Okinawa, we all collected money from students. He stayed for a short time and trained karate there. He saw that the emblem was different and that there was an additional writing, "Sukunaihayashi." When he returned, he included "Sukunaihayashi," which means "Shorin-ryu" in Chinese or Japanese, in the emblem.

The "Seibukan" he used was the name he pronounced, but the kanji writing was different. There is a small conflict between their "Seibukan" and the Okinawan "Seibukan" regarding the name and emblem. The emblem, with two sai and a fist, is very similar to Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu, founded by Nagamine Shoshin Sensei.

He trained with Shimabukuro Zensho Sensei in Okinawa. This was in the early 1970s, around 1972. Shimabukuro Sensei was very kind to him and taught him a few kihon, ru (forms). For example, Fukyugata ichi, Fukyugata ni, Fukyugata san, Rukuchan, Rukuchan ni, Jodan, and zenshin kotai he taught him, which I came to find out that he was teaching in his curriculum.

The kata he learned was Ananku, he never learned Wansu. With this kata he came back. When he came back he introduced these kata and the basics only after somebody have got his shodan (black belt). So he said this is how they practice and they still practice. I asked him one time in a letter why we have different kata, as I came to know Pinan and Naihanchi, and all the other kata – the names are totally different, and here in Malaysia, we have Han kata, Tei kata, Basadai, Bassai sho, Kangurai, Kusho, and they have Kusanku and so on, Passai, all this stuff. So he said, well, they practice the same thing, but these kata what I brought back now are advanced kata. So he was teaching only these kata and some basics for advanced belt.

There are quite a lot of differences between the Okinawan version of Shorin-ryu Seibukan, with the name, with the techniques, and with the kata compared to the Malaysian karate. The kata and basics are very similar to Shotokan and 99% Kyokushin karate, plus a few techniques, a few kata from Goju-ryu, and one kata from Shito-ryu. It's a mix of many other karate styles, but not Okinawan. Okinawan karate as I say three kata, but the three kata when you compare today, they do Seisan with the gedan barai which is a big mistake in the beginning.

Of course, there's a lot of difference in the kata too compared to the original Shorin-ryu of Okinawa.

Q: Did Shimabukuro Sensei visit Malaysia at this time?

A: No. After my senior instructor came back, he invited Shimabukuro Zensho Sensei. Shimabukuro Sensei came to Malaysia in the early 1970s and stayed for one month.

Important Note: Shimabukuro Zensho Sensei was not around at that time. So, if somebody says they met Shimabukuro Zensho Sensei and trained with him, this is not true because Shimabukuro Zensho Sensei died in 1969. My senior instructor from Malaysia went to Okinawa in the early 1970s, so Zensho Sensei was already deceased. He only trained with Zensho Sensei's son, Zeno Sensei.

Zeno Sensei came to Malaysia at his invitation and stayed for one month. He visited all the dojos in Malaysia, all the Seibukan Shorin-ryu dojos that belonged to my senior instructor's students. He was teaching, and I followed him to all the cities he was visiting. He was teaching Seisan kata in every dojo. It was a completely different method of learning for us in the beginning.

Q: Can you describe your relationship with Zeno Shimabukuro Sensei at this time?

A: My relationship with Zeno Sensei was good. I was always with him and my senior instructor. I used to follow him, and every night, I would take him out for dinner and bring him back to the hotel. Sometimes, I would even sleep in the hotel with him. I'd like to ask Zeno Sensei because we like to talk about ghost stories.

He would tell me ghost stories, and I would tell him ghost stories. I was very scared to go back at night, so I would sleep in the same room with him in the hotel in my city. It was just a good, nice relationship that I had. However, I wasn't so interested or curious to know much about his life, his father, his karate method, or the histories. I was too interested in sports karate.

At that time, I was also refereeing and training my students mostly for competition karate. My interest in traditional karate was very less. I knew the histories as I used to read books, but the interest was not there.

Q: Regarding the history of Shimabukuro Sensei and you, perhaps we can discuss this in the next video?

A: Yes, I can tell you how I visited him in the next episode and how I was treated over there.

The Malaysian Shorin-ryu, if they say they are doing Shorin-ryu, it is not Shorin-ryu Seibukan in their way what they say in Malaysia because their writing is different. If they claim that their lineage comes from Zensho Shimabukuro, it is not true. They do have some kata from Shorin-ryu Seibukan, just a few as I mentioned before. The rest, you can actually call it Japanese karate than Okinawan karate because from the beginning till the end, it is all Japanese kata, basics, techniques, and stances. The kata names are completely different.

We're not going to say who is right or wrong. They can claim what they want in Malaysia; that is their Shorin-ryu. Their "Seibukan" is written in kanji, which the Japanese don't pronounce. However, the writing in English is "Seibukan." It is not the same "Seibukan" practiced in Okinawa. They never had any connections with Zensho Shimabukuro. To be honest, these are the true facts. Nobody met Zensho Shimabukuro other than Mr. Chew Choo Soot and his son, Tony Chew.

I can show you photos and the banner which Chew Choo Soot brought to Zensho Shimabukuro from Malaysia. All the facts and proofs are there. In the beginning, the emblem of Malaysian Shorin-ryu only had "Karate" written on it, not "Shorin-ryu." The kanji for "Shorin-ryu" came later inside the patch, after the visit to Okinawa. There were so many things that were totally different.

"Live and let live" is my policy. We have a good friendship with my senior instructor still, but as far as karate is concerned, we don't have anything to do with each other. I departed from my senior instructor's Malaysian karate to Okinawan karate in the mid-1980s.

If you have any questions about karate in Malaysia, feel free to ask. I can always tell you and provide proof if you need it. These are true facts, and Shimabukuro Sensei can also give you the proofs.

Q: Thank you very much, Sensei.

A: You're most welcome. Goodbye, and see you in episode number 18.