japan

Seiko-Kai International

Hombu Dojo, Tokyo




		Traditional Japanese Karate









			Vancouver Shito-Ryu Seiko-Kai is a member of Karate B.C., The National Karate Association of Canada, Sport B.C., Sport Canada and the World Karate Federation (WKF).


	E-Mail:


	info2 @ shitoryu.net


	British Columbia, Canada


	8859 Selkirk Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6P 4J6 Phone: (604) 321-1815


	The B.C. Shito-Ryu Seiko-Kai Association is affiliated with the Seiko-Kai International Organization whose headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan. Apart from Canada there are Seiko-kai dojo in the United States, Venezuela and Argentina, as well as India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines.

At the head of this organization is Soke (Grand Master) Seiko Suzuki

Born in Chiba-ken Japan in 1936, Sensei Seiko Suzuki began his career in Karatedo in 1954. In order to find work, he moved to Tokyo, where he was soon introduced to Sensei Ryusho Sakagami, who had just opened a dojo in the area. Initially the dojo was located in the Shin-koiwa area of Tokyo, but by 1954, when Suzuki Sensei joined, it had moved to the Kameido area.

Within two years, Suzuki Sensei was named as the instructor of the Kameido dojo in Tokyo, under the direction of Ryusho Sakagami. While he enjoyed training immensely, he found running a dojo by himself to be very challenging indeed; in fact, there were very few Karate dojo in the Tokyo area at that time.

When Sakagami Sensei decided to relocate the 'Genbukan' Headquarters in Yokohama, he left Suzuki Sensei to teach in Tokyo without supervision. More than a simple instructor, he became Sakagami Sensei's right hand man and principal assistant in the dojo, teaching in the Yokohama Headquarters, as well as other Genbukan dojos (as the group was then called).

By 1959 he was named as Chief Instructor in Eastern (Kanto) Japan for the freshly named 'Itosu-kai' group. While Sakagami Sensei had many good students in Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo, Suzuki Sensei was certainly considered one of the best. He was renowned for his ability to grasp new techniques and concepts very quickly and became known for his smooth and powerful technique. He often performed for Sakagami Sensei at demonstrations and workshops.

For example, he was asked to perform the kata Gojushiho at the 1st All Japan Karate-do Championships. Many famous instructors were at this tournament, and it was at this time that he became known as one of Sakagami Sensei's principal students.



	Suzuki Sensei (left) and Watanbe Sensei (right)

In 1965 he received his 7th Dan, Shitoryu Itosukai, and in 1980 received his Menkyo Kaiden, which indicated that he had fully mastered the entire syllabus. By this time he was a technical director in the Itosukai group, able to award any Dan grade in the organization.

Like many of Sakagami's students, Suzuki often trained with the Kobudo master Shinken Taira as well. This instructor was famous in Japan as perhaps the most accomplished in the art of Okinawan Weapons.

After Sakagami's passing in 1993, Suzuki Sensei decided to found his own style, the Suzuki-ha Shito-ryu Nihon Karatedo Seiko-kai.

Suzuki Sensei continues to follow the path his teacher, Ryusho Sakagami, set before him. He has returned to the original location of his great Master's dojo in Tokyo in Shin-koiwa, where he teaches both Karate and Kobudo. Headquartered in Japan, there are Seiko-kai dojo in Canada and the United States, Venezuela and Argentina, as well as Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines.



	Sensei Suzuki and students


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