Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) was born in Shuri, the 17th generation descendant of one of the bravest warriors of Okinawan nobility. As a child, Kenwa Mabuni wanted so very much to be like his great ancestors, but, unfortunately he was very sickly and weak. In 1902, at the age of 13, Kenwa Mabuni was taken to the most famous martial artist in Shuri, master Ankoh Itosu, to improve his health. From that day forward, he never missed a day of training until he was approximately 20 years old.