high ranking family in Shuri City, Okinawa in 1870.
Although Master Kyan’s father was skilled in Karate, he felt that he
would not be able to be strict enough with his son to give him proper
training. Master Kyan’s father
sent him to train with the toughest, most strict masters he could find because
he felt that this would toughen up Chotoku Kyan who was very small (even for an
Okinawan).
It was because of Master Kyan’s small stature that he developed his
fighting style based on side-stepping, and quick counter-attacks.
This is what gave him the ability to win fights when challenged by much
larger and physically stronger martial artists. Master Kyan always emphasized stances
and movement when teaching.
Legend has it that he would sometimes throw buckets of water in the area
where he and his students
trained, and have them practice at night without torches to light their way in
order to develop their footwork.
While many other masters would retire when they got older and simply let
their students perform at demonstrations, Master Kyan never retired.
Into his late seventies he was known to perform at demonstrations, and
even accept challenges if the need arose.
Master Kyan survived the Battle of Okinawa in WWII in which over 60,000
Okinawan civilians lost their lives, but died due to food shortages shortly
thereafter. He is said to have
given his last portions of food to starving children before he died.