Yasutsune Azato, held an honourable rank not unlike that of a lower Daimyo in Japanese society.   Since his youth Azato was referred to as the "child prodigy" because he excelled in both the fighting traditions and in literary studies.  By the time the Ryukyu Kingdom was abolished, Azato had become a well-known politician holding the post of Minister of state.

A contemporary of Yasutsune Itosu , Azato was more than just his esteemed colleague; they were also very close friends responsible for spear-heading the movement, which introduced the defensive tradition into the public school system.

Together, Azato and Itosu had diligently studied the martial arts under the strict tutelage of Matsumura Sokon. An advocate of the Chinese ways, instruction under that taskmaster was always conducted early in the morning before dawn until the sun came up, without change or observation of holidays. During these times, Azato was also studying at the National school where he was peerless. Particularly, in the study of the Chinese classics, Azato was an honour student and received financial scholarship amounting to more than his tuition.

The Martial Arts of Azato

Unlike most martial arts enthusiasts of those days, because he was from a family of wealth and position, Azato could afford the supplementary training equipment which was commonly associated with practice.  In fact, his home looked like one big training facility.  Both standing and hanging makiwara (impact training equipment) were located in various rooms of the Azato residence, along with other training equipment, which included wooden cudgels (club) and swords of various configurations, a wooden-man (a post with wooden arms and sometimes legs often associated with Chinese Kung Fu), stone weights, iron balls for grip-strength development, shield and machete, flails (nunchaku), iron truncheons (probably sai), and even a wooden horse for mounting practice and archery. Master Azato had created a living environment where he could train at anytime and anywhere he liked.

Excelling in various martial arts, Azato was particularly fond of horsemanship, which he studied under Megata Sensei, the trainer who groomed the Meiji Emperor himself. He decided to pursue Megata's tutelage because his horsemanship was the trendy style being introduced from the West, which really appealed to a stalwart like Azato. Master Azato first observed Megata giving a lesson to a few students on the grounds next to the Hirakawa Emperor's gate. Mr. Megata could tell that Sensei wanted to give the new saddle a try but was too modest to ask, so the trainer asked him instead. With some coaxing, Azato finally accepted and was applauded by Megata for his brilliant performance and command over the reins.

Azato also loved archery and diligently studied under Master Sekiguchi, and like his teacher (Matsumura Sokon) before him, so did Azato study Jigenryu swordsmanship directly under the noted Japanese instructor Ishuin Yashichiro. However, among all the combative disciplines, it was the swordsmanship of Jigenryu that he most favoured. Gichin Funakoshi has been quoted as saying "Sensei was peerless in karate but judging by his preoccupation with Jigenryu, swordsmanship was his real passion".

Azato was well known for his incredible strength. When he was 17 years old he walked to his home from Kyozuka, a distance of 4 km, carrying two large stones weighing more than 30 kg each on his shoulders. Such tests of strength often took place on the moonlit footpaths of old Okinawa when young men sought to establish reputations for themselves performing various feats of strength and bravery. Azato was one such man and his awesome reputation for strength and technique earned him so much respect that he was referred to as Bushi Azato.

•  •

Contact your local club through the Find A Club Page or email shoto.ryu @ blueyonder.co.uk

Please let us know how you found our site.  It really helps when considering advertising.

Copyright 1998 Shoto Ryu Karate Kai