Seiryo Shinjo (formerly called Seizan Shinjo) was born on Ie-Jima Island, June 10, 1908. His father, Seisan Shinjo, was a well-known bo expert on Ie-jima.

Seiryo traveled to Wakayama seeking employment in 1923, one year before Kanbun Uechi. Seiryo found a job with the same company that Kanbun later would, the Himomaru Sangyo Kabushki Kaisha, a boseki factory. He eventually heard stories of Kanbun and that he was now teaching.

Seiryo Shinjo entered the Shataku dojo of Kanbun Uechi early in 1927. He and his wife Tsuru, whom he had met in Wakayama, were married later the same year.

Seiryo Shino was a small agile man who became known for his incredibly fast kicks. Hisaguwa Seizen (fast kicker Seizen) was the nickname given to him by his peers. Seiryo was a quiet, gentle man who would not quarrel with anyone. Kanbun grew to like him very much and they became the best of friends. Kanbun felt comfortable with Seiryo and Tsuru. Their house was the only place he could relax and express himself. It became a gathering place for Seiryo's friends including Kanbun, who was present for the birth of their daughter, Sayako.

Seiyu Shinjo, the Shinjo's first son, was Born July 10,1929. Kanbun became fond of the exuberant young Seiyu, who pleaded for years with his father to let him study karate. Seiyu became a student at Kanbun Uechi's Tebira dojo in 1939. He was ten years old. Seiyu and other new students performed cleanup and other duties around the dojo.

The first three months of training consisted of doing Sanchin steps across the dojo. Holding his arms in the proper position was added to the stepping, the following three months.

The rambunctious young man complained daily to his father that they had done the same thing in class again. Seiyu remained determined to learn karate. Eventually Seiryo began teaching his son at home, in addition to Kanbun's teachings. Seiyu Shinjo was exposed to an unprecedented learning opportunity for nine years.

The harsh conditions in Japan after the war facilitated the decision to return to Okinawa. The Shinjo family traveled with Seiko Toyama and Kanbun Uechi. Seiyu was leaving the only home he had every known.

RETURN TO OKINAWA AND IE-JIMA ISLAND

The group was interred in a prison of war camp for six months, when they returned to Okinawa. To lift moral in the camp, Kanbun demonstrated karate. It was the only time his students saw him perform all the katas in their entirety. In Japan he always taught explosive individual moves from a kata, ikyodo, but never demonstrated the entire kata. After release from the camp the Shinjo family and Kanbun Uechi relocated on Ie-jima Island where he died on November 25, 1948. The Shinjo's were the only ones present.

On November 3,1951 Ie-jima Island produced a modern day karate legend name Kiyohide Shinjo. He began karate training, not by his own choice, when he was ten years old.

Seiyu was a hard man concerning karate. He maintained the uncompromising, sometimes inhuman, standard of training established by Kanbun Uechi.

Intoxicated servicemen often found their way into the dojo, challenging the Okinawans to fight, in those days. Seiyu Shinjo often ordered his son to fight the belligerent Americans. For many years the skinny young Okinawan was beaten by the challengers. As Kiyohide's size, strength, and karate ability increased, so did his dislike for American servicemen. In time Kiyohide won every fight with great pleasure

In 1968, The Uechi Ryu Karate Shubukai held the first annual Uechi ryu tournament. It included kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) competition for black belts. Seiyu Shinjo was the organizer and tournament director. His son Kiyohide, placed third in kata in the inaugural tournament.

At the third annual tournament in 1970, Kiyohide Shinjo won the championship in both kata and kumite. He continued to do so for a record nine years. He became a legend in Okinawa in the process and is often called "Okinawa's Superman"

In 1978, the eighth year of his championship reign, the first All Okinawa Championship Tournament was held. The champion of this historic sparring event, open to black belts of all karate styles, was Kiyohide Shinjo. He retired from competition after the 1980 Uechi ryu tournament, due to the ill health of his father.

The Uechi ryu tournament ran uninterrupted for twenty years until the break up of the Uechi Ryu Association in 1988. The Kadena dojo won the championship in fifteen of the twenty tournaments.

Narahiro Shinjo, Seiyu's second son, is often lost in the shadow of his famous brother. Narahiro also inherited his father's vigor and relentless approach to karate and is every bit as accomplished as his older brother. He has also traveled internationally teaching and demonstrating Uechi ryu karate.

Narahiro Shinjo placed first in kata in five of the eight Uechi ryu tournaments following his brother's retirement. He placed 4th in the Okinawan world tournament in 1997.

The Shinjo Dojo of Kadena, Okinawa is often called upon by the Government to perform demonstrations in Okinawa and around the world. Seiko Toyoma and Kiyohide Shinjo were given the honor of performing karate for the President of the United States and other world leaders at the G-Eight Summit in Okinawa in June 2000

The Shinjo family is one of vigorous strength who live by the code of Gosatu Bokuto…

Seiko Toyama's father watched a training session at Kanbun's dojo and was so impressed with the strength and hardness of Uechi Ryu that he put his son's karate training in Kanbun's hands. Toyama and Seiyu Shinjo, who started training under Kanbun one year later, became friends for life. They both listened intently for years as Kanbun and Ryuyu Tomoyose talked.

Master Toyoma is a wellspring of information about the history of Uechi Ryu karate and a robust storyteller. He is the Senior Technical Advisor to the Kenyukai Association.