The photograph above is quite historic as it clearly portrays the lineage of Shihan Makoto Gima through current Japanese senior students. Taken just under a year and a half before he passed away.
The Genealogy chart above and a reproduction below, shows the direct lineage from Sokon Matsumura, to Ankoh Itosu, through Master Gima to the two senior students, Tatsuya Kobayashi and Ikuo Higuchi. Other seniors are not listed as they were born after. the dates on this chart.
The same chart will also show Master Gichin Funakoshi’s line and how it then con-incides with Master Gima’s.
We are proud to have a line, as they say ‘straight as the crow flies’ 真一文字 [まいちもんじ] ‘maichimonji’!
As the older generation will age further the younger generation have an expectation of Onkochishin 温古知新! We study the past to learn the future, or perhaps more directly by knowing the past techniques of our lineage added to the modern versions of Shōtō-Kan our line can continue to flourish!
Our motto could well be ‘We will follow the path of karate, with true hearts!’