At 5.00am on Sunday January
11th 1998, just ten days before his 79th birthday, Sensei Chojiro Tani, founder of
Shukokai passed away in a hospital in Kobe, Japan.
Sensei Chojiro Tani founded Shukokai in 1948. He started his formal Karate training under
Miyagi Chojun, founder of Goju, whilst a student at Doshisha University, Kyoto. After some
years, Miyagi Sensei returned to Okinawa and Sensei Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito-Ryu
took over the teaching. In deference to his friend, whom he’d assisted on his arrival
in Japan, Mabuni Sensei only taught Naha-Te at the University Karate Club.
On graduation from University, Sensei Tani followed Mabuni, learning first the Shuri-te
system and then ultimately the developing Shito-Ryu system that Mabuni Kenwa founded.
After many years of training under Mabuni Sensei as one of his most senior students,
Sensei Tani received the certificate of succession entitling him to use the name Tani-Ha
Shito-Ryu, the Tani sect of Shito-Ryu.
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Sensei Kimura (left) and Sensei Tani (right)
In 1948, whilst still a high school teacher, Sensei Tani founded his own school which he
called Shukokai. On the death of his teacher Mabuni Kenwa in 1952, many of the senior
students went their own ways and at this time, Tani Sensei adopted the name bestowed by
Mabuni: Tani-Ha Shito-Ryu.
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