Tode Sakugawa (1733-1815) Believed to be the first teacher of Okinawan karate. His style was an open hand fighting called Shuri-te. Sakugawa had several noted students, his most famous student was Bushi Matsumura. Another person, Chinese military envoy Kusanku, was highly skilled in kenpo and fighting. Kusanku is credited with what we call the reverse punch. Together with Sakugawa they taught Bushi Matsumura the techniques for what is now Matsumura Shorin Ryu system.

Bushi Matsumura (1797-1889) Born Kiyo Sokon, he was a student of the Shaolin Temple. This is where he learned the White Crane style and brought it back to Okinawa and combined it with his Shuri-te style. Shorin-ryu is the Japanese pronunciation of the word Shaolin in Chinese. Shorin/Shaolin – means small forest, Ryu – means method of learning or tradition. Bushi means -warrior. Matsumura means – pine village. During his time in the military he changed his name to Bushi Matsumura.

Fang Qiniang trained under the guidance of her father Fang Zhonggong. Her father either fighting or mating, there have been both versions of what they were doing at the time; she watched them and their movements. She got her bamboo pole and tried to scare them off, as she poked and prodded at them they would parry or dodge. Fang Qiniang trained under the guidance of her father Fang Zhonggong. Her father them for quite some time. This brought about her developing the White Crane them for quite some time. This brought about her developing the White Crane Gongfu System. Bushi Matsumura had taught the systems to his grandson Nabe Matsumura.

Nabe Matsumura (1860-1930) Nabe is credited with bringing the old Shorin-ryu system into the modern age. He is known for teaching the purest of the Matsumura Shorin-ryu system, which included the secret techniques of the White Crane <br soft>immediate family members. He passed his system on to his nephew Hohan Soken.

Hohan Soken (1889-1982) some say Hohan Soken was truly the last Samurai. This is also noted in the Ripley’s Belief it or not. He was born a samurai and was known as the oldest living karate master. He began his training under his Uncle Nabe Matsumura at the age of 13. After 10 years of training, he began learning the White Crane system, where he had performed the kata, Hakutsuru, on a board floating in water. The white crane style and the shorin-ryu style provide the soft and the delicate movements of the bird with the balance and defensive moves of man to provide a balanced training. Hohan Soken had several well-noted students, one of which is Yoshimatsu Akamine Sensei, who is now considered to be the head of the Matsumura Shorin-ryu style of karate.