(1796-1893)
Born in Shuri, he began his training in karate-do under karate legend Sakugawa. He also trained under the Chinese military attaché Kusanku. Matsumura served as chief of the military and as court retainer for the king of the Ryukyu Islands. Matsumura originated the Pinewood kata Chinto and created the karate style of Shorin-Ryu. Among his noteworthy students were Yasutsune Azato, Yasutsune Itosu, Choshin Chibana, Choki Motobu and Chotoku Kyan.
It is also known that he served as a body guard to the last three Ryukyuan Kings. Matsumura traveled to Fuchou and Satsuma as an envoy on affairs of state. In Fuchou he visited several Chinese boxing schools and studied under military attaches Ason and Iwah. In Satsuma Matsumura trained in the Jigen-ryu sword fighting system under Master Yashichiro Ijuin. After retiring, Matsumura taught karate in Sakiyama village, Shuri.
Bushi was defeated by his wife to be, Yonamine Chiru, in a prank that was designed to scare her, much to his dismay. She came from a family known for their martial arts skills. Yonamine knew that it was him. She said that she could no longer marry him until he was able to defeat her, because she could never marry a man that could not beat her. According to tradition, this was when he was 19 years old, which would make it 1815. Sometime after that, Bushi was promoted to Satunushi (Satunuky), and was then known as Satunushinunjo Machimura. After his promotion Machimura gained some confidence to try and defeat his wife to be. Acting on the advice of a colleague he feinted at her breast and kicked her. The feint was enough to delay her response, and his kick landed, startling her. She then decided that he had now achieved his goal, and that he had learned not to underestimate a woman. Soon after, they married. Apparently at this point in Machimura’s training Kusanku was his favourite kata. Later he rose to become a Chikutoshi, having the title of Chikatosinumjo (or Chikudon).
Source: Sokon "Bushi"
Matsumura
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