Kenwa Mabuni
| Kenwa Mabuni | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 14, 1889 Shuri, Okinawa |
| Died | May 23, 1952 (aged 62) Tokyo, Japan |
| Style | Shitō-ryū |
| Teacher(s) | Ankō Itosu, Higaonna Kanryō, Gokenki |
| Rank | Founder of Shitō-ryū |
| Other information | |
| Notable students | Kenei Mabuni, Iwata Manzo, Chōjirō Tani Sei Iwasa |
Kenwa Mabuni (摩文仁 賢和, Mabuni Kenwa; 14 November 1889 - 23 May 1952) was one of the first karateka to teach karate in mainland Japan and is credited as developing the style known as Shitō-ryū. Originally, he chose the name Hanko-ryu, literally "half-hard style", to imply that the style used both hard and soft techniques. Finally, Mabuni chose Shito-ryu, the first characters of the names Itosu and Higaonna, his two primary teachers.