Shorin Ryu Karatedo

Before karatedo was known as such, there existed ancient Okinawan arts simply referred to as te. The three main systems of te were Shuri Te, Naha Te, and Tomari Te, all of which were named for the cities in which they were primarily developed.

Shorin Ryu is a style of karatedo that was derived from two of these earlier systems, i.e., Shuri Te and Tomari Te. There are many different variations of Shorin Ryu, each being derived to a greater or lesser extent from one or both of these systems.

Matsumura Sokon, chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard for the Okinawan king, was the individual most responsible for developing and refining Shorin Ryu in general. The specific variation of Shorin Ryu that is taught at Dentokan Dojo carries a heavy influence by a man named Kyan Chotoku.

Like other versions of Shorin Ryu, this one has roots in both Shuri Te and Tomari Te; however, our variation on the style tends to have a much greater Tomari Te influence than its counterparts.

The foundation of a given style of karatedo is its kata syllabus. Kata translates into English as 'form', and in the martial arts, it refers to a set of techniques composed as a memorized routine. All of the practical self-defense applications within a style are derived from the fundamental principles taught in the kata. The Shorin Ryu kata syllabus that is taught at Dentokan Dojo is as follows:

• Seisan
• Ananku
• Wansu
• Passai
• Pin'an Shodan
• Pin'an Nidan
• Pin'an Sandan
• Pin'an Yondan
• Pin'an Godan
• Naihanchi
• Passai Sho
• Gojushiho
• Chinto
• Kusanku

Shorin Ryu is one of the more popular and traditional Okinawan styles and is taught all over the world.