Kyoshi Don Caponigro is the President of the North American Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association. Kyoshi Caponigro began his martial arts training in 1965 in the Japanese style of Koeikan Karate-do in New Jersey under Ed Kaloudis and Ezo Onishi. He started his path in Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-do in 1970 when he left N.J. and moved to South Florida.

Kyoshi Caponigro received his Shodan in 1977 in Matsubayashi-Ryu and opened his first dojo in 1980. Nidan in 1981, Sandan in 1985, Yondan in 1990, Godan in 1995, Rokudan in 2000 and Shichidan in 2008. As a direct student of Master Takayoshi Nagamine and Hanshi Frank Grant, Kyoshi received all his dan ranks from either Grand Master Nagamine or Master Nagamine. When he recieved his 6th dan (Renshi) in 2000 at the age of 39 it made him the youngest non-Okinawan to ever be promoted to this rank (according to Master Nagamine). Kyoshi Caponigro, has trained under many other notable Okinawan instructors from Matsubayashi-Ryu as well as Shogo Kuniba, Teruo Hayashi, and Fumio Demura from the Shito-ryu system. Kyoshi has also had extensive training in Judo and Kendo.

For the last 20 years Kyoshi has conducted clinics and seminars around the country for Matsubayashi-Ryu dojos and associations as well as other styles of karate and various Police departments. As a result of these clinics, Kyoshi observed the lack of quality instruction and training the students and instructors were receiving and decided to establish a place where quality instruction, philosophy, and traditional Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do can be taught without the political mess and where good hard training and studying is the backbone.

In 2008 that place has now been established, it is the North American Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do Association.