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 Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) was born in Shuri, the 17th generation descendant of one of the bravest warriors of Okinawan nobility. As a child, Kenwa Mabuni wanted to be like his great ancestors, but, unfortunately he was very sickly and weak. In 1902, at the age of 13, Kenwa Mabuni was taken to the most famous martial artist in Shuri, Master Ankoh Itosu, to improve his health. From that day forward, he never missed a day of training until he was approximately 20 years old. During the Pacific War, many promising young Karateka from the four major styles lost their lives, including from the Shito Ryu group. Master Mabuni barely survived the post-war turmoil, contending with great poverty but, he persevered and continued to devote himself unselfishly to the further development of Shito Ryu Karatedo. After the war, many of the previously established Shito Ryu Karate clubs in the universities and colleges began to re-open. By this time, the future of Shito Ryu Karatedo was assured by many of his surviving students the majority of which could be found on the East coast of Japan in the Kanto district.
Master Kenwa Mabuni died on May 23, 1952.
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