Yoshinao Nanbu is one of the most respected Japanese masters in the world. A descendant of a Bushi (Samurai) family, he inherited the extensive and secret knowledge of his clan and enriched it with decades of personal experience and research. In 1978, he founded his own martial art: Nanbudo.
Yoshinao Nanbu was born in 1943 in Kobe, Japan, and grew up in a milieu in which Budo was held in high esteem. His great-grandfather, Yoko Zuna, was a famous Sumotori. At the early age of five, Yoshinao's formation as a budoka began with learning judo from his father (5th Dan). After a few years, he also began learning kendo from his uncle.
At the age of 18, when Yoshinao was admitted to the University of Economic Sciences in Osaka, he discovered karate. He followed the teachings of Master Tani (8th Dan) and Master Tanaka, soon becoming the best karateka in Japan. In 1963, he won the title of University Champion of Japan in an event featuring 1,250 competitors.
Henry Plee, the promoter of karate in France, was impressed by the performance and motivation of the young champion and invited him to Europe to take part in numerous competitions. There, Yoshinao Nanbu won event after event, including the French Cup and the European Championship.
In 1968, he returned to Japan to enrich his technique and his knowledge of the science of Budo. During that year, Master Tani entrusted Yoshinao Nanbu with the mission of developing Shukokai Karate in Europe. He fulfilled the mission with great success.
At 27 years of age, Yoshinao Nanbu reached such a high degree of skill that he created his own method and called it Sankukai. However, he felt that Sankukai was only a stage in his journey.
In 1974, he withdrew completely from the world of martial arts and went to Cap-d'Ail. There, amidst the natural elements, he was able to meditate and connect with the true value of things. He discovered the precise path he really should follow: Nanbudo was born. Since its creation in 1978, Yoshinao Nanbu constantly developed and refined his art.
Master Nanbu passed away on April 28, 2020.
Courtesy Worldwide Nanbu Federation
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