Yasunari Ishimi

A pioneer of Shito-Ryu Karate in Spain, Yasunari Ishimi has dedicated his life to practising and teaching traditional Shito-Ryu Karate. He has spent most of his life teaching in Spain and his many notable students include King Juan Carlos, Jose Manuel Egea, and Marisa Rozalen.

Yasunori Ishimi was born on 30 October 1943, in Hyogo, near Osaka, Japan. His father was a Kendo instructor, and his older brother was a judoka.

Every morning before going to school, Ishimi and his brother had to practice Kendo under the watchful eye of their father.

Ishimi grew up in postwar Japan, where Okinawa suffered greatly during the war. He attended school with the children of many refugees from Okinawa.

In 1956 Ishimi began practising Kyushin-Ryu Karate, a school of Japanese Jujitsu and Karate, training under Sensei Matsukazi.

Ishimi began high school in 1959. That year he also began practising Goju-Ryu Karate. His teacher was a student of Chojun Miyagi, the founder of the style. Ishimi had been introduced to the style by a friend of his older brother.

In 1961 Ishimi enrolled at Kobe University. His degree was in Philosophy and Literature. However, he specialised in Ancient History and aspired to become a historian or archaeologist.

Ishimi joined the university’s Karate club, where he studied Shito-Ryu Karate under Yoshiaki Tsuzikawa, a direct student of Kenwa Mabuni.

Ishimi developed a good relationship with Tsuzikawa, who became like a second father to him. Recognising his ability, Tsuzikawa recommended he become a student of Kenei Mabuni, the son of Kenwa Mabuni. Ishimi trained with both instructors in parallel.

During this period training was very tough. It sometimes involved going to the port and picking fights with American servicemen. The aim was to get real-world combat experience.

A keen student, Ishimi also trained in Shotokan Karate for a while and later trained with Wado-Ryu’s Tatsuo Suzuki.

After several years of Karate practice, the JKF (Japan Karate Federation) promoted Ishimi to 1st Dan.

When not practising Karate, Ishimi was a keen swimmer. He also studied Spanish and dreamed of one day visiting Spain.

In 1962 Ishimi, was appointed the captain of the university’s Karate team. He led the team to the Kobe Territorial title. That year the JKF promoted him to 2nd Dan.

At the 1965 All Japan University Championships, Ishimi reached the final of the Individual Kumite event. He finished in second place.

Ishimi graduated from Kobe University in 1965.

In 1967 Ishimi was promoted to 3rd Dan by the JKF.

An aspiring writer who also wanted to improve his Spanish, Ishimi travelled to Spain in 1967. He took a Russian ship from Yokohama to Nakhodka, Russia. From Russia, he arrived in France via the Trans-Siberian Railway. He spent around two months in the French city of Nantes, with friends who were Karate instructors. He eventually got the opportunity to visit Spain.

In Spain, Ishimi stayed in a student dormitory next to a Judo club. The Judo instructor asked Ishimi to teach him Karate, and that he could use the dojo when there were no classes.

Ishimi found that he loved the Spanish lifestyle. He eventually settled in Madrid, where he stayed with his friend Atsuo Hiruma, a Shotokai practitioner.

Ishimi had planned to stay in Spain for a year. However, he was inundated with requests to teach Karate. So he delayed his return to Japan.

In Madrid, Ishimi taught Karate at the gym of Miguel Serano. He eventually taught Karate classes at several other gyms around the city. This made him one of the first Shito-Ryu instructors in Spain. In time he established his own dojo.

In General Franco’s Spain Karate was prohibited. To circumvent this Ishimi said he was teaching a form of self-defence.

After several years in Spain, Ishimi returned to Japan in 1969. During his stay, the JKF promoted him to 4th Dan. Following his stay, he returned to Madrid.

By 1970, the prohibition on Karate teaching had been lifted. That year, Ishimi opened the Ishimi Dojo. The Spanish Karate Federation promoted him to 5th Dan. That year he established the Spanish Shito-Ryu Association. He was also appointed the National Coach of the Spanish Karate Federation.

Ishimi returned to Japan in 1973, where he was promoted to 5th Dan by the JKF.

In 1979 Ishimi was promoted to 6th Dan by the Spanish Karate Federation.

The 5th World Karate Championships was held in Madrid in 1980. Ishimi had passed his WUKO World Kata Judge examination. Three years later he passed his International Judge and World Kumite judge exams.

Ishimi was promoted to 7th Dan by the Spanish Karate Federation in 1983.

On 20 December 1983, Ishimi established the European Shito-Kai Association. He became the Technical Director.

In 1985 the JKF promoted Ishimi to 7th Dan. In the same year, his teacher, Kenei Mabuni, awarded him the title of Kyoshi.

In 1988 Manzo Iwata, the President of the Shito-Kai, appointed Ishimi the representative of the Shito-Kai school in Europe.

Ishimi was promoted to 8th Dan by the Spanish Karate Federation in June 1995.

In 1996 Ishimi was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was aged only 53. He was given a maximum of two years to live.

Ishimi survived the two years doctors gave him. He believed that his Karate practice saved his life. It was also around this time that he started practising Tai Chi and Qigong.

By 2005 Ishimi had been at the forefront of developing Shito-Ryu Karate in Spain for several years. In July of that year, the Spanish Karate Federation promoted him to 9th Dan.

In 2010, Infanta Cristina, the sister of King Felipe VI of Spain, presented Ishimi with the Medal of Merit for Sports. This was for his many years of service to Karate in Spain.

Ishimi was promoted to 10th Dan by the Spanish Karate Federation in April 2014.

During the 1970s King Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, had been a keen student of Karate. He had been a student of Ishimi. In 2015 he invited his former instructors to a ceremony held at the Royal Palace. His guests included Yosuke Yamashita and Ishimi, two of the pioneers of Karate in Spain.

On 30 April 2016, Ishimi attended an event at the VP Jardin Metropolitano Hotel in Madrid. The event was held in honour of his good friend Atsuo Hiruma and marked the 50th Anniversary of Hiruma’s arrival in Spain.

In 2022 a summer gasshuku was held in Murcia, Spain. At the event, Ishimi introduced the kata, Chanan Dai, which he had created.

Yasunari Ishimi considers it his mission to teach something about Japanese culture through Karate. He has regularly taught courses in Spain, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and Portugal.

Ishimi currently lives in Madrid. He has lived in Spain for over 55 years and considers it his home. He has been married twice and has four children.

Ishimi regularly practices Tai Chi. It has benefited his health and his Karate.