Style Shuri-te, Motobu-ryu Died 1928, Shuri, Okinawa Website Motobu-ryu Teacher Matsumura Sokon | Name Motobu Choyu Siblings Motobu Choki Role Motobu Choki's brother | |
 | ||
Notable students Seikichi Uehara, Tsuyoshi Chitose | ||
Motobu Chōyū (本部朝勇, 1857-1928) was an Okinawan karate master and elder brother of karateka Motobu Chōki.
Motobu Chōyū was born in Akahira village in Shuri, Okinawa. His father, Anji (Lord) Motobu Chōshin was a descendent of Prince Shō Kōshin (1655-1687), the sixth son of Okinawan King Shō Shitsu (1629-1668).
Chōyū first learned the art of Udun-ti, also known as Goten-te, (the precursor to modern karate), which was passed down within the Shō royal family from father to eldest son. He then studied Shuri-te karate and koryū ("old school") Japanese martial arts under the legendary karateka Matsumura Sōkon. In his final years, he was the head martial arts instructor to the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Shō Tai (r. 1848-1879), succeeding Matsumura in that position.