International Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate-do of India

Chennai District

Kyoshi P.R. Ratnapala

7th Dan National Chief Instructor

Sensei P.R. Ratnapala was born in Sri Lanka on the 21st of November, 1955. He started his karate training under his uncle K.V. Subramaniyan in 1972. He later joined under Sensei P. Kuppusamy when the Seibukan dojo was started in Chennai. In 1978, he went to Malaysia and trained under Kyoshi Jamal Measara and Sensei Chin Mok Sung and was graded to shodan by Sensei Chin Mok Sung.

In 1993, he visited Okinawa and trained directly under Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuro. Since then, he has been traveling regularly to Okinawa and he is a referee in the Okinawan world tournaments. In 2001, he visited Atlanta for the traditional tournament and trained under Kyoshi Dan Smith. He holds a 6th Dan black belt in Seibukan karate and a 4th Dan black belt in Jinbukan kobudo. Seibukan is credited for introducing authentic Okinawan system of kobudo in India. Under the efficient and committed leadership of Sensei Ratnapala, Seibukan karate has spread throughout India and currently has got branch dojos in 8 different states in India. His students have opened up dojos in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.