Sanda Kanagusuku

Kobudo Master

( 1841 - 1921 )

Initially the only reference I found to Sanda Kanagusuku (also known as 'Sanda Kinjo') the Kobudo (weapons) Master, is in the book ' Essential Shorinjiryu Karatedo ' by Masayuki Kukan Hisataka, on page 34 ...

"Sanda Kanagusuku (Ufuchiku Kanegushiku in the Okinawan dialect), was a retired Police Commisioner of Shuri and a high-ranking court official. As he was retired, he was not interested in large scale teaching. However he made an exception for the young Masayoshi Kori Hisataka ('Seiki Kudaka' in the Okinawan Dialect) at the bequest of the Kudaka family to teach weaponry, especially bo jutsu .
Among his other students, included Master Shosei Kina ".

I later read this on Egroups online SABAKI discussion ...

" Sanda Kinjo, from whom the Ufuchiku Kobudo system descends, was an Okinawan Police Chief. In this case, the name of the system really refers to one particular individual. "

In October 2001, Tom Ross a retired NYC Correction Officer who specialized in the Handling of Security Risk group prisoners, and Yudansha in Shorinjiryu Kenzenkai Karatedo (an Offshoot of the Shorinjiryu Kenkokan founded by Masayoshi Hisataka), currently serving as the Research Coordinator for FightingArts.com and is a member of the International Hoplology Society, wrote a two part article about Choki Motobu, and his research turned up this information about Sanda Kanagusuku...

"It is through the works of Tsukuo Iwai, a top student of Chosei Motobu and a karate historian in his own right, that we obtain further glimpses passed down about the early years of Choki Motobu. Initially his training came via a relative who frequently visited the home. This Kobujutsu Master known as Ufuchiku (an old term roughly equivalent to police superintendent) would be immediately greeted at the door by a young Choki, who would say "Let's practice Ti!" (Iwai 1994).

Ufuchiku was none other than the legendary Sanda Kanagusuku, a very close friend of Bushi Matsumura, (the best known karate master of his time and teacher to Anko Itosu). It is perhaps through him and his vast experiences in law enforcement that gave the basis for Choki's appreciation of the practical side of Karate.

Born in Shuri, Sanda Kinjo was a pioneering Karate and Kobudo expert who served as personal bodyguard to the last of Okinawa's reigning king's, Sho Tai, until the king's fall from power in 1879.

Following his service with the royal family, Kinjo was appointed Ufuchiku (police commissioner) of Shuri and taught his techniques to the police force while slowly developing and perfecting his own system known as Ufuchiku Kobujutsu.

Upon his death, Ufuchiku passed stewardship of his system to his senior student, Shosei Kina.

If you would like to read more about Choki Motobu in part one of Tom Ross' article go here:
http://www.fightingarts.com/content02/motobu1.shtml