# Tomoyose Ryuko



## hoshin1600

Just heard the news of Tomoyose Sensei passing.  i met him back in the late 1990's.  his views and words completely changed the way i practice and view my martial art. 

_"Ryuko Tomoyose was born in 1929 in the Village. He lived in Okinawa with his grandparents. At the age of 13, while attending school, he was instructed in Shorin-Ryu. He noted that "I would see my father's Karate, and it looked very different. So I wanted to do a different style from school." This led him to study Goju Ryu with the founder Chojun Miyagi. His teaching came about after a brief question and answer session where it was discovered who his father was. (his father Ryuyu Tomoyose, studied Uechi- Ryu under Kanbun Uechi)  He began his studies and trained for about 18 months in 1942. In 1946 when Kanbun Uechi returned to Okinawa was when his training in Uechi Ryu began. This was at the Futenma Dojo.
            During the 1950's Ryuko began to lead a number of classes for U.S. Military personnel stationed in Okinawa.  Ryuko Tomoyose began to teach George Mattson who was the one of the first to introduce karate to America. 
            Ryuko Tomoyose offset his martial studies with that of calligraphy. He became a very accomplished calligrapher and much of his work can still be found.
            In 1999, after the split in Uechi Ryu, Ryuko Tomoyose was awarded KyuDan in Shohei-Ryu Karate. In 2000, he had the honor bestowed upon him of being "Recognized as Intangible Cultural Asset holder in the Field of Okinawan Karate and Martial Arts with Weaponry by Okinawa Prefecture." 










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## Buka

May he rest in peace. 

Growing up, teething on belts and boxing as a rookie Karateka in Boston, having been influenced by Mattson Academy as a youngster, _years before_ _I ever actually trained anywhere_, and living in the Pacific now where Tomoyose Sensei almost got stranded - God damn, I never met him, but kinda feel like I did.

Heard a few stories back in the day from guys who trained with him. (guys who I looked up to) Damn.

R.I.P.


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## granfire

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## Brian R. VanCise

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## Gerry Seymour

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