What are all the styles of Karate?

[ps1]

Let me give you a start

Japanese / Okinawan Karate-Do

Shuri Ryu

Shorei Ryu

Shorin Ryu (Kobayashi, Matsubayashi and Shobayashi Ryu, Matsumura Seito)

Goju Ryu

Goju Kai

Shotokan

Shotokai

Shito Ryu

Chito Ryu

Wado Ryu

Wado Kai

Okinawa Te (some still practice it)

Kajukenpo or Kajukenbo

Ryukyu Kempo

Matsumura Kempo

Uechi Ryu

Seibukan

Kyokushinkai

Pangai Noon

Isshin Ryu

Shudokan

Gosoku Ryu

Plus many more. I didn't list mine but it is under my name.

Hrmmm...The real question becomes...how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of the Tootsie Pop?

[Brandon Fisher]

Did I miss something??

[patusai]

How many styles? Mmm, how many grains of sand in the sea?

[KamasandSais]

if you are talking about all martial arts in general there are 4,362 different stlyes

[legkicker]

if you are talking about all martial arts in general there are 4,362 different stlyes

Umm, how did you come up with this number, if I may inquire?

[Fairfax_Uechi]

if you are talking about all martial arts in general there are 4,362 different stlyes

Umm, how did you come up with this number, if I may inquire?

He'd tell you, but then he'd have to kill you!!!!

Seriously, I think he was trying to be funny.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

if I remeber correctly, and if you are talking about traditional Okinawan, originally, there were three traditonal styles. And if you talking about the tradtional Japanese karate styles that were reconginze by Dai Nipon Budokai (the highest martial art authority in Japan), Originally, there were 6.

The three I know for sure are:

Shotokan

Shito Ryu

Shindo Jinen Ryu

and the two I believed it's in are (correct me if I am wrong)

Wado Ryu

Goju Ryu

I dunno the last one, please fill in, if anyone knows.

Actually, from what I learned there are four main Okinawan styles:

Shorin Ryu

Goju Ryu

Isshin Ryu

and

Uechi Ryu

Some of the other Okinawan styles mentioned are variations of the "big 4", or "minor styles"

For those playing at home and interested in a little history Pangai Noon was the original name of the style learned in China by Kanbun Uechi. After his death, his students renamed the style in Okanawa Uechi Ryu in his honer. To further complicate the matter, in the late 1980s/early 1990's several Uechi groups broke off with one using Pangai Noon as the name of their style as Uechi is the family name and the "property" of the syle headed by Kanmei Uechi. Now some of this is slightly simplied, but hopefully it helps. Also as an FYI, Shotokan is mainland Japanese not Okinawa.

[Brandon Fisher]

Actually Shotokan having not actually being a name of a style but Funakoshi's pen name Shoto and Kan being school the style was named by Funakoshi's students from what my research has shown me. The karate that Funaskoshi taught in Japan was Okinawan since Funakoshi was from Okinawa and had always studied Okinawan Tode as Karate was not adopted in until the laste 20's or early 30's sometime. Sorry drawing a blank on the actual year.

However Shotokan evolved into a japanese system as it got older and varied more and more from Okinawan Karate-Do.

[ps1]

if you are talking about all martial arts in general there are 4,362 different stlyes

Umm, how did you come up with this number, if I may inquire?

He asked the wise old Owl from the Tootsie Pop commercials I'm sorry, as a product of the 80s, I loved that commercial...halarious!

Ok, to honestly answer your question, each person who learns karate to it's advanced levels will begin to make it their own. This doesn't mean that they create a new system, just that it will be different in use than the original. We're all built differently and have different methods of movement that work well for us. Therefore, there are as many styles as there are practitioners.

As far as basic systems of training, which basically will each have a different overall approach and theorys and doctrine on their techniques, several have been listed already.

[KamasandSais]

if you are talking about all martial arts in general there are 4,362 different stlyes

Umm, how did you come up with this number, if I may inquire?

i made it up.