Doshu Soke Yoshinao Nanbu was born in Kobe, Japan in 1943, within a family of martial arts practitioners.
His great grand-father was Yokozuna, his father 5th Dan of Judo and his mother was doing Naginata.
From the age of 5 years old, Master Nanbu was going along with his father to the dojo. During primary school he did Kendo under the leadership of his uncle and as a teenager he started practicing karate. He has become captain of the karate team of Osaka University where he was pursuing his studies.
In 1963, he won the prize of university champion of Japan. Yoshinao Nanbu dreams from that period to dedicate his life to the practice of martial arts and to discover new horizons.
The meeting with Henri Plée who was visiting Japan has been crucial for his future. Mr. Plée is seduced by the performances and motivation of young Nanbu.
He invites him to teach in his dojo of Montagne Sainte Geneviève.
Yoshinao Nanbu arrives in France in 1964. He teaches at Mr. Plée’s Dojo and during yearly training courses in Saint Raphaël.
He takes part in team and individual competitions. He is well known for his spectacular sweeping technique and his devastating leg kick.
He wins the European cup in individual and the French cup twice. As he is captain of the karate team of Académie Française de Karaté, his team wins the French karate championship. Among its members there is Dominique Valera and Jean-Pierre Lavorato who are still today very well-known figures of French karate.
In 1968, he opens his own dojo in the 17th district. It is the dojo Villa Terrasse.
Master Tani had just given him the mission of developing Shukokai in Europe. In October 1969, he organizes the 3rd world championship of Shukokai in Paris.
But he wishes to develop a more personal work based on dodging and counter-attack which does not fit with Master Tani vision. Therefore in 1970, he decides to take his independence and create his own style: karate Sankukai.
He invites Japanese assistants to assist him and starts traveling around the world to teach his new method which practice is developing rapidly and with success.
In 1976, 17 countries take part to the first world championship of Karate Sankukai in Monaco.
Yoshinao Nanbu is nevertheless not satisfied by the way his school is evolving and decides to stop in order to think and make is art evolve once again.
It is after a two years retreat that the Nanbudo was born in 1978.
2 - Nanbudo
Since the creation of Nanbudo in 1978 until today Yoshinao Nanbu Doshu Soke continues to refine his art.
He travels regularly throughout the world to lead Nanbudo training courses in different countries.
The main training course takes place every summer (July) on the beach of Platja d’Aro in Spain, where many nanbudokas from all over the world are getting together in a friendly and creative atmosphere.
In Nanbudo, always in construction and evolution, there are three inseparable aspects in all the practice:
- BUDO HO, fighting techniques
- KATSUKIDO HO, health techniques
- NORYOKU KAIHATSU HO, self-development techniques
Nanbudo, a real Budo, allows by its practice to develop energy that each one has in oneself.