Shorin-ryu Karate

Shorin-Ryu Karate is a traditional Okinawan martial art, and a complete self-defense system.  It usese blocks, punches, kicks, grabls, locks, and throws.  Training develops dixcipline, coordination, timing, speed, balance, physical fitness, and self confidence..

Brief History of Shorin-ryu

In 527 AD a buddist monk named Bodhidharma came frome india to the Shaolin temple in China to teach Buddhism.  He found the monks sick and weak.  He went to a cave and meditated for nine years.  When he returned to the temple, he taught exercises to strengthen the body.  The exercises became the foundation of Shaolin Kung Fu.  In Okinawa there was a Martial art known as Te (hand).  Okinawa was a major trade center for Asia and was influenced by many cultures.  Many Okinawans traveled to China to study Chinese martial arts, and Chinese immigrants taught the Chinese arts to the Okinawans.  It was the integration of Te and Chinese martial arts that became known as Karate (Chinese hand).  One of the earliest recorded Okinawans to train in China was Chatan Yara, who trained in China for twenty years.  He brought back from China his Bo and short swords.  He saved an Okinawan girl from a samurai using only an oar.  Kusanku, an ambassador from China taught Sakugawa. From his teachings the Kusanku katas were developed.  Sakugawa is considered the first to use the term karate "Chinese hand".  Sakugawa's most famous student was Bushi Matsumura, who developed the Naihanchi katas.  Matsumura taught Itosu Yasutsune.  He is most famous for introducing karate into the school system.  He developed five pinan katas to teach the school children, because he thought the traditional katas were too difficult for kids.  Yasutsune taught Chosin Chibana.  Chibana founded the Kobayashi style of Shorin-Ryu Karate.  On his death he passed leadership of the style to Shugoro Nakazato, who passed leadership to his son Minoru Nakazato, who is the current tenth dan of our style.