Crests and Patches
Crest, patches, emblems, and insignias have traditionally and
historically been used in the martial arts and ways to represent
various groups, arts, divisions, ranks, grades, etc.
In Koei-Kan Karate-Do two crests are predominantly utilized. The
first is the cherry blossom (Sakura).
This crest was adopted as the symbol of the All-Japan Karatedo Association
(Zen Nihon Karatedo Renmei) founded by Master Toyama Kanken in 1946.
Official permission was given by Onishi Eizo Kancho Sensei in 1971 to
use the cherry blossom as the representative emblem of Koei-Kan outside of Japan.
The second emblem/crest utilized in Koei-Kan is the paulownia (kiri).
This is the leaf of the paulownia tree (Shinobibai).
The paulownia crest and the chrysanthemum (kiku) are considered dual
symbols of the Japanese imperial throne. This association was
crystallized during the early thirteenth century. At that time
Emperoro Godiago conferred both of these crests upon the founder
of the Ashikaga line of Shogun (Ashikaga Takauji), who in turn loyal
to the shogun and the Empereor. This custom was carried on by Toyotomi
Hideyoshi in the late sixteenth century.
It was by this process that the Onishi family (through their ancestral
Samurai clan, the Oshimiki) obtained the use of the paulownia crest.