Mamoru Miwa studied Karate with Gichin Funakoshi Sensei, with heart and soul, and practised with such total sincerity and dedication, that master Gichin Funakoshi gave him the pet name of Tenshin, which when translated means "The Sincere (True) One."

(Note : ‘MAMORU‘ means Truth & Sincerity – hence the pet name Tenshin). At the death of Gichin Funakoshi Sensei in 1957 Mamoru Miwa was only 18 years old. He then fell under the ranks of Chidoka Sensei (Chidokan) with Takeshi Sasaki.

Takeshi Sasaki Sensei was the top Chidokan instructor at that time. Mamoru Miwa practiced Chidokan with Takeshi Sasaki Sensei until 1965. Whilst with Chidokan, Mamoru Miwa won many Regional, Prefectural and National Championship titles in Kumite and Kata.

Upon obtaining his 7th Dan Mamoru Miwa decided to part ways with Takeshi Sasaki Sensei and believed that he had a moral duty to implement the original way of Funakoshi Sensei’s system of training which incorporated Tai Sabaki, Ju-Jitsu and Kobujitsu. Mamoru Miwa was also open for development and he also implemented improvements in the Art which he researched intensively and, if he found the technique or method superior in a workshop, he would implement it.

Tradition