History

Of the

International Ryu  Kyu  Kai Karate Association

Saito Grandmaster and several of his senior students, and his father Grandmaster Fuchin Saito in 1954 in Kyoto Japan, where his family compound was located, formed the International Ryu Kyu Kai Karate Association. Saito Sensei wanted an organization where martial artist from different styles could come together and exchange knowledge.

             In 1954 the Ryukyukai started out with Saito sensei students. Saito Sensei wanted to broaden his organization, he travel to the United States which some in his country did not approve of. He began to give seminars, which he called informal meetings talking about Shotokan karate. At one of those meetings  Saito Sensei notice  a young man who was at all his seminars, right at the front row, He all so notice that the young man had on thick glasses. Saito Sensei notices how focus this young man was on his every word, when the seminars where over this young man had a thousand questions

              That young man was became a student of  Saito Sensei and later travel to Kyoto Japan where he lived and train with Saito Sensei, that young man was Kyoshi  Robert Handley. In December 1999 upon the Passing of Saito Grandmaster his instruction was that the Kaicho of the organization would be Kyoshi Robert Handley.

               Kyoshi Handley is credited with the rapid growth of the organization in the United States and several other countries such as South African, Germany and a host of other places