Miki Minobu was born in Nagoya, Japan and is of samurai heritage. His great-grandfather was the chief minister of the Takamatsu clan. Miki-sensei has been a dedicated student of various Japanese budo, including iaido, since childhood.
He came to the United States to teach Shitoryu karatedo in the early 1970s and has been a teacher of Japanese martial arts here ever since. Miki-sensei achieved the status of "Hachi-dan Hanshi" (eighth-degree black belt and Grandmaster) ranking in karate-do and, therefore, he is referred to as "Hanshi".
He came to the United States to teach Shitoryu karatedo in the early 1970s and has been a teacher of Japanese martial arts here ever since. Miki-sensei achieved the status of "Hachi-dan Hanshi" (eighth-degree black belt and Grandmaster) ranking in karate-do and, therefore, he is referred to as "Hanshi".
Kanban designating the name of our school
Iaido
Miki-sensei was a direct student of the late Iwata Norikazu-sensei, the 19th generation menkyo kaiden master of this art. Menkyo kaiden indicates the highest level of mastery in the koryu system of martial arts that existed before the modern (gendai) system. Iwata-sensei granted Miki-sensei the right to teach iaido in his name in the United States, and gave Miki-sensei a kanban, or official wooden sign, to prove his authorization of this privilege by naming our school - America Tosa Jikiden Shigetsukai. Miki-sensei is the only teacher with this right in the United States.
Karatedo
Miki-sensei is an 8th-dan hanshi of Shito-ryu karatedo. He was the first person outside of Japan to be awarded this rank in 1989. Miki-sensei is the chief instructor of the Japan Karatedo Organization and is the only instructor of his rank recognized by the Japan Karate-Do Federation under the Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture (Monbu-kagaku-sho).
Miki-sensei is additionally a 7th-dan instructor of Okinawan weapons (kobudo) and is a member of the World Technical Committee of the World Karate Federation.
For more information about karatedo and kobudo, please visit jko.com.
Miki-sensei was a direct student of the late Iwata Norikazu-sensei, the 19th generation menkyo kaiden master of this art. Menkyo kaiden indicates the highest level of mastery in the koryu system of martial arts that existed before the modern (gendai) system. Iwata-sensei granted Miki-sensei the right to teach iaido in his name in the United States, and gave Miki-sensei a kanban, or official wooden sign, to prove his authorization of this privilege by naming our school - America Tosa Jikiden Shigetsukai. Miki-sensei is the only teacher with this right in the United States.
Karatedo
Miki-sensei is an 8th-dan hanshi of Shito-ryu karatedo. He was the first person outside of Japan to be awarded this rank in 1989. Miki-sensei is the chief instructor of the Japan Karatedo Organization and is the only instructor of his rank recognized by the Japan Karate-Do Federation under the Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture (Monbu-kagaku-sho).
Miki-sensei is additionally a 7th-dan instructor of Okinawan weapons (kobudo) and is a member of the World Technical Committee of the World Karate Federation.
For more information about karatedo and kobudo, please visit jko.com.
