This style of karate was first introduced to Okinawa between 1870 and 1880 by Norisato Nakaima. Nakaima was born in Kume, Naha, and at the age of 19, went to Fuchou, China for advanced studies in the martial arts. There, a former guard to the Chinese embassies in the Ryukyu Islands introduced him to a Chinese boxing teacher named Ru Ru Ko. Nakaima was accepted as a disciple and after 5-6 years of training, he received a certificate of graduation from the master. In order to further his experience in the martial arts, Nakaima traveled to Fukien, Canton and the Peking areas, and collected a number of weapons to bring back home with him. 

When Nakaima went back to Okinawa, he passed his Chinese boxing style in secret to his son Kenchu. Kenchu then went on to teach it to his son Kenko, who later became the founder of Ryuei Ryu Karate and Kobudo Preservation Society. When Kenko was 60 in 1971, he realized there was no longer a need to keep his family’s fighting style secret and took on a group of 20 school teachers as karate students. 

In 1979, two instructors were chosen for the task of bringing the style to the United States. They were Tomohiro Arashiro and Tsutomu Kuniyoshi. Since then, the style has continued to become more widely recognized and is now taught in several dojos in Southern California, Argentina, Mexico, and Okinawa.

Most recently, the Ryuei Ryu style has become quite popular with tournament competitors at all levels. In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ryo Kiyuna, from our affiliate school in Okinawa, Japan won the Gold Medal in Kata competition. 

The organization will continue to grow as the popularity of Ryuei Ryu grows worldwide. However, there is always a close dedication to hard work and respect for traditional values that make the practice of karate so special and unique.