Karate masters – Kokan Oyadomari

Kokan Oyadomari (親泊 興寛; 1827–1905) was a Ryūkyūan karate master from Okinawa, Japan. He was a prominent practitioner and teacher of the Tomari-te style of karate.

Born in 1827 in the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Kokan Oyadomari passed away in 1905 in Okinawa, Japan, at the age of 77 or 78. He held the title of “Pechin”, indicating that he held some kind of position at Shuri, the historical capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. This title denoted a social class within the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

Oyadomari studied under several martial arts masters:

  • Kishin Teruya (1804–1864), from whom he learned the kata Passai, Rohai, and Wanshu.
  • Karyu Uku (also known as Giko Uku, 1800–1850), from whom he learned the kata Naifanchi.
  • Ason.
  • Annan (also Ahnan or Anan), a Chinese sailor or possibly a pirate who was a castaway and took refuge in a cemetery near Tomari. Legend states that Annan was the master who taught the kata Chinto to Sōkon Matsumura.

Oyadomari’s training in Shuri meant that his karate possessed a “Shuri flavor”. He also studied Jigen-ryū.

Kokan Oyadomari is considered a patriarch of Tomari-te karate. He taught a variety of kata, which are now referred to as Oyadomari-type Tomari-te katas. These include:

  • Naihanchi Shodan
  • Naihanchi Nidan
  • Passai
  • Wanshu
  • Rohai
  • Wankan
  • Kusanku Sho
  • Kusanku Dai

Beyond empty-hand forms, there are also references to Oyadomari kata for sai, wa (a weapon), and bo.

Among Oyadomari’s most notable students were Chōtoku Kyan (1870–1945) and Motobu Chōki (1870–1944). When Chōtoku Kyan was eight years old, his father asked Oyadomari, along with Matsumura and Itosu, to be Kyan’s first instructors, indicating Oyadomari’s familiarity with the king’s steward. Through these influential students, Oyadomari’s teachings spread and contributed to new generations of martial artists.

While Oyadomari is regarded as a respected and legendary master, the Tomari-te style as a distinct entity has not survived to the present day, primarily because it bore a strong resemblance to Shuri-te. Despite this, his influence on the kata he taught and the prominent students he instructed ensures his place in the history of Okinawan karate.