What is Shoubukan

There are approximately 34 karate disciplines or styles that come from Okinawa. Shoubukan is one of those. The discipline places emphasis on a comprehensive training methodology. Importance is placed on what most think of as ‘karate’ while throws, takedowns, and joint and body locks are equally important to master. Thus, Shoubukan like other ‘old school’ styles of Okinawan Karate incorporate parts of what we think of as Judo and Jiu Jitsu into the learning and training. Moreover, once an individual is a Green Belt the option to start to learn how to utilize handheld weapons becomes part of the training. 

The founder of Shoubukan Karate is Yoriyuki Yasuzato. His grandfather is one of the Great Karate Masters of Okinawa, Anko Azato. Yoriyuki left Okinawa in the 1930’s and headed to mainland Japan. He ended up being drafted into the Japanese Imperial Military and soon was directed to be the ‘combat instructor’ for part of the Japanese Imperial Military. After WWII he ended up in Sasebo, Japan where he opened his Dojo and called his style Okinawan Shoubukan Karate. In Japan he continued to teach the way he learned in Okinawa. The rigors of training his students to run barefoot on the road for miles, teaching how to use handheld weapons for self-defense, and more. He also kept the Okinawan Belt structure of White, Green, Brown, Black. In other words, he maintained the ‘Old Ways’ in the Sasebo Shoubukan Dojo.