{"id":616340,"date":"2012-07-30T09:32:02","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T09:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shobukan.com.au\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2025-08-18T14:17:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T04:17:42","slug":"master-kyoshin-kayo","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shobukan.com.au\/new\/master-kyoshin-kayo\/","title":{"rendered":"MASTER KYOSHIN KAYO"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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MASTER KYOSHIN KAYO<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Life and Legacy of Master Kyoshin Kayo. (18\/10\/36- 3\/5\/25)<\/p>

Kyoshin Kayo\u2014known affectionately to most of us as \u201cSensei\u201d\u2014was born in Osaka, Japan, on 18 October 1936, to Shoho and Masao Kayo. They had three sons and two daughters.Sensei’s father served as the chief priest at the Jodoshinshu Buddhist temple in their hometown of Toyonaka, Osaka. The temple is adjoined to the family home.. It was there, in 1965, that Sensei would later establish the Shobukan Dojo.<\/p>

As a child, Sensei often played with his close friend Shogo Kuniba. Shogo\u2019s father, Kosei Kuniba, was a renowned Okinawan karate master in Osaka and the head of the famous Seishinkai Dojo. At just 13 years old, in 1948, Sensei began his formal karate training at Seishinkai, which was then an epicenter for Japan\u2019s elite martial artists. His passion and discipline quickly set him apart, and he went on to devote his life to the art, training under some of the greatest karate masters in history\u2014including Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito-Ryu), Hiroki Ohtsuka (Wado-Ryu), Ryusei Tomoyori, and Kosei Kuniba himself. He was also a specialist in Kobudo, the traditional Okinawan weapons system.<\/p>

After completing high school, Sensei joined the Japan Air Force, where he served as an aircraft maintenance engineer for 12 years. During his service, he also became a swimming instructor, and eventually, chief self-defense instructor in a system known as JIETAI. It was during this time that he met fellow instructor Takeshi Tsukisawa, a Wado-Ryu practitioner. After their military service, the two men opened the Shobukan Dojo. For them, karate transcended style\u2014karate was simply karate.<\/p>

In the late 1960s, Sensei was deployed to the United States, where he taught karate across the country, including on U.S. Air Force bases. His presence and instruction helped bridge East and West through the discipline of martial arts.<\/p>

In 1971, Sensei was invited to teach in Australia. He arrived in Fremantle with a vision: to bring authentic Japanese karate to a new generation. He began teaching at Christian Brothers College in Fremantle, as well as the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. Although he returned to Japan after just a year, he had already planted the seeds of what would become one of Australia\u2019s most respected martial arts academies. He returned permanently to Perth in 1973 and reconnected with his students to build a strong, values-based martial arts community.
Sensei\u2019s vision extended far beyond physical technique. He believed deeply in the unity of mind, body, and spirit. He often said, \u201cThe best schools develop an all-round person. There must be a good blend of skill, character, and discipline.\u201d In our group discussions, he would sometimes summarize this philosophy with four simple, memorable words: \u201cMore balance, more better.\u201d And when behaviour didn\u2019t align with his values, he was never afraid to correct it\u2014with the curt but unmistakable phrase: \u201cNo manner have.\u201d<\/p>

His teaching philosophy was grounded in humility, respect, and self-awareness\u2014principles he encouraged us to carry well beyond the dojo. His peers in Japan often referred to him as a modern-day samurai, a title that became even more fitting in the later years of his life. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease at the age of 79, he faced it with the same warrior spirit he brought to his training. For the past ten years, he did not simply yield to the illness\u2014he fought it with courage, discipline, and grace, just as any true samurai would.<\/p>

Sensei\u2019s contributions to martial arts and public service were both vast and distinguished:
\u2022 9th Dan in Shito-Ryu
\u2022 6th Dan in Wado-Ryu
\u2022 5th Dan in Kobudo
\u2022 Chief Instructor to the Combined Japanese Defense Forces
\u2022 Counselor to the All Japan Karate Federation
\u2022 Bodyguard to the U.S. Ambassador at Expo \u201970 in Osaka
\u2022 Instructor to the U.S. Armed Forces during a tour of America
\u2022 Recipient of the Japan Foreign Minister\u2019s Award
\u2022 In 2019, awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, by the Emperor of Japan\u2014one of Japan\u2019s highest civilian honors<\/p>