The Legacy of Soke Masaharu Sakimukai

Soke Masaharu Sakimukai, founder of Chintokan Karate-Do, was one of the most distinguished martial artists of his generation. A San Do Judan Hanshi, he achieved the rare honor of 10th degree black belt and Hanshi title in three separate martial arts, as well as mastery scrolls in Iaido and Jojutsu. Over the course of his life, he was recognized with some of the highest achievements in budo, including Iaido Hanshi (1996), Jodo Hanshi (1997), Karate-Do Hanshi (2001), and the esteemed title of Karate-Do Meijin in 2010.

Born in the small town of Chiran, Kagoshima, Sakimukai’s martial arts journey began with Judo lessons from his father before elementary school. By age seven, he was formally training, but his life changed the day he saw someone practicing karate kata alone. Fascinated by the freedom and discipline of karate, he soon devoted himself to its study.

In 1957, at just fourteen, he began training at the Shorinji Ryu Renshinkan Dojo under Soke Tamotsu Isamu, earning his 2nd Dan over four years. His studies were deeply influenced by Jigoro Kano’s philosophy of budo—physical discipline, competitive training, and the cultivation of wisdom and virtue—principles that remained with him throughout his life.

Seeking greater challenges, Sakimukai moved to Osaka in 1962, where he trained with Shihan Zenji Shimabukuro of Seibukan Karate-Do. The two pushed each other relentlessly, often training late into the night. Eventually, Sakimukai traveled to Okinawa and was accepted as a disciple of Hanshi Zenryo Shimabukuro, inheritor of Kyan’s Shorin-Ryu lineage. After carefully considering other dojos, he committed fully to Zenryo Shimabukuro’s instruction and was later recognized as the founder of Chintokan style by his teacher.

In 1969, after Zenryo Shimabukuro’s passing, Sakimukai became Kancho (Headmaster) of Chintokan Karate-Do, which was formally registered with the All Japan Karate-Do Federation Renbukai. Over the next decade, he established multiple dojos across Japan, growing Chintokan into a respected organization.

Soke Sakimukai first came to the United States in 1976 to teach seminars, returning in 1979 before permanently relocating with his family in 1980 to Newark, Delaware. There, he dedicated himself to advancing karate in America, supporting the AAU/USAKF and later serving as an international judge for the World Union of Karate-Do Organizations (WUKO), the governing body now recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

Throughout his life, Soke Sakimukai emphasized that budo must begin with the inside—the cultivation of mind, body, and spirit—before it can be expressed on the outside in skillful movement. His maxim, “Train the inside first, then the outside, and then what is outside is the Art of Budo,” continues to guide students of Chintokan worldwide.

Soke Sakimukai’s legacy is one of discipline, humility, and devotion to the lifelong journey of martial arts—a journey he passed on to his students and the generations that follow.

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