Eisuke Akamine 1925 – 1999

Eisuke Akamine 1925 – 1999

“Okinawa’s Passionate Kobudo Master”

In 1942, at the age of seventeen, he began the study of Yamani-ryu bojutsu under Higa Seichiro, Higa Raisuke, Higa Jisanburo and Akamine Yohei. From his early teachers, Akamine Sensei learned these kata: Soeshi no Kon, Sakugawa no Kon, Shirataru no Kon and Yuniga no Kon.

In 1959, Taira Shinken was teaching kobudo in a Goju-ryu karate dojo in Naha, Okinawa. While there, he heard of great bojutsu teachers who lived in the Kakazu section of Tomigusuku village. To satisfy his curiosity, he went to Tomigusuku to study Yamani-ryu bojutsu with Akamine Sensei’s teachers. This was the first meeting between Taira Shinken and Akamine Sensei.

In his later years, Taira primarily taught in the garden at Akamine Sensei’s home. Shortly before his death, Taira gathered his students at Akamine Sensei’s dojo and distributed certificates of rank. During this ceremony, he also awarded Akamine Sensei the title of shihan (full instructor). Akamine Sensei’s shihan license and the certificates of rank issued that day were the first and only kakemono (scrolls) ever issued by Taira Shinken.

By all accounts, Akamine Sensei was a quiet and stern teacher whose primary focus was the development of waza.

Within the Okinawan martial arts community, he was known as a teacher’s teacher … someone that teachers came to for a deeper understanding of their own techniques.

With a small dojo and a focus on quality rather than quantity, Akamine Sensei intentionally kept his student roster small. He only had fourteen first generation students.

Since his passing in 1999 his son Hiroshi has taken over his fathers organization.