Seiko Toyama was born in 1928.
By the time he was five years old his family had moved to Wakayama, Japan. His father watched a training session at Kanbun Uechi's dojo and was so impressed with the strength and hardness of Uechi ryu that he put his son's karate training in Kanbun's hands.
Seiko Toyama and Seiyu Shinjo, who started training under Kanbun one year later, became friends for life.
Toyama-san spoke of being constantly
slammed across the dojo. He recalled he was once hit with a
shoken (one knuckle punch) in the middle of the
forehead which knocked him unconscious. He says that, over
fifty years later, he can still feel that shoken
punch.
Seiko Toyama, now over seventy years
of age, still teaches at his Zakimi dojo the Uechi ryu
karate that he learned from Kanbun Uechi. He is the senior
technical advisor for the Uechi Ryu Kenyukai
association.
He is now Judan, 10th degree black belt.
