History
Heritage of
JKMO
Originally, the martial art Te (“Hand”) developed in Okinawa as a system of self-defense. Due to Okinawa’s frequent contact and exchange with China, it is certain that the Okinawan martial art was influenced by Chinese kempo at some point during its development. However, with only oral tradition and no formal contemporary written records, it is not certain exactly when the art called Kara-Te first emerged in Okinawa. It is believed that it developed roughly 500 years ago, when the dynastic ruler King Shoha unified the region after decades of warfare and issued an edict banning the possession of weapons on the island.
According to conventional accounts, a similar law forbidding the possession or use of weapons was re-issued and enforced by the Satsuma clan, who had invaded Okinawa in the early 1600’s and brought it under the rule of the Japanese Shogunate. It is believed that in this environment karate developed as a form of unarmed combat for protecting oneself and one’s country, and it was taught and practiced in secret.
Then came the birth in 1868 of Okinawan karate master Funakoshi Gichin. He dedicated his whole life to promoting the values of the art, and introduced the way of karate-jutsu to Japan, where it spread across the country.
Among the students who learned the art of karate from Okinawan karate Master Funakoshi Gichin, there was also Sensei Masatoshi Nagayama. He is the creator of modern karate techniques and many legends in the art of karate. Sensei Masatoshi Nagayama created a great teacher for us called Sasaki Toshiatsu. The direct student of Master Masathoshi Nakayama, Kancho. Sasaki Toshiatsu was one of the senior Referees in the initial stages of World Karate Federation (WKF)
In 1965, Kancho Sasaki Toshiatsu founded the Japan Karate-do Maruyoshikai Organization in Japan in a unique way. He was born on August 24, 1942, in Bibai City, Hokkaido, Japan. In 1960, he moved to Sapporo, where he entered high school and began practicing karate. In April 1961, he joined the Hokkai University’s karate club. After graduating from university, he moved to Tokyo in 1964, where he trained at the Japan Karate Association’s headquarters dojo. Returning to Sapporo in 1965, he worked as an instructor and, in 1968, founded the Maruyoshikai Organization. Since 1969, he served in various official positions at the Sapporo Karate Federation and the Hokkaido Karate Federation. From 1985, he served as a World Championship referee and overseas instructor, dispatched by the Japan Karatedo Federation.
Today, the JKMO has developed not only in Japan but also in many countries, such as Sri Lanka, India, Russia, America, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, and more. Kancho Sasaki Toshiatsu, the founder of the Japan Karate-do Maruyoshikai Organization, is always worthy of our first respect.
Due to his passing on August 3, 2023, the JKMO has emerged as the International JKMO Organization and is moving toward its next evolution.
