KYAN, Chotoku

(1870-1945)

Kyan hails from Shuri, Okinawa and was an Okinawan karate master who was famous for both his karate skills and his colorful personal life. He had a large influence on the styles of karate that would become Shorin-ryu and its related styles. Kyan was a participant in the 1936 meeting of Okinawan masters, where the term “karate” was standardized and other far-reaching decisions were made regarding martial arts of the island at the time.
O’Sensei studied under Miyagi before taking up Shorin-ryu, but it was Kyan who had the greatest influence on him. As Kyan’s top student, O’Sensei was left in charge of the Shobayashi Shorin-ryu system at the time of Kyan’s death.

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