The two main features that typify Sankukai and differentiate it from many other styles of karate is its emphasis on evasion techniques and circular movements. These are represented on the Sankukai emblem with three circles (Sun, Moon, Earth) aligned at an angle of 45° from vertical, the typical angle of evasion. While other styles of karate employ evasion techniques (tai sabaki) and spinning attacks, Sankukai differs in formalising these and teaching them not as high grade variations but as basic techniques on the training syllabus right from white belt. Whilst we still employ jodan uke (age uke), soto uke, uchi uke and gedan barai, the Sankukai equivalents could be seen as tenshin jodan uke, tenshin chudan uke and tenshin gedan uke – all evasion techniques employing circular blocks. The circular theme continues with circular hand and foot strikes – kaeten tsuki and kaeten geri. Circular actions also govern our way of training. Basics and pair work are practiced on a circular plan. After attack/defence the karateka will turn and attack/defend in the opposite direction using the other side of the body. This can be seen in the execution of randori-no-kata (pre-arranged pair work). The Sankukai equivalent of Pinan kata, known as Heiwa kata are adapted to incorporate both evasion and circular techniques.

A Brief History of Shito-ryu

Shito-ryu, along with Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shotokan, is one of the four major Japanese karate systems. It was founded by Kenwa Mabuni (November 14, 1889 - May 23, 1952), who, like most of karate's the old masters of karate, was descended from Okinawa's so-called warrior (bushi) class or aristocracy. Members of his family served Okinawan lords for hundreds of years.

Mabuni started karate training at the age of 13 under Anko Itosu (1830-1915), the man who organized early karate in the Okinawan school system. Itosu was a student of one of Okinawa's most famous karate masters, Sokon Matsumura (1792-1887), the forefather of Shorin-ryu. Itosu took a strong liking to his young pupil and Mabuni learned some 23 kata before the elder man died. He was the ichiban-deshi of Itosu Sensei, succeeding him as the second master of Itosu-Kai on the latter's death.

Itosu was not Mabuni's only teacher, however. While still in his teens, Mabuni was introduced by his friend, Chojun Miyagi (the founder of Goju-ryu karate) to Kanryo Higashionna (1853-1915). From Higashionna, Mabuni learned Naha-te, a Chinese-influenced karate style. Mabuni also trained under the reclusive Arakaki Kamadeunchu (1840-1918), who taught a style similar to Higashionna's. Arakaki also taught Tsuyoshi Chitose, the founder of Chito-ryu, Gichin Funakoshi of Shotokan, and Kanken Toyama of the Shudokan school. Arakaki, who was an acknowledged bo (staff) expert, taught Mabuni the unshu, sochin, niseishi, arakaki-sai and arakaki-bo forms. During the 1920's the insatiable Mabuni instructed at a karate club operated by Miyagi and Choyu Motobu, with help from Chomo Hanashiro and Juhatsu Kiyoda. Choyu Motobu was a master of Shuri-te (the antecedent of Shorin-ryu) and gotende, the secret grappling art of the Okinawan royal court. Hanashiro was also a Shuri-te expert, while Kiyoda came from the same Naha-te background as Miyagi. Known as the Ryukyu Tode Kenkyu-kai (Okinawa Karate Research Club), this dojo (training hall) was one of history's gems. Experts from diverse backgrounds trained and taught there, and it was there that Mabuni learned some Fukien white crane kung fu from the legendary Woo Yin Gue (Gokenki), a Chinese tea merchant living on Okinawa.

By this time, Mabuni had become a highly respected police officer and made several trips to Japan after Funakoshi introduced karate there in 1922. Mabuni spent many of his early traveling years with Koyu Konishi, a friend and sometimes student who later founded Shindo-Jinen-ryu karate. In 1925 Mabuni and Konishi visited Japan's Wakayama prefecture where Kanbum Uechi, the founder of Uechi-ryu, was teaching. It was after training with Uechi that Mabuni devised a kata called shinpa. But Mabuni actually spent most of his time in Osaka, where he taught at various dojo, including the Seishinkai, the school of Kosei Kokuba. Choki Motobu also taught at Kokuba's dojo. It was Kokuba who later formed Motobu-ha (Motobu faction) Shito-ryu.

In 1929, Mabuni moved permanently to Osaka. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese martial arts sanctioning body, the Butokukai, pressured all karate schools to register by style name. At first, Mabuni called his style hanko-ryu (half-hard style), but by the early 1930's Shito-ryu was the official name. It was coined from alternative renderings of the names of Mabuni's two foremost teachers, Itosu and Higashionna. Thus, the name Shito Ryu has no literal meaning but rather honors the two main teachers in Mabuni Kenwa Sensei's life. In the same context, the kata syllabus of Shito Ryu is still listed as having two lineages, Itosu Ke and Higaonna.

Not everyone agreed with separating Okinawan karate into factions through the use of style names. In fact, Shudokan headmaster Toyama questioned Mabuni and others about their use of what he called funny-sounding names. Mabuni countered that giving the style a name would not only satisfy the Butokukai, but would give people something they could identify with and feel a part of.

Among Mabuni's earliest students was Kanei Uechi (not to be confused with Kambum Uechi's son of the same name), who by 1935 was also teaching in Osaka. In 1950, Uechi returned to Okinawa and established the Shito-ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai. On Okinawa, Uechi is considered the true successor to Mabuni's art, but internationally, Mabuni's eldest son, also named Kanei, is acknowledged as the head of shito-ryu and runs the Shito-kai. Younger brother Kenzo Mabuni also acknowledged as the head of Shito-ryu was asked by his mother Kamae Mabuni to take over the style. Kanei Mabuni and his younger brother Kenzo head the karate programs at several universities, a task inherited from their father. Still other early students of Mabuni have their own distinct organizations and followings.

In 1948, Chojiro Tani organized the Shuko-kai, where he taught Tani-ha Shito-ryu. Ever innovative, the Shuko-kai appears somewhat different in technique from the other Shito-ryu groups. Tani Sensei was fascinated with the science of body mechanics and movement, and after much experimenting and comprehensive study he redesigned Shito-ryu's kicking and punching methods to maximise and benefit from plyometric (elastic property) contraction of the muscles. Mr Tani's Shukokai had a distinctive double hip twist using the large muscles of the upper leg giviing shukokai its explosive power.

Ryusho Sakagami, a contemporary of Kanei Mabuni, established the Itosu-kai just after Mabuni's death. Sakagami Ryusho Sensei (1915-1993) had initially studied with another master of Shuri-te (Yabiku Moden) in Japan, later becoming the ichiban-deshi of Mabuni Sensei. On Mabuni Sensei's death in 1952, Sakagami Ryusho became the third master of Itosu-Kai, while Mabuni Sensei's eldest son Mabuni Kenei assumed the leadership of the main branch of Shito-Ryu.Sakagami's son, Sadaaki, now oversees the Itosu-kai from the Yokohama area.

Since the 1970s, several other Shito-ryu factions have formed. Most prominently Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu under Teruo Hayashi. Hayashi was a protégé of Kosei Kokuba and also trained directly under Mabuni. Hayashi became president of the Seishin-kai sometime after Kokuba's death. For awhile, he co-led that organization along with Motobu-ryu style-head Shogo Kuniba. Together they integrated the Tomari-bassai kata into their systems. The assertive Hayashi even studied in Okinawa under Kenko Nakaima, head of the longtime secret family art of Ryuei-ryu. Ryuei-ryu is derived from the same Chinese teacher who taught Kanryo Higashionna, a man named Liu Liu Kung. Another, younger member of the Motobu-ha group, Chuzo Kotaka, established Kotaka-ha Shito-ryu in Hawaii, revising all the kata and devising many new ones which he taught to his American students. And in Europe, a Tani-ha Shito-ryu student named Yoshiano Nambu broke off on his own, first founding the Sanku-kai and later the Nambudo.

Technically, the karate of most Shito-ryu factions looks pretty much the same. Not surprisingly, there are minor differences in the kata between the various groups, mostly due to the proclivities of their founders. Regardless, all Shito-ryu looks a lot like Shorin-ryu in application. A long, linear style, even its Goju-ryu-type kata (those derived from Higashionna) are performed in a lighter, more angular and rangy fashion than they are in schools derived from Naha-te alone. The style also seems to place a strong emphasis on sparring. In so doing, Shito-ryu stresses speed, and fighting is generally initiated from a higher, more upright stance than Shotokan employs. On the other hand, because the style has so many kata, a great deal of time is spent perfecting any one of its 40 to 60 forms.

Mabuni Kenwa Sensei worked tirelessly to teach Karate throughout Japan. His efforts brought him into contact with other people who were essential to the growth of Karate in Japan. The impact that Mabuni Kenwa had on the development of Japanese Karate was tremendous. Many groups trace an element of their lineage back to him.