|
| |
Shuri-Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan
martial art that developed in the Shuri, the ancient
capital of
Okinawa. One of the early Okinawan masters, Sakugawa, Shungo(1733-1815) is
credited as being
one of the initial importers
of Chinese martial arts to Okinawa, in particular to Shuri, where he started the
development of the Shuri-Te style of Okinawan martial arts.
Sakugawa had a student named Sokon Matsumura, who in turn taught Ankoh Itosu,
who was destined to
become a great
martial artist and teacher in the 19th century, who introduced the practice of
Tode, as the
Okinawan martial arts were called,
to the Okinawan school system. Ankoh Itosu's contribution to Tode was
the
emphasis of Kata and its practical application,
called Bunkai.
Many students of Ankoh Itosu became significant figures in the early development
of Karate. Amongst Itosu's
students are Gichin Funakoshi (1867-1957), who later moved to Japan and founded Shotokan
karate and
Kenwa Mabuni (1890-1954), combined aspects of Naha-te and Shuri-Te,
also moved to Japan, and founded
Shito-ryu Karate-do.
The founder of Shorin-ryu was Choshin Chibana (1885-1969), a top pupil of
Ankoh Itosu (1831-1915), the great
master of the Shuri-te style. Kanga Sakugawa (commonly known as Tode Sakugawa), Sokon
Matsumura and
others went to China and learned Kenpo there. Returning to
Okinawa, they brought Kenpo into the Okinawan
Te and systematized
the two styles into one. That
was then passed on to Choshin Chibana through Ankoh Itosu,
and was named 'Shorin-ryu'
in 1933.
The main technical characteristic of Shorin-ryu is to concentrate power
instantaneously. In that it somewhat
resembles kendo. One's strength is
expressed through the Kata from the inside to the outside, in a voluntary kind
of way. It causes no pressure
on the internal organs and little disturbance of respiration. In addition, it
causes no
unnecessary muscle fatigue, and sharpens concentration. It is believed
that alertness can be fostered in this way
and full offensive power can be
exerted.
Typical Kata include: Naifanchi (1st-3rd Dan), Pinan
(1st-5th Dan), Kusanku
(dai) and Kusanku (sho), Passai
(dai) and Passai
(sho), Jion, Jitte, Sochin, Gojushiho, and Chinto.
Pinan was created
by Ankoh Itosu as a training aid for his pupils. It is
said that Naifanchi is well suited for muscle training, Kusanku is
good for fostering alertness, and Passai is suited for putting training
into practice.
For More Information Contact:
KARATE-DO SHITO-KAI USA MURAYAMA
318 N. 5TH AVE.
Tel: 602 254-8576
FAX: N/A
Internet:
shitokaiusa@hotmail.com
|
KARATE-DO SHITO-KAI MURAYAMA U.S.A
Shito-ryu
Shito-ryu Kata