Shorin-Ryu

[karateka15]

I am currently taking Shorin-Ryu Karate with a great instructor. I wanted to hear from others who have trained in this style of karate. How does this style measure up to other styles of karate? How does karate overall measure to some of the martial arts styles? I really enjoy my training just wanted to hear others take on shorin-ryu.

[Dobie1979]

I've been at it for about nine months now. I really enjoy it too. I've taken TKD for three months prior to training in Shorin Ryu. I enjoy it so much more than TKD.

[rein08]

Karate did helped me a lot.

It gave me discipline!

It also helped me loose weight.

Edited August 5, 2010 by rein08

[RJCKarate]

There are four main branches of Shorin-Ryu: Matsubayashi, Shobayashi, Kobayashi & Matsumora Orthadox.

For reference, I practice Matsubayashi-Ryu, and have done so for quite a while, both in Okinawa and my home country. The reason I like this branch of Shorin-Ryu is that is a style which allows anyone to practice it.

It utilizes short, time & space effective movements which comply with the natural aesthetics of the human body, making for practical self-defence. I've gained many things from this style of Karate such as cultivation, fitness, confidence, mental robustness and self-discipline.

Focus is usually on kata, and through this demonstration of application is openly shown. It focuses on hard training which includes contact kumite.

Shorin-Ryu is one of the biggest Okinawan Karate styles, and from what I have seen maintains fairly good quality throughout the world, especially for the Matsubayashi-Ryu branch.

I have practiced Ninjutsu (2 years), Aikido (few months) and Judo (my other still practicing Martial Art) and find Shorin-Ryu Karate stacks up very well against them. In comparison to the training I have had in other martial arts, I've found that Karate has taught me in some way, what most of the others have anyway - sometimes, I admit, very subtly.

My opinion though, is based on individual schools I have trained at throughout my time.

Cheers,

[karateka15]

I really like Shorin-Ryu as well. This week I have had the opportunity to study under and meet Hansi Seiei Nakaza, 9th Dan. He is a special guest instructer at Brian Hobson's Karate Studio in Hampton, VA.

1st Annual Kiyobukan Summer Camp. Featured instructor: Hanshi Seiei Nakaza, 9th Dan (formerly of the Shorinkan)

[Montana]

I'm fairly new to Shorin Ryu, having just started in January....of 1975.

One thing you'll learn about Shorin Ryu...the more you learn of it, the harder you train, the more discoveries you'll make about it. It's a wonderful, well rounded art and allows you to grow for the rest of your life.

Embrace it...study it...and open your mind to it. It's a wonderful art.

[unknownstyle]

my system i train in is basically shorin ryu matsumura seito with some other things added lik some kenpo, tkd. muay thai, and bjj. as far as how it stacks against others it is at the top of the food chain. in our school at brown belt you should be able to pick to pieces a sho or nidan from another. we love hard body contact and train our bodies to be prepared for war, typical shorin training.

[Capt Jakk]

I like the emphasis on speed and the higher stances. I'd like to continue training in it at a later date. Unfortunately my sensei never allowed sparring but was very good at showing beginners proper form for techniques. I guess I'll continue to practice Naihanchi until I find a new place to train.

[rmurray]

I like the higher stance as well. It is well suited for taller/bigger people. I think of it as heavyweight karate. (although not exclusively) I think Shorin Ryu is a good practical self defense. I wish our classes were more intense. And some more kumite would be great, but all and all; I can see the blackbelts at my dojo are well trained at a high level. I'm no expert but was surprised to see you are a blue belt. I always thought of Shorin Ryu as no-nonsense karate with just white, green, brown, and black belts with stripes in between. That's how it is at our school.

[Wastelander]

I like the higher stance as well. It is well suited for taller/bigger people. I think of it as heavyweight karate. (although not exclusively) I think Shorin Ryu is a good practical self defense. I wish our classes were more intense. And some more kumite would be great, but all and all; I can see the blackbelts at my dojo are well trained at a high level. I'm no expert but was surprised to see you are a blue belt. I always thought of Shorin Ryu as no-nonsense karate with just white, green, brown, and black belts with stripes in between. That's how it is at our school.

Different Shorin-Ryu organizations do the belt ranks differently and then some dojos will add belt ranks in between either to keep younger students engaged (as is the case with my dojo--the adults only have the standard Shorinkan ranks) or to make more money. I don't agree with your assessment of Shorin-Ryu being "heavyweight karate" simply because it does not strike me as being a style that is reliant on power, weight or reach. Shorin-Ryu is all about speed and movement, at least how my instructor teaches it, which is something that can be developed by just about any body type. I happen to be tall and have a long reach, but my instructor is quite a bit shorter than me and we have quite a few "average-sized" people in the dojo who are quite good. In addition, Chibana Sensei (founder of Shorin-Ryu) was quite small, as I've been made to understand it. I do agree, however, that it is a well rounded, practical art that teaches good self defense. If you want your classes to be more intense or include more sparring then you should talk to your instructor--my dojo has a separate sparring class, but the regular classes are plenty intense.