- The “seed” to form a Seibukan Organization was first planted by Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro in 1966 when I departed Okinawa back to the United States. He told me he will approve only DAN RANKING recommended by myself. True to his word the first SHODAN promoted in the United States in our system was a student of Sensei Mason, by the name of Sims. Later Eugine Magin, former student of Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro came to me at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and wanted to be promoted to YONDAN. Due to his unfavorable attitude I turned him down. He then contacted Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro and requested to be promoted. To this request all that Sensei asked was, “What was Sensei Takae’s recommendation”. Sensei did not promote him.
In 1976 Sensei Zenpo called me and asked me if I could make it to Jackson, Mississippi for he was visiting Dan Smith there. I told him I was committed that week, but will be there the following week. I called the Miami Dojo and together with students from Tampa Dojo drove up to Jackson to pay Sensei Zenpo our respect.
I was surprised to see so many people there, and asked Sensei Zenpo what was going on. ONLY THEN DID I LEARN SENSEI ZENPO AND DAN SMITH WERE TRYING TO FORM AN ASSOCIATION and wanted me as part of their organization.
It angered me for his lack of respect to his father. I then spoke to him as brothers, (for Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro did say he was my Okinawan father, and Zenpo and I were brothers) I still have letters received from Zenpo signed “your brother Zenpo”.
I told him he should have consulted Walter Dailey and myself prior to making his move, for we were his father’s ranking students in the United States.
We all gathered around the table with Dan Smith at the head, with a female friend on his lap trying to conduct a meeting. I got up and left the room disgusted with their behavior.
I advised Sensei Jack Mark to join them and keep me posted. Three months went by and I received a call from Sensei Jack Mark. He sent Dan Smith a request for some ID cards and Kyu promotion along with two hundred dollars plus, but got no response. I called Dan Smith on it and he said he already mailed everything to Zenpo. I then called Sensei Zenpo and was told he received no request or money (To this date the transaction is unaccounted for) I told Sensei Jack Mark to withdraw from their group.
Birth – Rise – Disarray
of
“THE INTERNATIONAL
SEIBUKAN KARATE-DO
ASSOCIATION”
Sensei Zenpo kept after me to reconsider and try to form an association. I also kept thinking back to what Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro wanted me to do when I returned to the United States. Finally I agreed to give it another try with him only if Dan Smith will not have any connection with the new association and that Zenpo will have no correspondence with him. Under these conditions on October 8, 1978 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro, Sensei Edward Takae, Sensei Walter Dailey, and Students gathered to form an association. Senseis present where: Senseis David Young, Mike Daog, Jack Mark, Don Schmidt, Don Kennedy, Jeff Burlingame, John Toolen, Dominic Mettioni, Robert Boback and Ray Cropper.
The meeting lasted three days at the home of Sensei Donald Kennedy and at its conclusion the “INTERNATIONAL SEIBUKAN KARATE-DO ASSOCIATION” was formed, it only encompassed Alaska, Mexico, and the United States. Top precedence was given to the upholding of the teachings of the late Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro and standardized training, as well as setting criteria for promotion testing of students. To achieve this, the Bi-annual training seminars under the guidance of Sensei Zenpo Shimabukuro were conducted on the even years for all chartered Seibukan Senseis, whose lineage goes back to Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro.
The first Bi-annual meeting was held in Henderson, NC on October 10 1980. There were two visitors that came with Sensei Zenpo from Okinawa; they were Sensei Masao Yonamine former student of Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro and a student of Zenpo, Akira Yamauchi. I noticed some difference in Sensei Zenpo’s teachings. I asked Sensei Yonamine who also studied under Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro and he also noticed the changes. At the time I thought unity and growth under Sensei Zenpo took top priority, so I did not say anything. Changes appeared every bi-annual straining. I asked Sensei Zenpo where the changes were coming from and his answer was “My father did make those changes before his death”. It was very hard for me to think that a Sensei would be changing his own teaching points.
I respected and loved Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro too much to continue teaching things that in my heart I knew were not what he taught me, so during the 6th Bi-annual meeting held in August 18 1990 in Tampa, Sensei Zenpo and I decided due to the rapid growth, difference in membership requirement and training between Sensei Zenpo and myself it made it necessary to divide the association into five branches. Sensei Takae assuming duties of setting down policies and training of the North American Branch, and Sensei Zenpo responsible for training of the four remaining branches, and the Chairmanship of the International Seibukan Karate-Do Association.
True to his promise, Sensei Zenpo did not correspond with Dan smith for 12 years. When we divided the responsibilities, I then told Zenpo I will not hold him to the promise regarding Smith. He made me another promise at that time and that he will not accept Senseis leaving me into the United States branch. I believe he has kept his promise to me and it was other than Zenpo who accepted our fall-outs.
Upon continuing further transformation, on March 1, 2002, the North American branch headed by Sensei Edward Takae, resolved to form an Association that would continue Sensei Takae’s interpretation of the late Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro. This Association was named;
“JUNSUI SEIBUKAN
KARATE-DO ASSOCIATION”
Thinking of the name of the late Sensei “Zenryo”, Zen means goodness, entire, all, complete, something that is pure. Purity translates to “Jun” and “Sui” to be “Purity in Essence”, “JUNSUI ”.
This was the meaning that Sensei Takae was looking for to describe what our name Seibukan stands for, unmixed and pure as it was taught to him in Okinawa by the late Sensei Zenryo Shimabukuro.