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Masayuki Shimabukuro:
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When students of Masayuki Shimabukuro learn his interpretation of the weapon arts, they often hear those words. That’s because the phrase represents his strategy in combat and his philosophy in life. Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1948, Shimabukuro began his martial arts career with childhood lessons in judo, karate-do and Okinawan kobudo. His life took a significant turn when he met Miura Takeyuki Hidefusa, the 20th-generation grandmaster of the 460-year-old art of muso jikiden eishin-ryu iaijutsu. Never before had Shimabukuro found himself in the presence of a man who embodied such compassion, humility and dignity. Shimabukuro realized that to be a true master of the martial arts, he would have to copy not only the man’s techniques but also his heart. The pursuit became Shimabukuro’s lifelong obsession. In 1976 he relocated to Southern California, where he began teaching shito-ryu karate-do, iaido, jodo and Okinawan kobudo. During those early years, he was called on to introduce and demonstrate samurai koryu arts that were rarely seen outside Japan. “At that time, people did not know the difference between Okinawan kobudo and traditional samurai kobudo,” Shimabukuro says. In the 1980s, the martial arts community developed a fascination with samurai weapons and philosophy, and Shimabukuro found himself traveling the world to pass along the techniques and benefits of the koryu. During his travels, he witnessed the positive effect that samurai skills and philosophies had on people’s lives. “We have only a single moment to understand the significance and effect that our actions have on our world,” Shimabukuro says. “And we must learn to recognize how those actions influence the lives of others.” This is the pre-eminent principle of the weapons techniques he teaches and not coincidentally a core principle of the samurai’s life. In the early 1990s, Shimabukuro became a founding member of the North American Japanese Karate-do Masters Association and now serves on its board of directors. The organization is dedicated to preserving the teachings of karate-do. He continues to teach the shito-ryu of his late teacher, Kenzo Mabuni. In 1995 Miura appointed Shimabukuro international chairman of the Nippoin Kobudo Jikishin-Kai and entrusted him with the dissemination of authentic eishin-ryu swordsmanship. To help students worldwide, in 1995 Shimabukuro wrote Flashing Steel: Mastering Eishin-Ryu Swordsmanship, the first comprehensive English-language book about the art. He later produced a DVD series called Samurai Swordmanship. Growing enthusiasm for authentic instruction in Japanese weaponry requires Shimabukuro to travel the world to teach and certify instructors in iaijutsu, kenjutsu, jojutsu and other traditional arts. He’s helped establish training groups and member schools in North, Central and South America, as well as Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2002 Miura awarded Shimabukuro the title of hanshi and named him the 21st-generation inheritor designate of muso jikiden eishin-ryu iaijutsu. Shimabukuro became a member of the prestigious Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, the oldest martial arts governing body in Japan. In 2003 he wrote the United States Amateur Athletic Union’s competition guidelines for iaido/battodo and served as the chairman for the organization’s iaido/battodo division. In recognition of his worldwide leadership in and dissemination of the samurai arts, Black Belt is proud to induct Masayuki Shimabukuro into its 2006 Hall of Fame as Weapons Instructor of the Year. (This profile originally appeared in the December 2006 issue of Black Belt.) 
Masayuki Shimabukuro: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW |
