'The Official "Shito-ryu" Topic'

[mArTiAl_GiRl]

Allright, I've seen many Shotokan and Isshinryu topics, but no Shito-ryu ones (maybe only one topic). So, I thought I'll post a Shito-ryu topic to discuss anything about this style.

 

I've got some questions for the shito-ryu practicioners here. Do you think in some sense, Shito-ryu is a bit like kung-fu? Does it remind you a bit of it? For example some open hand strikes or movements in katas? I've noticed it is a bit similar to kung-fu, even my Minakami Karate Dojo instructor in Sweden told me that. Do you agree with that?

 

Second question: What do they pay most attention to in this style? Is it power, quickness or something else (I think it is quickness, right)? I know pretty much about it myself too, but I still wonder, because I have to teach some disciples in my Club and I'm the only one in Estonia who is able to do that and it gets me kind of nervous sometimes , I have nobody to ask, so I thought I'll ask people on this forum. I need some advice and a bit more knowledge (even if I know this style enough), so let's discuss about Shito-ryu. I look forward to it.

[sano]

oh yeah i recall back in my days when i was just backyard/street brawler it was in high school when i fought a guy every other day from that style. normally i don't take up for other styles but man that guy's punches where lighting fast and very very hard and his kicks where fawless. but it's like people from that style don't know how to fight streetfighters because his father runs a dojo so i would go to his class for free and i defeated a lot of his students and his father got mad and said i fight too violent and with to much anger i never heard of too violent before??? now when i see his father he looks at me like i'm evil or something. But good style i'll have to say your punches are your style secret weapons. i still have a mark on the side of my rib area today i hate that guy.

[mArTiAl_GiRl]

aww! Poor you! What a pity!

 

Well, I think you're a good fighter. I don't think defeating everybody means that you're full of anger, or that you're too violent. That instructor is kinda strange..

 

Yes, that style is very light and quick. And yes, it's good to use it when someone attacks you, I've used that style to protect myself many times. It helps.

[sano]

well thank you but that does not take away the scare that guy gave me

[Shorin Ryuu]

Hmm, let's see...there are two styles of Shito-Ryu on Okinawa, one taught by Shiroma Shinpan and the other by Mabuni Kenwa. Incidentally, they were childhood friends. I think their teachers were Itosu and Higaonna, and using a chinese character from each of their names ("shi" from "ito" in itosu and "to" from "higa" in higaonna), formed the name Shito-Ryu. As a side not to the confused, chinese characters have many different pronunciations.

 

As an interesting note, Ishikawa Horoku, a student of Shiroma Shinpan had moved to Taiwan for five years and noted that his karate katas were almost identical to that of a local Chinese boxer. This is probably due to the heavy Chinese influence upon Okinawan martial arts. Even the name of my style (Shorin Ryu) comes from the Chinese name Shaolin.

 

Itosu was a Shorin Ryu stylist in the tradition of Matsumura, and Higaonna was the teacher of Miyagi Chojun, who started Gojo-Ryu. Itosu also had Chinese teachers (in addition to the Chinese influenced teachings of Matsumura) but he stressed physical strength and power. Of course his teacher once remarked to him that "With your strong punch you can knock anything down, but you can't so much as touch me." He also created the simplified Pinan/Heian kata that are so prevalent in many karate styles nowadays.

 

Higaonna trained heavily in Chinese styles, learning Chinese weaponry and would often read a Chinese boxing manual known in Japan as Kenpo Haku. A lot of Shito-Ryu's "light with extraodinary footwork and low, fast kicks" probably came from Higaonna's influence.

 

Sorry, I only just a little bit of history, not so much techniques...

[Shorin Ryuu]

This might be more helpful...I found this in my karate manual. Towards the end, there is some more principles rather than history...

 

Shito-Ryu

 

Shito-ryu is one of the four major style of World Karate Federation, the world governing body of Karate. It was founded by Kenwa Mabuni (1887-1952), an Okinawan born descended of so called "Bushi" (warrior) class. During his time, the martial arts (Okinawa-Te) was known according to the village where it was practiced : Shuri-Te (the hand of Shuri), Naha-Te and Tomari-Te. Mabuni learned Shuri-Te from Ankoh Itosu (1830-1915) who was a student of Sokon Matsumura (1792-1887), forefather of Shorin-ryu, and Naha-Te from Kanryo Higashionna (1853-1915) who mainly studied Kempo in China's Fukien province under Liu Liu Kung. Mabuni Also learned several empty hand katas and Kobudo (weapon) katas from Arakaki (1840-1918) and some white crane Kung Fu forms from Woo Yin Gue, a Chinese tea merchant in Okinawa.

 

Shito-ryu founder Kenwa Mabuni (seated middle). Among others are Shotokan Founder Master Funakoshi (far left) and Kenei Mabuni (far right), eldest son. After Gichin Funakoshi introduced "Karate" in Japan in 1922, Kenwa Mabuni as a police officer, traveled several times in Japan and tried to spread his knowledge of Okinawa-Te in Japan. Finally he moved to Osaka, Japan in 1928 and started to teach Karate in Japan when Butokukai (then the governing body for martial arts in Japan) started registration for all Karate school and Master Mabuni named his style as Hanko-ryu (half-hard style) which he later in 1930's changed to "Shito-ryu" in honor of his two foremost teachers Itosu and Higashionna (the first kanzi character in 'Itosu' sounds like 'Shi' and that in 'Higashionna' sounds like 'to', 'ryu' stands for 'style' or 'school').

 

It may be noted that Ankoh Itosu and Kanryo Higashionna are the two most important name in the history of modern Karate-do as the Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi (1886-1957) was a student of Itosu (also of Azato) and the Goju-ryu founder Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953) was a student of Kenryo Higashionna. The other style of the four major style of Modern Japanese Karate (Shito-ryu, Shotokan-ryu, Goju-ryu and Wado-ryu), Wado-ryu was founded by Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982) who studied Shotokan under master Funakoshi. Master Mabuni, the founder of Shito-ryu Karate, died in Osaka, Japan in May, 1952 at age 64 leaving his name and art in every heart of each Shito-ryu Karate-ka.

 

Shito-ryu, founded by Kenwa Mabuni, is a combination of Shotokan and Goju-ryu. Shotokan, which came from Shorin-ryu (from Shuri-Te), utilizes long linear stances and physical power and Goju-ryu, which came from Shorei-ryu (from Naha-Te and Tomari-Te) utilizes up and down stances and internal breathing power (hard and soft techniques). Shito-ryu adopted both principles from Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu. Shito-ryu is fast, but still powerful and artistic. It incorporates the powerful Shuri-Te katas like Naifanchin and Bassai, the hard and soft Naha-Te katas like Sanchin and Kururunfa, and the artistic Chinese white crane katas like Nipaipo and Paipuren. Shito-ryu is broad, yet still distinct. It emphasizes very much on Kihon (basics) at the beginning, but for a senior Shito-ryu student, quality and quantity run together. Shito-ryu contains all the eighteen Shorin-ryu katas, all the sixteen Shorei-ryu katas, the Chinese white crane katas, plus the katas devised by Master Mabuni himself from his broad knowledge and experiences, a total of more than sixty katas (depending on the organization). Moreover, the special characteristic of Shito-ryu which distinguish it from other school is that, Shito-ryu lives together with Kobudo (weapon arts) and sometimes Iaido (sword arts). The Kihon, Kumite, Karate katas, Kobudo Katas, Iaido katas and the principles & messages behind them made the treasury of Shito-ryu so magnetic and demanding that Shito-ryu deserves a life-long dedication to practice and perfect.

 

SHITO-RYU'S FIVE PRINCIPLES OF DEFENSE

 

1. Teni

 

Taisabaki (footwork). Shifting or turning quickly out of the opponent's way.

 

2. Ryusui

 

Soft blocking. Redirecting a strong attack with a circular or deflecting parry.

 

3. Raka

 

Hard blocking. Striking an off-center or indirect attack with sudden maximum power.

 

4. Hangeki

 

Defense as attack. A good defense is offense.

 

5. Kushin

 

Springing. A reflexive, darting "out and in" kind of body shifting from any angle

[mArTiAl_GiRl]

thanks Shorin-ryuu!! I'm very grateful.

[sano]

all man shorin ryuu you hit it dead on the nail when i fought that guy i thought he was some kind of boxer because he never sat still and i threw a punch at him he did like this simple looking block and it shattered my hand. he always darted in and out just like the five prince. states. he's the reason i got into shotokan so i can defeat him . like out of the 20 times i fought i only won 8 and thats really bad . one time he defeated me when he was sick

[tenkamusou]

Hi... I'm a shito-ryu karateka too...

 

I guess from the all Big Fours shito and shorin ryu are the fastest styles... And I think that Shito-Ryu karatekas have an advantage cause we train as fast as Shoto or shorin but we still practice the Goju katas, so that's why I think shito ryu is one of the most complete styles... might not be the most beautifull one to watch dependin on the kata... cause let's face it... some shoto katas are awesome! At least I like to watch them hehehehehehe

 

Shito-Ryu also has a singularity, the MOTO-DACHI, wich I kinda suspect is what the other styles call KUMITE STANCE...

 

And Some shito-ryu katas makes me feel like I'm doing Kung fu hehehehe like Nipaipo or Chatanyara Kushanku! those katas are awesome! And wut do you mean with open hand strikes? YOu mean the shuto-uke? or the mawashi uke?

 

I dunno.. I just can't understand why shito-ryu is so underestimated by other styles... I mean, I don't think that shito-ryu has the recognition that it deserves.. I mean... for example You can find ALL goju katas, Wado Kata ( even some Yakusoku Kumite videos), Shotokan Katas, SHorin Katas, But you can't find ANY shito-ryu kata videos to download on the net!

 

And that sucks cause I can't afford to buy those video tapes that are in american dollars! they're too expensive!

 

But that don't bother me so much now heheheh my sensei is teaching me all katas now hehehehehe

 

Well, Got to tell ya.. a few months ago I posted a few topics about shito-ryu and there were so few people that practiced it here... and I know it seems like the our "shito group" is gettin bigger... and that makes me kinda happy ehhehehehee

 

Osu!

[John G]

Could someone please tell me what Kofukan Shito-Ryu is?

 

Respectfully,

 

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