isshinryu vs uechi ryu

[kamahlthedruid]

Why are there so many bad isshinryu videos on youtube compared to uechi ryu videos. Most isshinryu people look sloppy on youtube. I am guessing that many isshinryu schools do not train tough enough because I hardly ever find full contact sparring of isshinryu on youtube. The only good isshinryu fighter I've seen on youtube is Chuck Mady, but he cross trains in judo and kyokushin.

[honoluludesktop]

IMO, when someone looks good in video, it is because they have 30+ years "on the mat", or are competitors who are making an effort to look good. I do not think style has much to do with it. Sometimes it is in "the eye of the beholder"-)

[sojobo]

Is there a connection between Uechi-ryu and Isshin-ryu?

Sojobo

[kamahlthedruid]

These styles are both okinawan. For some reason the average uechi ryu fighter looks better than the typical isshinryu fighter. I am guessing that uechi ryu produces better fighters quicker because uechi ryu only has 8 empty hand forms and no weapon forms. However, isshinryu has 8 empty hand kata and 5 weapons kata.

[sojobo]

As I understand it, Uechi-ryu is recognised as an "official" style of Okinawan karate where-as Isshin-ryu is a relatively new school.

But that doesn't really count for much as long as the training within the group is good.

sojobo.

[Sokusen]

I really don't think it has anything to do with the style. I have been studying Uechi ryu for a fair number of years and I have seen really good Uechi ryu dojos and really bad Uechi dojos.

It is true there are only 8 kata and technically 5 of them are really just a mish mash of the original three. So you could call the style a very narrow view of fighting but a very deep one. But that necessarily shouldn't translate into this style produces better fighters then that style. That is solely based on what the teacher is teaching and the talent of the students.

[sensei8]

Neither style is bad; just the individual karateka's!

Edited August 16, 2010 by sensei8

[shoshinkan]

I have limited exposure to Uechi Ryu, and even less to Ishhin Ryu - however I agree in general with your point raised base don what i do know and have seen.

Uechi Ryu generally produces really strong, resilient karateka - I think this is down to many of it's training methods (much like Goju Ryu).

My observation is also that compared to say a Shorin Ryu karateka (being very general) Uechi and Goju Ryu karateka score less on mobility in fighting, but are stronger and more resilient.

Theres good and bad of course, my view is a general one.

Heres a very solid presentation of Isshin Ryu karate IMO -

http://www.youtube.com/user/SenseiRadunz#p/u

[isshinryu5toforever]

Why are there so many bad isshinryu videos on youtube compared to uechi ryu videos. Most isshinryu people look sloppy on youtube. I am guessing that many isshinryu schools do not train tough enough because I hardly ever find full contact sparring of isshinryu on youtube. The only good isshinryu fighter I've seen on youtube is Chuck Mady, but he cross trains in judo and kyokushin.

You can't really go by what you see on Youtube. I can find a hundred videos of people knocking opponents out with defensive spinning hook kicks during Taekwondo matches, but that doesn't mean that all Taekwondo fighters can do that. I can find a hundred people doing Isshinryu really badly, but I can find a hundred people doing a lot of martial arts really badly. Those include Goju-Ryu, Shorin-ryu, all kinds of Chinese MAs, wrestlers, boxers, etc. You can always find someone doing something stupid on Youtube if you look hard enough.

It is true that a lot of Isshinryu dojo are lacking in conditioning exercises. That's a US-wide, martial arts wide problem however. I can't name many dojo, Gojuryu or otherwise (in the US), where they use chishi and nigiri kame on a consistent basis for hojo undo. If you want my honest opinion, after visiting more than one or two Isshinryu Karate dojo in the US, about the state of Isshinryu in the US, and what the problems are with it currently, that's for another post. Until you've personally gone to see many different dojo of the styles of Karate you're talking about, please refrain from making broad generalizations. If you've already done the leg work, then please, give us an analysis of what you've seen. I'd be willing to read it.

[Dobbersky]

OSU!!!

Found this on the WEB, is it any good?

http://www.isshinryu.com/new/index.html

thanks

Ken