The Founder of Kusano ha Shitoryu is "Soke Kenji Kusano". Born in 1942 in the Kyoto area of Japan. Kusano-ha Shito-Ryu has roots back to the traditional Shito-Ryu Karate-do of Kenwa Mabuni.

As you know Kenwa Mabuni, who was the founder of Shito-Ryu, had many good students and one of them was "Chojiro Tani". As one of the best students of Kenwa Mabuni, Mr. Tani was given the shitoryu technique, and then he named his style as Tani ha Shito-Ryu, (Shukokai). One of Mr. Tani's best students in his organisation was Kenji Kusano.

In 1963 Mr. Kusano was given permission to start his own dojo which Mr. Tani himself named Kenshikan. Mr. Kusano continued to study Karate-do under Mr. Tani's guidance until 1979 and then formed the "World Kenshikan Kenpo Karatedo Association." Though Mr. Kusano was very young at that time for being Chief and founder of his own style, he is today very highly respected in J.K.F. and Regokai organisation in Japan.

Kenji Kusano (left) with Master Tani

In 1988, at the age of only 46 years old, Mr. Kusano was given permission by Mr. Tani to name his style as "Kusano ha Shitoryu Kai".

Today Kusano-ha Shito-Ryu has about 100 dojo's in Japan and 40-50 dojo's outside Japan, (Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, etc.).

Mr. Kusano's style and technique are in a straight line from Mabuni - Tani - to Kusano. The style is named "Kusano-ha Shito-Ryu Kenpo Karate-do Kai", and the organisation that handles all the dojo's is called "Kenshikan".

During the W.U.K.O. 1st Master seminar course held on October 1985 in Japan, they held the course of four Kata styles (Shitoryu, Wadoryu, Gojuryu, Shotokanryu). At that time Mr. Manzo Iwata, and Mr. Kenji Kusano acted as the lecturer for Shitoryu Karate-do.

Courtesy Paul Ferris Kenshikan England

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