Hanshi Greg Lindquist Bio

Greg Lindquist’s journey in the Okinawan Life Protection Arts began in 1968 through a chance meeting in Olathe, Kansas, with Taika Seiyu Oyata, founder of RyuTe.  Lindquist trained with the master seven days per week for several hours daily throughout that year and was promoted to Shodan (1^st Degree Black Belt).  By early 1969 Oyata Sensei had to abruptly return to Okinawa because of a family emergency.  Mr. Lindquist continued training the techniques and katas he learned from Taika Oyata and worked out with martial artists in other systems.  He and two business partners opened a martial arts supply store in 1970, which afforded him the opportunity to network and introduce his instructor’s teachings to others.  In the early 1970’s Lindquist and several of Oyata’s American students formed the first Ryukyu Kempo organization within the United States.  With Taika Oyata’s return to the U.S. in 1977, Lindquist reinitiated his training under the master and became an indispensable asset to Taika and his burgeoning organization.  Mr. Lindquist assisted Taika Oyata at seminars across the country and supported him by helping open multiple dojos in the Kansas City area.  In addition, Lindquist frequently represented Taika Oyata in introducing Taika’s art to outside organizations.

Mr. Lindquist, in 1994, was the first to test and receive the rank of Hachidan Kyoshi (8^th degree Black Belt) in Oyata’s family system Oyata Shin Shu Ho.  In 2011, he received a Nin Tei Sho certificate with the title of Tasshi.  Mr. Lindquist is Taika Oyata’s longest continuous student and the only living person with express permission from Taika to give rank in Taika Oyata’s Ryu Te and Oyata Shin Shu Ho. 

Mr. Lindquist continued to show his dedication to his teacher assisting and teaching in the Ryu Te Renmei.  Following Okinawan tradition, after a two-year mourning period after Taika Oyata’s passing in 2012, Tasshi Lindquist left the RyuTe Association and founded the style Kuzushi Te.  In 2015 he formed the Zensekai Karate organization (now Zensekai Karate Kobujitsu Renmei – ZKKR).   He created ZKKR and Kuzushi Te in order to carry on Taika Oyata’s Life Protection Art.

In July 2018, Tasshi Lindquist was awarded 10^th Dan, Hanshi, by the United States Okinawa Karate Kobujitsu Rengokai, an organization headed by a veritable who’s who of 10^th Dans from traditional Okinawan Karate systems.  Hanshi Lindquist formed the Oyakata Kobujitsu Division of the ZKKR in 2019 to further spread the unique weapons arts taught by Taika Oyata to other empty hand systems, especially those that do not currently include weapons.