minoru engl

Minoru Higa (Hanshi 9th Dan )

Master Minoru Higa, nephew of the great masters Yuchoku and Jintatsu Higa, was born in Naha (Okinawa), September 18, 1941. His first experience of martial arts (judo) was at the age of 11, under the guidance of the master Yogen Tamashiro. In 1960 he became the pupil of the judo-master Yokomoto Isekichi and began practising karate with his uncle Yuchoku Higa. The same year he enrolled in the Japan Bodybuilding Center, driven by his passion for weight-training. From 1960 onwards M.Higa attended the famous temple of judo "Kodokan", attaining the grade of 4th Dan in this discipline.
His physique, which he developed through weight-training and intense practice of judo and karate, helped Master M.Higa become university boxing champion. In 1964 he graduated in Business and Economics.

Following a special invitation, in 1969 Master M.Higa put on a display at the Tokyo Budokan, for the Japanese Karate Championships; in 1971 he opened his gymnasium, the Naha Bodybuilding Center (today known as "Naha Gym"), whilst continuing his karate training under the guidance of his uncle Master Y.Higa, at the Kyudokan Hombu Dojo. In 1976 he became a member of the Ryu Kyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai, presided over by Master Kotaro Iha. In 1977, together with his master Yuchoku, he was invited to visit Argentina by the Kyudokan Federation (presided over by Master Jintatsu Higa), of that country, for the Argentinian championships of Okinawa Kyudokan karate-do. During this period, some of the displays put on together with Yuchoku, Jintatsu, Oscar and Benito helped spread the name of the Higa family school.
As he was vice-president of the Okinawa Kyudokan karate-do Federation, M.Higa decided to devote himself more fully to the growth of the school, and following the death of Master Y.Higa, he himself became president of the World Okinawan Shorinryu Kyudokan karate-do Federation, an office he holds to this day.
As well as being a prominent entrepreneur and world representative of the Kyudokan school, M.Higa is a committee-member for the Okinawan Karate-do and Kobudo Federation, vice-president of the Ryu Kyu Kobudo Ryu Kon Kai Association, chief commitee-member of the Okinawa Bodybuilding Association, a member and referee for the Japanese Bodybuilding Federation, and a member and referee for the Japanese Power-lifting Association.

In November 1998 he visited Italy for the first time as a guest of honour, accompanied by other eminent masters, in order to preside over and contribute, with displays and training sessions, to the international competitions of Shorinryu Kyudokan karate-do, hosted in Palermo by the Italian affiliate of the school.

Master Minoru's precept for life is as follows: "Chisin chitai" which means, "In life and karate you have to know how to advance and withdraw; in other words you have to know when to take a step forward and when a step back, in order to find the right step to take."
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