KANCHO KATSUMI IBA, 8th Dan Shihan
November 19th, 2008, by admin
Kancho Iba started Training when he was 17 years of Age with Master Fujiwara of Shito Ryu Karate along with Masters Tani and Fujitani who were senior students of Master Kenwa Mabuni. Other students who trained at this time were Shigeru Kimura of Kimura Shukokai Karate , Yoshinao Nambu of Nanbudo Karate and Chuzo Kotaka who established Kotaka-ha Shito-ryu in Hawaii.
This training was very hard and the standard very high with each of these men going on to start their own respective styles of Shito Ryu Karate. Kancho Iba traveled to South Africa ( S.A.), after being invited by the S.A. Military to train the armed forces in the late 1960s. This was at a time when there was much racial unrest in the country. He later was invited to France to teach. At this time Master Iba was one of only a few senior High Graded Shito Ryu / Shukokai Instructors sent off from Japan to expand the style around the World. Mr. Iba’s friends Mr. Shigeru Kimura ( who also instructed in South Africa in 1965) and Mr. Yoshinao Nambu also were sent from Japan to Europe and other countries at this time.
Mr Iba arrived in Australia with his family in June 1974 and of course everyone was keen to see a real master, at this time and as a 6th dan Shihan he was the highest graded Karate instructor in Australia. The late Mr. Tsuji and Mr. Takahashi from JKA both 5th dan respectively were the only other highly graded Japanese Instructors in Brisbane at this time. We commenced training with the Kancho and it was not long before we asked him to hit the Makiwara board. Sure enough it went back and touched the wall as if it was hit with a sledge hammer. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this man was a genuine Karate Master and had the elusive mystical power of Karate. Kancho Iba stayed three and a half years in Australia and has continued to train and teach around the World since then.
Renbukan Shito-Ryu International is not a highly commercialized style of Karate but because of this, there has been little dilution of the high level of Instruction and qualification from the early days of Masters Mabuni, Fujiwara and Iba. The Renbukan Shito-Ryu style has on at least two occasions, become world famous when Black Belts from this style have survived extraordinary circumstances due to their own physical toughness, discipline and attitude forged after years of hard training in this style. Please check the links of this website to view these extraordinary stories.
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Tags: kancho katsumi iba, karate, katsumi iba, renbukan
November 20th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Thank you Ross of putting together this great bit of Renbukan history!
March 30th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Hi Ross, remember me we trained together back in 74 when Mr iba first arrived in brisbane. I did not know you when still teaching abd the same with paul and Stan.
Will have to get together for a chat sometime.
Rod Ford
rod.ford4@bigpond.com