Higaonna Kanryo Sensei
Higaonna Kanryo Sensei was born in Okinawa in 1853 and is well known for bringing martial arts back to Naha from China where he learned from master Ryu Ryuko in Foochow in the 1870’s. After 15 years of training with Master Ryu Ryuko he became an expert martial artist and his most skilled student. After his return to Okinawa in 1881 Higaonna opened his house as a dojo and started teaching the Okinawans the teachings he learnt in China. His fame as a martial artist quickly spreads and the Okinawans soon realized that the martial art of Higaonna Sensei exceeded anything they had seen before. Sensei Higaonna continued to teach martial arts right up to his death in 1915. He is today honoured as the founder of Okinawan Karate.