Oyata, Seiyu
Taika* Oyata's family lineage dates back to the Zana family, which was
a Bushi family in Shuri, Okinawa. His ancestor Zana Oyakata (Oyakata is
a title) was the King's scholar. When Japan invaded Okinawa around 1609,
the Shuri King was captured and the Zana family head resisted and was
killed. The Japanese also required the family to change their name to
Sinda which means Death. Years later the family name was changed to Ikemiyagusiku
and eventually became Oyata.
Taika's father was the middleweight Sumo champion of all Okinawa. When
he was young, he and the rest of the Sumo team challenged all comers in
Okinawa. Kana Oyata was the strongest man on the team and won the competion
for his native island. Taika was the fourth son of Kana Oyata and the
youngest. His three brothers Taro, Kiseii and Akio were killed in the
second World War. He also fought during the war and was commissioned a
lieutenant in the Japanese Navy. If the war continued a few months longer,
Taika Oyata would have joined his brothers in death because he had been
selected for a suicide (torpedo) mission. His death certificate had already
been sent to his remaining family. As a part of training in the Navy,
Taika was required to train in Iado (art of the sword), and this is where
Taika got his introduction to Martial Arts. When the war ended Taika returned
to Okinawa and continued his studies of the martial arts. About this time
he started a job working for the US government delivering food to the
smaller islands. Food was not readily available and there was much starvation
on the islands. Taika Oyata was stationed in the village of Termu where
at age 17. He met Uhugusiku No Tan Mei who was from a Bushi Family that
resided in Shuri. Uhugusiku No Tan Mei was about 93 years old at the time
of their meeting. Because Taika Oyata had royal blood in his ancestry
he was allowed to study under Master Uhugusiku. Taika Oyata took extensive
weapons training from Master Uhugusiku, learning many aspects of the indigenous
weapons of Okinawa.
Taika was also introduced to Master Wakinaguri who as a Chinese Martial
Artist and also a Bushi warrior. Master Wakinaguri was asked to teach
Taika the art of vital point striking and pressure point striking, techniques
for which Master Wakinaguri was renowned. When Taika Oyata met him he
noticed that all the fingers on Master Wakinaguri's hands were the same
length. This was due to many years of training by thrusting his hands
into pumice.
Taika Oyata was Master Uhugusiku's only student at the time. He considered
Taika a family member calling him "Mago" which is Okinawan for
grandson and teaching him more than he would have a regular student. After
the deaths of his previous instructors, Taika joined an analytical research
group along with Master Nakamura and trained with Master Uehara. He was
accepted as an instructor/student in Master Nakamura's Dojo because he
had studied from Uhugusiku No Tan Mei. From Master Nakamura, Taika learned
the twelve empty hand kata he now teaches to his present students. Taika
worked with Master Uehara (Motobu Ryu) on weapons and was a training partner.
Through the years, Taika has constantly analyzed the kata and the human
body. He developed his own style of tuite that wasn't dependent on strength
but on execution of technique.
*Taika is a title meaning "big house" or "God like person."
Information reproduced from the website of the Academy of Ryute Menpo
with the Permission of Mike Minor Shihan. (Edited for punctuation and
clarity)
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