Isshinryu Karate?

[Seraph]

Hi I'm a newbie to MA's and am very interested in taking Karate. One of the only dojos in my area teaches Isshinryu Karate but I know very little (actually nothing) about it.

 

What makes Isshinryu Karate different from say, Shinko-Ryu or another sub-style of Karate?

 

What's the main focus of Isshinryu?

 

What does a black belt really mean in Isshinryu Karate (I understand in some arts it means complete mastery others it means just mastery of just the basics)?

 

Does it focus mainly on the physical/mental/spiritual side or does it round it out?

 

I've heard that in Karate that students can't react to their mistakes in any other way than just emotionless acknowledgement of their screw-up? Surely this isn't true - is it?

 

What are some of the common injuries to expect (ex. i've heard that in BJJ there's a lot of damage to ears, cauiflower)?

 

How many times a week should a person train in Isshinryu to excel in training?

 

Thanks

 

~Seraph

[fireka]

all beautiful questions, beautiful because they are all about my favorite style! let me see how well i can answer them.

 

will, first a history lesson. Isshinryu karate is a mix of three diffrent forms, Shorin-ryu, Goju-Ryu, and Kobayashi-Ryu. it was created by master Tatsuo Shimabuku and is a fairly recently fordged Okinawain style. It got to the united states as a result of shimabuku's first students, United states Marines. despite its recent upbringing, Isshinryu is very developed and its dojo's are traditional, its hard to tell it apart from the styles rooted early on in karate's history.

 

Sevral things were done to the root styles to improve the technique of Isshinryu. First, stances are low, but not as low probably as Shotokan and some other styles. Also, unlike many other forms, we do not corkscrew our punches but use a somewhat modified verticle punch. We have many kata that are singular to our style (and there quite immpressive looking to) and we also study the weapon arts of the Bo, Sai (my personal favorite) and Tonfa.

 

Isshinryu karate is very street effective, as i unfortunatley was forced to prove last thursday when i was attacked by three guys. but thats another story. We teach many imbasic manuvers for street defense such as knife defense, and the use of certain easy to find objects as street weapons (for instance, your belt).

 

Isshinryu can alos hold its own in tournaments, though like many forms, is rarely seen in the larger mixed art comps (im hopeing to change that ) and intrestingly enough, the IWKA, the largest gathering of Isshinryu Karate-ka and one sweet tournament, will be held in Gatlinburg Tenesse on August 1-2.

 

Isshinryu is a very respected style with a lot of great qualities, if this is available to you, id deffinitly go watch a class, any instructor of Isshinryu would love to hear your intrested and want to watch for a spell, its a great style with plenty of benifits. (yes i know im biased, but hey? im picky, and i love it! )

 

i hope this helps some, good luck!

[SaiFightsMS]

Isshin ryu is a pretty solid style. For a bit of trivia the guy that has the Guinness book of world record for number of boards broken in one minute is isshinryu.

[fireka]

ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!! i saw that guy at the ISKA, in person! i could have sworn he would either be Shotokan or Kyokoshin! *Beams with delight as the warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach grows*

[AndrewGreen]

will, first a history lesson.

 

And some corrections

Isshinryu karate is a mix of three diffrent forms, Shorin-ryu, Goju-Ryu, and Kobayashi-Ryu.

 

No Kobayashi ryu connection, this was a mistake.

We have many kata that are singular to our style (and there quite immpressive looking to)

 

Nope, just one.

and we also study the weapon arts of the Bo, Sai (my personal favorite) and Tonfa.

 

Some groups do, not all do tonfa, most do sai and bo though. Some groups do some others.

Isshinryu can alos hold its own in tournaments, though like many forms, is rarely seen in the larger mixed art comps (im hopeing to change that )

 

And it won't be seen in MMA, never will, nor will any other karate style. That is not what it is for.

and intrestingly enough, the IWKA, the largest gathering of Isshinryu Karate-ka and one sweet tournament, will be held in Gatlinburg Tenesse on August 1-2.

 

Kind of funny how there are so many different "largest gathering of Isshinryu Karate-ka" around isn't it

[fireka]

oh lord, now i gotta fight off the bears, i knew it! i was sitting her thing "now whose gonna try and shut me up? Hobbitbob, andrewGreen, could be Rick...havent seen him in a while though..."

 

so let me see if i can contest for just a second. will yea, my bad, no kobayashi, none directly anyways. what i saw was that shimabuku STUDIED Kobayashi. no, they dont all practice tonfa, but then again some dont practice any weapons, but you know i can only say so much at 11:30 at night in one post. IWKA is a BIG event. Nuff said. and never see them in MMA? not what its meant for? what can i say to that...ummm...no! but ill prove that therom wrong in good time.

 

"will it ever stop?

 

Yo! I dont know! turn out the lights, and i'd glow!!"

[AndrewGreen]

so let me see if i can contest for just a second. will yea, my bad, no kobayashi, none directly anyways. what i saw was that shimabuku STUDIED Kobayashi.

 

He didn't.

and never see them in MMA? not what its meant for? what can i say to that...ummm...no! but ill prove that therom wrong in good time.

 

Requirements to be successful in MMA:

 

Good clinch work

 

Good Ground Work

 

Good Standup fighting

 

Isshin ryu does not have all of those. That is not what it is for.

[fireka]

oh, and i thought you were a light weight in the pulling my post apart and destroying them club. okay, wanna fight dirty?

 

i have a document here, in my hand, from Shimabukus son's biography that says he DID study Kobayashi. im asumeing, since this information is obviously misled and in correct, that you yourself persoannaly knew master shimabuku?

 

oh, i hate to sound cocky, but if im not stupid enough to end up on the ground in the first place i guess my lack of ground work won't matter will it? NTM, i am actually trying to compete in K-1, hum, not a whole lot of ground work there guy.

 

"to the extreme, i rock a mic like a vandel light up that stage ill wax some chup like a candel"

 

(BTW, want you to know im just playing with you with the personal targeting)

[AndrewGreen]

5 Instructors

 

Chotoku Kyan

 

Chojun Miyagi

 

Choki Motobu

 

Taira Shinken

 

His Uncle, whos name I can't remember right now.

 

Kobayashi ryu is Itosu lineage, go dig out a lineage chart and find Ituso in any of there lineages. You won't

 

Taira Shinken would come the closest, having studied with Gichin Funakoshi (Shotokan) but he taught kobudo, not karate.

 

Shimabuku studying Kobayashi-ryu was a mistake which has been debunked many times, whatever document you have is in error.

 

As for not ending up on the ground, find a wrestler and test that theory of yours. Unless you do a lot of wrestling, you will end up on the ground whether you want to or not.

[fireka]

to answer some questions i missed, black belt is just the beggining for the isshinryu krate ka, theres plenty left to learn. Its pretty well rounded, IMO, i get both physical spiritual and mental. i dont know what the heck that question means, but if it helps all the ones i know are pretty emmotionaly stable. and no matter what style you practice, you should train every day. go into the dojo, depends, i go once a week regularly, but if i get a thursday or friday off ill definitly be done there.