Athula Minithanthri
Founder and Chairman
Shihan Athula has been a passionate karateka for over 55 years and has made it his mission to spread Shito-Ryu karate.
Positions
Satokai Chief Instructor for Europe
Technical Advisor of the German Karate Association (DKV) for Shito-Ryu
KVBW Shito-Ryu Style Referent
Biography
Shihan Athula Minithanthri is a Sri Lankan karate instructor of the Shitō-Ryū style. He holds an 8th dan in Shitō-Ryū and a 4th dan in Shōtōkan. Athula Minithanthri was born on 25 May 1960 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he grew up.
Biography
At the age of ten, Shihan Athula began studying karate in a dojo in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Five years later, he achieved great success at the National Championships. From 1975 to 1979, he won gold medals in the lightweight class and became a five-time champion. Since then, Shihan Athula has never lost his love and enthusiasm for karate, accumulating over 50 years of experience. During his training, he learned under Japanese grand masters such as Soke Chew Choo Soot (10th Dan), Soke Teruo Hayashi (10th Dan), Hanshi Hiroyuki Miura (10th Dan), Soke Yasuhiro Konishi (10th Dan), Hanshi Kiyoshi Yamazaki (9th Dan), and Soke Akira Sato (9th Dan).
After gaining experience from several teachers, he co-founded the National Karate Federation of Sri Lanka with his trainer and other high-ranking members on May 12, 1975. In 1995, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports asked him to revise the existing karate rules as part of a reform. The following year, he was commissioned to draft a new constitution. In 1980, after passing the exam, Shihan Athula received the 3rd Dan black belt from grandmaster Chew Choo Soot, a respected Chinese Kung Fu master and early member of the All Japan Open Karate Tournament Committee, skilled in 18 Chinese-Oriental weapons.
In the following four years, Shihan Athula continued to learn karate intensively under Chew Choo Soot until he received the 4th Dan black belt by him in 1984. It was also Chew Choo Soot who taught him how to use Chinese weapons. In 1987, Shihan Athula introduced Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu to Sri Lanka. It became one of the most popular karate styles there. One year later, he left Sri Lanka to travel to Great Britain where he also introduced the art of Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu. In the following years, he held countless workshops and training courses as Chief Instructor for Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu in the UK. Not least because of his merits, the name Shihan Athula Minithanthri is closely connected with karate in Sri Lanka and Great Britain.
After he has helped to introduce and spread the art of Hayashi-Ha karate in the UK, he decided to leave Great Britain. Finally, Shihan Athula emigrated to Germany where he founded his own karate association called Japan Karate-Do Dhammika-Ha Shito-Ryu Kai. Since then, Shihan Athula is not only a teacher in karate, but also a teacher in kobudo. As a kobudo teacher, he teaches the use of Okinawan and Chinese-Oriental weapons including nunchaku, tonfa, bo, sai, kama, tekko, eku (oar) and iaido.
List of katas mastered by Shihan Athula
Kishinte Sho
Kishinte Ni
Tenno Kata
Chino Kata
Gekisai Dai Ich
Gekisai Dai Ni
Pinan Shodan
Pinan Nidan
Pinan Sandan
Pinan Yondan
Pinan Godan
Juroku
Naifanchin Shodan
Naifanchin Nidan
Naifanchin Sandan
Jiin
Jitte
Jion
Matzukase
Wankan
Wanshu
Itosu Rohai Shodan
Itosu Rohai Nidan
Itosu Rahai Sandan
Matsumora No Rohai
Itosu Bassai
Tomari Bassai
Matsumura No Bassai
Matsumura No Seisan
Ishimine No Bassai
Seienchin
Sochin
Shisochin
Seisan
Pachu
Aoyagi
Seiryu
Shinhaito
Kushanku Dai
Kushanku Sho
Shiho Kushanku
Chathanyara Kushanku
Chibana Kushanku
Pachu
Heiku
Paiku
Papuren
Shinpa
Goju Shiho
Sepai
Saifa
Kururunfa
Niseishi
Nipaipo
Nepai
Hakka Ku
Hakurutsu
Hakucho
Anan
Unsu
Chinto
Chinte
Superimpei
Superimpei (alte Variante)
Sanchin
Sanseiru
Tensho
Bassai Sho