Style Founder

tamayose3

“A Quiet Master”

HIDEMI TAMAYOSE was born in July 14, 1949, on IKEMA-JIMA, a little Island in the north-west of MIYAKO Island, south of Okinawa, as the third child to a family of eleven children. At sixteen years of age he moved to Okinawa and upon graduating from the University of Okinawa, TAMAYOSE began teaching at a high school. In 1975 he married his lovely wife MASAKO, also from MIYAKO Island, and they are both teachers in SHIMAJIRI-GUN (southern) Okinawa where he resides with his wonderful family.

His formal KARATE training began in 1967 under MATSUBAYASHI-SHORIN-RYÛ SENSEI, SHIMA MASAO in KANZATOBARU, NAHA-City. In 1975 he changed to KOBAYASHI-SHORIN-RYÛ under NAKAMURA SEIYU SENSEI who also taught him the weapons of RYÛKYÛ KOBUDÔ.

In 1982 TAMAYOSE began to study directly under AKAMINE EISUKE SENSEI at the RYÛKYÛ-KOBUDÔ-HOZON-SHINKÔ-KAI HONBU in NESABU, TOMIGUSUKU. As one of the senior students, he was ranked 7th DAN by AKAMINE SENSEI and 8th DAN by the All Okinawan KARATE KOBUDÔ Association and served as chairman of the board of directors of the HOZON-SHINKÔ-KAI until the death of AKAMINE SENSEI in 1999. He is currently the Secretary General of the OKINAWA-KEN-KARATEDÔ-RENGO-KAI. He was one of the prime organizers of the 1997 Okinawa World KARATE Tournament, and somehow, this humble man also found time to serve as the vice president of the Okinawan Child Development Association (KODOMO-KAI) till 2005.

In June 2005, he was awarded the 9th DAN and the title HANSHI. On December 19, 2015, he was awarded 10th DAN by the “OKINAWA KEN KOBUDÔ RENMEI”.

On January 7th, 2023 he was also honored by the “OKINAWA KEN KARATE DÔ RENGO KAI” with the 10th DAN and the title HANSHI in Karate-Dô.

In 1992 TAMAYOSE SENSEI began teaching KOBUDÔ seminars in Canada and the U.S. and now teaches at summer camps on regular basis there. Since 2002, he has been teaching in Europe as well. TAMAYOSE’s aim is to promote correct RYÛKYÛ KOBUDÔ throughout the world. Tirelessly teaching the syllabus of 23 KATA, KIHON, history and KUMITE with perfect form and incredible power, this quiet Okinawan Master is rapidly gaining international acclaim. His shy sincerity and teaching style are perhaps the key to his popularity and respect among his peers in the Okinawan KARATE and KOBUDÔ community.