Shinken Taira (平 信賢,Taira Shinken, 1897–1970) was aJapanese martial artist, born as Shinken Maezato (前里 信賢,Maezato Shinken) in 1897 onKume island in theRyūkyū archipelago.[1][2]
He was the second son in a family of three boys and one girl. He was placed foradoption as a child (not an uncommon practice in old Japan). In his early life he took on his mother's maiden name of Maezato. Taira worked in thesulfur mines in Minamijima. He suffered a badly broken leg when he was trapped in amine shaft collapse, which caused permanent damage to his leg.
In 1922, after traveling toTokyo to find work, he was introduced toGichin Funakoshi, a fellowOkinawan andkarate instructor. In 1929, Taira began his studies of Ryūkyūkobudō under Moden Yabiku.
In 1932 after studyingkobudō for three years and karate for 10 years, he received permission from his masters to open his owndōjō. Taira began to teach karate andkobudō in the springs resort town of Ikaho, Gunma Prefecture.[2]
In 1934, Taira became a student (deshi) ofKenwa Mabuni.[3][4]
In 1940 Taira opened akobudōdōjō inNaha, Okinawa. He also opened dojo inKantō andKansai, two major districts of central Japan.
In the post-war era, even in Okinawa, the number of kobudo students was much lower than the number of karate students. To revitalize Okinawankobudō study, in 1955 he established theRyūkyū Kobudō Hozon Shinkokai as a continuation of Moden Yabiku's Ryukyu Kobujutsu Society.[1][2]
In 1960, Taira was granted ashihan in the Nihon Kobudō Kenkyujo, and in 1963, he was made vice-president of the International Karate Kobudō Federation. On July 1, 1964, he was promoted tohanshi by the Japan Kobudō Federation. He was the first president of the Ryukyu Kobudō Preservation and Promotion Society(July 1970).[2]
After his death in September 1970, Taira was succeeded in Ryūkyū Kobudō Hozon Shinkokai in Okinawa by Eisuke Akamine[1] and in mainland Japan byInoue Motokatsu.
Taira created the nunchaku kata taught in Ryukyu kobudōMaezato no Nunchaku.[1]
Taira is credited with composing Maezato no Tekko, a kata using metal horse stirrups. The name Maezato relates to his birth name. He continued his studies in kobudo cataloging over 40 traditional weapons kata from around Okinawa.
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