HANSHI JUDAN, Founder NAKAZA, SEIEI
Nakaza Sensei was born in Okinawa, Japan in 1942. He began is karate training in 1957 at the age of 15 under the guidance of Joen Nakazato. Nakazato, one of the most noted students of Chotoku Kyan (student of the great Matsumura Sokon) and founder of Shorinji-ryu, would teach Nakaza Shuri-Te.
In 1960 Nakaza would expand his training to include Naha-Te (Goju-Ryu) under Seiko Higa. Higa was a student of Chojun Myagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu, for more than 35 years.
After nearly 6 years with Higa Sensei, in 1966 Nakaza would again return to the Shuri-Te lineage under Shugoro Nakazato the founder of the Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan who inherited the Shorin-Ryu system from Chosin Chibana. Chibana-Sensei was the first 10th-degree grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu karate.
In the time from 1974 - 2008 Nakaza would serve as the Vice-Director of Shorin-ryu's Kochinda Dojo, and from 1981 to 2008 he would serve as the Vice-Director of the Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan Association.
After 48 years of training in Okinawan Karate-Do and Ryukyu Kobudo, Nakaza-Sensei was promoted to 9th degree black belt, Hanshi by Shugoro Nakazato. Four years later in 2008 Nakaza-sensei would go on to found the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Kiyobukan Kyokai.
On August 9th of 2013, Nakaza-Sensei was promoted to Judan - Hanshi(10th Degree Black Belt) by the Okinawan Prefectural Government, the highest rank in traditional Karate.
Nakaza-Sensei's association, the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Kiyobukan was formed to be a living testimony to his commitment to the strong tradition of Okinawan Karate-Do and the legacy of Shorin-Ryu as passed through the Matsumura, Itotsu, Chibana lineage. Nakaza's belief is that his students should see the true Shuri-Te wherever it is to be found. This is a principal that manifest in his own actions of meeting with other masters of Shur-Te to exchange thoughts and insights about the legacy, philosophy and technique of Okinawan Karate.