"Shikan" Akamine

Seiichi Yoshitaka Akamine, or "Shikan" Akamine (1920-1995), was an 8th dan in karate that immigrated to Brazil in 1957. He lived in Kawasaki, Japan, and was associated to Kanki Izumigawa and became his assistant, before establishing his own dojo, the Shikan-ryu Dojo, in the early 50s. He trained also with Seiko Higa and Seitoku Higa (the founder of Bugeikan). Akamine was also associated to Seiken Shukomine, they were good friends, and he tried to bring the later to Brazil to teach karate together (Shukomine was the best kumite man in Japan during those days). Shukomine remained in Japan and created the Gensei-ryu in the 60s.

Again in the 50s, in Japan, he gave many demonstrations together with others famous karatkas. In 1950, he participated in the famous karate demonstration show for the Japanese Nippon TV, together with Hidetaka Nishiyama, Ryusho Sakagami, Yasuhiro Konishi, Hiroshi Kinjo, Kanki Izumigawa, and Seiken Shukomine.


In 1958 Akamine began to teach Karate in the Associação Brasileira de Karate-do (ABK), São Paulo, Brazil, where he taught a blend of Higa Seiko's Goju and Kishimoto Shuri-te from Seitoku Higa. After he left the ABK in 1964, his assistents developed the system to Goju-ryu style. My teachers Moritoshi Nakaeama, Iwao Yokote, Nelson dos Santos, Tsuniyoshi Tanaka and Ryuzo Watranabe - all them now deceased - were some of his top students. 

Akamine was born in Naha-shi, Okinawa, and later moved to Japan. During the II World War he served in the Japanese Navy.

The system of Akamine was very organized with a progressive syllabus that covered all karate teachings. He gave a lot of importance to basic footwork, and the core of his teachings were the godan kata series, sanchin, nukite strikes and quick nekoashi movement in kumite.

During his years in the ABK the kata syllabus (until 3rd dan) was the following: Kata-godan (Uke-godan, Empi-godan, Tegatana-godan), Sanchin, Gekisai Ichi (closed hands) and Ni (open hands), Saifa, Kanchabo, Naifanchi, Seionchin, Tensho (Akamine's version), Seisan, Seipai, Azato-no-Passai, Azato-no-Kusanku, Ryufa, and Keri-Kusukun, this later was the top Akamine's kata. To my knowledge, he taught Kobudo just to two seniors students: the Grand Masters Yoshiide Shinzato (deceased) and Nelson dos Santos (deceased).

After Akamine left ABK, its the control was left in charge of his student Ryuzo Watanabe, that later migrated to Gogen Yamaguchi’s Gojukai and became its representative in South America. By not accepting this change, many seniors left the Association (me included) to run their organizations into the Shikan-ryu spirit, among them Moritoshi Nakaema and Ywao Yokote.

Above, São Paulo 2017 - Nakaema, me (Fernando) and the Shoreijikan's instructor, André Mucci (5th dan).

Below, our bonekai, Rio de Janeiro, 2018.