Mikio Nishiushi was born 17 March 1941 in Kochi City on the island of Shikoku in Japan. His father, Tsuneki Nishiuchi, worked as a journalist. He was reportedly not home very much during the young Mikio’s life which was not unusual for that time. Mikio’s father had a desire that he study Iai-Do. At the time, however, feeling that Iai-Do was boring, the young Mikio had more interest in studying Karate-Do. Although he reluctantly started studying Iai-Do居合道 (The Way of Sword Drawing or The Way of Harmonizing Oneself In Action) Nishiuchi Sensei eventually started studying Karate-Do as well.
Shihan Nishiuchi eventually signed up in a Wado Ryu和道流 (The Way of Peace Style) Karate-Do空手道 (The Way of Empty Hands) class under the tutelage of Akihiko Miyake Sensei in Kochi City. While studying with Miyake Sensei, Mikio who had always had an admiration for the Sai (truncheon) was afforded the opportunity to learn and practice with it. Shihan Nishiuchi studied Wado Ryu Karate-Do for thirteen years.
While studying English in Kochi City, Mikio met one of the Takechi family daughters of Omaha, Nebraska establishing a relationship with the family. After studying English long enough to have proficiency in it, Nishiuchi at age 30 traveled to the U.S.A. in 1969 with the help and offer of the Takechi family to sponsor him. He wanted to come to the U.S.A. to go to college and improve his English. Once he arrived in Omaha, Nebraska he enrolled into a local business college and started his study. He soon met Mary Bolz whereupon they got married. They became business partners as well. They started their first Dojo at the YMCA in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. While teaching Karate-Do at the YMCA, Shihan Nishiuchi assisted one his students, Mr. John Thorton, to get a job in Japan so that he could move there. John had a strong desire to move to Japan in order to learn more about its culture and language.
In 1973 Mikio and Mary returned back to Japan to open a conversation English class for Japanese students. Mary began her study of Wado Ryu Karate-Do under the tutelage of Sensei Ken-ichi Tatara at that time.
They returned to the U.S.A. in 1976-77 and opened a Dojo on Maple Street in Omaha, Nebraska where they taught Wado Ryu Karate-Do. Shihan Nishiuchi was a San Dan in Wado Ryu at the time. Not being satisfied that what he was teaching and studying was the best style of Karate-Do and desiring to find a more in-depth Kobu-Do, Nishiuchi began exploring what style would be best. Again in 1977 he ended up returning back to Japan and went to Okinawa to search for the best style he felt he could find. After much searching he finally came upon Takashi Kinjo who taught Pang Gai Noon Ryu Karate-Do which is related to Uechi Ryu Karate-Do. He was impressed with Kinjo Sensei and his Dojo which had wood floors with an old and worn appearance. The weapons hanging on the wall were well used as well. After observing a few classes where he saw strange kicking techniques where the practitioner kicked with their toes. He also observed that the hand movement appeared to be more related to the Chinese Martial Arts than Okinawa or Japanese. He was further impressed with Sensei Kinjo’s powerful and smooth movements. After Sensei Nishiuchi explained his reason for being there, he asked to be allowed to train there. Kinjo Sensei Accepted Nishiuchi as an Uchi-Deshi (live in disciple). Sensei Nishiuchi slept in the Dojo then practiced all day into the evening. Often Sensei Kinjo would take Nishiuchi out early in the morning to the fish market and invite him into his home which fostered a close relationship.
Takashi Kinjo was also a senior member of the All Okinawa Kobu-Do Association (AOKA) under the direction of its founder, Shimpo Matayoshi. He introduced Nishiuchi Sensei to Matayoshi Sensei where Nishiuchi Sensei began to simultaneously study Okinawa Weapons under the tutelage of Hanshi Matayoshi while he studied Pang Gai Noon Ryu Karate-Do under the direct tutelage of Kaicho Kinjo. Nishiuchi would practice Kobu-Do during the day with Matayoshi Sensei and then Karate-Do in the evening with Kinjo Sensei. Nishiuchi also practiced and studied Kobu-Do with Kinjo Sensei as well. He later discovered that Kinjo Sensei had been secretly watching him and was impressed with his dedication. Kinjo Sensei allowed Nishiuchi Sensei to guide and teach the children students of his Dojo while he resided there. Matayoshi Sensei was also impressed with Nishiuchi’s dedication to hard practice and his desire to learn. After studying for one year and earning a Shodan in both arts and receiving permission along with a certificate to function as a AOKA Shibu (branch) in the USA he returned to Omaha 1978 where he began to convert his students to the new arts that he had learned on his sojourn to Okinawa at his and Mary’s Japan Karate and Weapons School on Maple Street. After several years of hard study Shihan Nishiuchi earned a Nana Dan in Pang Gai Noon Ryu Karate-Do and a Hachi Dan Okinawan Kobu-Do.
Shihan Nishiuchi continued his study of Iai-Do with the Muso Ki Jiden Hasagawa Eishin Ryu Iaiheiho ultimately earning a Chuuden Degree.
Saiko Shihan Nishiuchi founded the International Okinawa Kobu-Do Association (IOKA) in 1990 when a political squabble had broken out in the AOKA between Kaicho Kinjo and the late Hanshi Matayoshi. Shihan Nishiuchi was caught in the middle and did not want to take sides. While officially maintaining a close relationship with Kaicho Kinjo and his Okinawa Ko-Bu Kai organization the IOKA has maintained what was originally taught in the AOKA while adding some innovative technique and Kata such as Kobu no Tinaka and Seibu No Tinaka (Kata for the Tetchu). Nishiuchi also developed Hojoundo (subsidiary training technique) for some of the weapons that did not have a Hojoundo for such as the Ieiku (oar) and the Nunti (gaff). Even though Kaicho Kinjo had changed the name of the Karate-do he practiced and taught to first Ko Nan Ryu then to Kobu Ryu Shihan Nishiuchi continued using Pang Gai Noon Ryu as the name of his style of Karate-Do.
Shihan Nishiuchi has produced a series of Kobu-Do video instruction DVD’s, conducts on-line instruction and travels throughout the United States and abroad to teach Kobu-Do. He currently only teaches other instructors.