Sato Kimbei

Grandmaster Tanemura originally met Kinbei Sato as a university student, but it was not until 20 years later that he would discover that Sato had also been a student of Takamatsu. Born in 1926, Sato started his study of budo at the age of 11 with his family art of Daiwa ryu jujutsu. Over the years, he earned menkyo kaiden in various Japanese arts, including: Daito ryu, Takeda ryu, Araki Shin ryu, Yagyu Shingan ryu, Asayama Ichiden ryu, Isshin ryu, and Tenjin Shinyo ryu. As a board member of the Japanese Classcial Budo Federation (Kobudo Shinkokai), Sato is recognised by the Japanese martial art community as an accomplished martial artist. He was also the President of the All Japan Chinese Kenpo Federation.

Shortly after the Second World War, Sato became a student of Takamatsu. In 1957 Takamatsu awarded him grandmastership/ menkyo kaiden for Hon Tai Kukishin ryu and Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin ryu (Ishitani line). With the death of his senior student: Akimoto in 1962, Takamatsu was obligated to find a new successor for the Gikan ryu of which Akimoto had been grandmaster. Takamatsu chose Sato Sensei to carry on the Gikan ryu and awarded him the title and scrolls as the new grandmaster of the art in 1963. Sato Kinbei was also an accomplished martial artist of the Chinese traditions. As the personal student of the noted Ba Gua stylist Li Zi Ming, Sato was made the 4th generation grandmaster of Kakkesho. In 1989, Sato passed on the grandmasterships for Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin ryu, Hon Tai Kukishin ryu, and Gikan ryu to his student: Shoto Tanemura.

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