Getting back into Shorin Ryu karate....

[ShorinRyuGurl]

Hi to all! I'm new to this bored and am coming back into my training after several years off. I recently moved to Greenville, South Carolina and was wondering if anyone knew of any Shorin-Ryu Shorin-Kan dojo's near there? Thanks for your help!

[pittbullJudoka]

I don't know of any schools in that area but good luck in your return to the martial arts.I too have made a return after years off from the martial arts and even changed styles.Again good luck you can do it.

[Shorin Ryuu]

According to one of the websites with a Shorinkan dojo locator (http://www.karateshorinkan.com/main.html), there are only two in South Carolina, both very far away (about 200 miles).

You may want to get into contact with your old instructor who may know if there are any there that are not on the website. (Speaking of which, who was your old instructor? I know a few, but not too many Shorinkan instructors)

Even if there aren't any Shorinkan dojo in the immediate area, they may know of good instructors in the area in other styles you could learn from.

I have to drive 120 miles to get to my Shorinkan dojo, but it's worth every one.

[Gyte]

I have to drive 120 miles to get to my Shorinkan dojo, but it's worth every one.

That's quite a lot!!! I have calculated that's about 190 kilometers. How long does it take you to get there and how many times per week do you train there ?

I go to my dojo with a bike in just 12 minutes.

But I live in Holland of course, which is a small country located in Europe. Holland is such a country that if you go more than 300 km (480 miles) in any direction, the chances are big that you have crossed the border.

[Sauzin]

120miles! Geeze that's at least 2 hours drive one way. You don't have all your classes that far away do you?

Back to the subject at hand. Just before I moved to Boise, ID from Okinawa, my Goju instructor did a web search for any Goju schools in the area. I think the closest one he found was in Canada some 6 or 7 hours drive away. Needless to say, I was really discouraged when I first got to Boise. But I checked out some other schools at the request of some of my relatives, and found an amazing instructor in about the least likely place you could imagine. Although he didn't practice Goju he was somehow familiar with all the principles I had been taught and even knew a Goju kata or two. I was impressed that a teacher from what I thought was a radically different style was able to build on the same principles I learned in Goju. I guess the moral of the story is, a good teacher is a good teacher regardless of the style. Most basic principles are the same across karate styles (some even across other styles), so you don't necessarily have to throw away every thing that you've learned if you switch. Keep an alert eye and an open mind and the right teacher should present themselves. Sometimes you have to go looking in unlikely places however.

[ShorinRyuGurl]

Thanks for all your help!!! I just hope i can find something...i really miss training. Unfortunately most of the dojo's in this area are mostly all for show/competition, coming from a more tradional dojo its hard to find the "right one". I trained with Sensei Doug Perry in Hendersonville, NC...who its fantastic!!!! I would love to continue at his dojo but its about 2 hours away. I'll keep everyone posted thanks!

[Shorin Ryuu]

Wow, you got to train with Kyoshi Perry? Lucky!

I visited his dojo for a week last summer and am doing the same this June. He's such a great martial artist and a person. I never even met him before last summer and he paid for me and my friend's hotel room that week, set up private lessons with him or other students, literally giving us the key to his dojo for a week, and took us out to eat many times. Truly a generous man who has won my respect on so many levels.

Maybe I'm just mapquesting this strangely, but it says Hendersonville, NC is only 38 miles from Greenville, SC. In my first post, I misread the location of Greenville. Either way, that can't be two hours away!!! I'd SO go back!!! (I would love to be 38 miles away from my instructor, let alone Kyoshi Perry) Now that I remember, Greenville, SC was actually a place he recommended for me to fly into when I visited his dojo last year in case the Asheville, NC airport was too expensive! (I ended up flying into Asheville though)

If I did make a mistake, the two Shorinkan dojo in SC are in Charleston and Summervile (one Summervile is about 190 miles away, the other Summerville is about 85 miles away...I don't know which one it refers to). But if your former instructor is Kyoshi Perry, than as North American director he would obviously know for sure if there are Shorinkan dojo near you. I'd give him a call, actually. (You still seem very close to Hendersonville...)

Kyoshi Jerry Taylor (I've only had some email conversations with him a couple of times) is in Mt. Airy, GA, which is about 85 miles away.

In response to the other questions, I go to practice twice a week (as much as my schedule allows simply due to the fact that class starts at 5pm and it takes two hours just to get there...).

I simply wasn't too impressed by what was in my area. What's more, my first karate instructor trained under my current instructor last year and he came highly (and justifiably so) recommended. At the risk of a bad pun, let's say I'm a very "driven" student...

[Radok]

Wow, you got to train with Kyoshi Perry? Lucky!

I visited his dojo for a week last summer and am doing the same this June.

I think I will be there as well.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Really? What dates? I'll be there from the 19th-25th (but really only that Monday-Thursday)

[JimmyNewton]

i'm a Shorinkan student in Charlotte and going to working out with Sensei Willie McIntosh in Shelby NC. thats still about 2.5 hrs from greenville though.