The style of Karate known as Shitoryu is one of the four major styles in the world. The two most well known areas associated with Karate in Okinawa were Naha and Shuri. In the late 19th century the most famous grandmaster in Shuri was Itosu and in Naha the grandmaster was Higaonna. Kenwa Mabuni was a student of both grandmasters, and out of respect for his teachers named his style of Karate "Shito ryu".

Kenwa Mabuni was born on the island of Okinawa in 1889. Mabuni was a descendent of the Okinawan warrior class whose ancestors served the Okinawan lords for hundreds of years.

At the age of 13, he began his martial arts instruction under Yasutsune Itosu in the village of Shuri. He also began to study Naha-te under Kanryo Higaonna, who was introduced to him by a childhood friend, Miyagi Chojun. These men, Itosu and Higaonna, were the highest authorities of karate at that time, and were the founders of two schools of Okinawan Karate, Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu. Both these instructors passed away when Mabuni was in his late 20's. More...

...The purpose of Shitokai.com and Shitoryu Karate Do Cyber Academy is to provide information to the traditional Shitoryu karate Do community. The website was developed so that people of like minds across the world could meet and discuss our common interest and passion.

Shitoryu Karate Do Cyber Academy, affiliated with World Shitoryu Karate Do Federation (WSKF), Japan Shitokai Karate do Federation(JKF), Asia Pacific Shitoryu Karate do Federation (APSKF), All Iran Karate Do Federation(IKF) , Iran Shitokai Karate Do Association, National Karate Association of Canada, NKA,and Karate Ontario.

Sensei Tanzadeh will use his best efforts to introduce and describe the details of Shitokai throughout this website.

	This site is dedicated to my students; who have kept me on the straight and for reinstilling the basics of the craft in me. Now that they are out on their own, it is my hope that there is something they can still learn from this website. "A.Tanzadeh"