KARATE-DO STYLES
Karate-Do... One name, one Japanese style martial art, several divisions, organizations, federations, styles, branches, and schools of Karate-Do. These "Ryu-Ha-Kai-Kan" house one of the four main styles of Japanese Karate. These styles are Goju-Ryu, Shito-Ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-Ryu. These four styles of Karate-Do belong to the Japan Karate-Do Federation, a single organization that governs all four style of Karate-Do. It's mission is to promote Karate-Do in Japan's educational, and business institutes, as well as holding professional Karate-Do events sponsored by the JKF. They send Karate-Do instructors all over the world to oversee and advise Karate Dojos in other countries. JKF is a sponsor of the World Karate-Do Federation. As well as being the main organization for the four Karate-Do Styles of Japan, there are other organizations that are in participation in the JKF, such as the Hayashi-Ha Shito-Ryu Kai, the Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai, Gensei-Ryu Butoku-Kai, Okinawan Ryuei-Ryu, the IOGKF, the All Japan Karate-Do Goju-Kai Association, the Shukokai Union, Nihon Karate-Do Ryobukai, the Nihon Karate-Do Renbukai, and the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Here are some short profiles on each of the four main
styles of Japanese Karate-Do:
Shito-Ryu - A
Karate-Do style that is said to be a mixture of Shotokan
and Goju-Ryu Karate-Do. It's founder, Kenwa Mabuni,
combined Naha-te with Shuri-te to form what we know today
as Shito-Ryu. This karate style uses smaller, angular
movements. Also, this style, or "ryu" as it's
called, uses both shotokan and goju-ryu stances. What
makes Shito-Ryu stand out the most is it's kata training.
With the Kata from both shuri-te and naha-te karate
systems, as well as the other kata created by Kenwa
Mabuni, Shito-Ryu has over forty kata, including the
twelve original Goju-Ryu katas. Karate-Ka of this style
are to practice the kata in it's original form. Like
Shotokan Karate-Ka, Shito-Ryu Karate-Ka use the Makiwara
in their training. However due to the many KaiHa and
RyuHa of Shito-Ryu, the kata vary from style to style.
The factions of Shito-Ryu are the JKF Shito-Kai, Seishin-kai, Itosu-Kai, (Tani-Ha)Shukokai, Kotaka-Ha (International Karate-Do Federation), Hayashi-Ha, Kuniba-Ha(Kai), Motobu-Ha, and other organizations, federations, and associations affiliated or not affiliated with the JKF.
Shotokan - The most popular style of
tradtional Japanese Karate-Do, Shotokan is the most
practiced Karate style aside from Goju-Ryu. Shotokan was
founded by a man named Gichin Funakoshi, an Okinawan who
brought modern Karate-Do into Japan. Shotokan makes use
of dynamic, straight, and powerful movements. It lacks
the gracefulness of Shito-Ryu's Kata and doesn't have
Goju-Ryu's supplemental training curriculum. However,
Shotokan produces both strong kata and effective kumite
in it's practitioners. Shotokan has 26 katas, some of
which are from Shito-Ryu.
The factions of Shotokan are the
Shoto-Kai, the Japan Karate Association, Shotokan Karate
of America, American Amateur Karate Federation, the
American JKA, the Shotokan Karate-Do International
Federation, the International Shotokan Karate Federation,
Japan Karate Shoto-Kai, the International Japan Karate
Association, Japan Shotokan Karate Association, the JKA
Shotokan Karate-Do International, the International
Traditional Karate Federation, and many other national
and international associations, federations, and
organizations affiliated or not affiliated with the JKF
Japan Karate Association.
Goju-Ryu - Another and very popular
karate style of Japan, Goju-ryu Karate is also the most
common karate style practiced aside from shotokan.
Goju-Ryu is a karate style that stresses circular,
powerful movement. The founder of the modern form of
Goju-Ryu Karate is Chojun Miyagi. One of the infulences
that made Goju-Ryu popular is a man named Gogen "The
Cat" Yamaguchi. It was Gogen Yamaguchi who was able
to spread the teachings of Goju-Ryu Karate-Do world-wide.
Unlike Shotokan and Shito-Ryu, Goju-Ryu stresses it's
supplemental training, or Hojo Undo. Chishi
(Concrete slab on a stick) is used to strengthen grip, as
well as the shoulders and elbows. Ishisashi, a
stone resembling the shape of a clothes iron, used for
strenthening the arms and wrists. Nigiri Game
are jars that can be gripped on the rim, and it's
application from training can be used for strengthening
the fingers for gripping and tearing. Last but not least,
makiwara training. All Goju-Ryu styles practice the
original 12 Goju-Ryu Kata.
The factions of Goju-Ryu are the All Japan Karate-Do Goju-kai, the JKF Goju-Kai, JKF Uchiage-Kai, JKF Seiwa-Kai, Seigokan, Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai, Shodokan/Shoreikan, Jundokan, Seibukan, Meibukan, International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate Federation, and other federations, organizations, and associations affiliated with or not affiliated with the JKF Goju-Kai or JKF.
Wado-Ryu - A some-what popular style of
Karate, Wado-Ryu is described as another version of
Shotokan, with the use of Jujitsu techniques. The founder
of Wado-Ryu is Hironori Otsuka. His father was an expert
in Shindo-Yoshin-Ryu Jujitsu, and after his father died
Hironori sought training in Karate-Do from Gichin
Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate. After ten
years of training, Hironori Otsuka went out on his own to
create a style he called Wado-Ryu. With the teachings of
Shindo-Yoshin-Ryu Jujitsu and shotokan karate, Hironori
was able to create his own unique style of Karate. This
style is most popular in England and some parts of in the
US, it's basics and kata are almost like the ones used in
Shorin-Ryu, and free sparring is widely practiced. This
style has 17 kata, almost exactly similar to Shorin-Ryu
Kata.
Wado-Ryu factions are the JKF Wado-Kai, the Wado-Ryu International Karate-Do Federation, the Wado-Ryu Karate Federation, the Wado-Ki-Kai, and other organizations, federations, and associations affiliated with or not affiliated with the JKF Wado-Kai and the JKF.
While Japan has four main Karate
styles, Okinawa also has four main Styles of Karate.
Shorin-Ryu - The original form of Karate, this was the style that made other modern styles of karate we now know today. It is said that the karate styles of the Okinawan Villages of Shuri and Tomari combined to make the now modern day Shorin-Ryu. Before the founders of modern day Japanese Karate-Do, there was Shungo Sakugawa and Soken Matsumura, two of the originators of modern day Karate. Shorin is the Japanese/Okinawan name for Shaolin. Shorin-Ryu is a karate style that has most of the kata that is in Shotokan and Shito-Ryu, excluding the Goju-Ryu katas used in Shito-Ryu. Shorin-Ryu also has a set of kobudo katas, depending on the style of Shorin-Ryu and the number of weapon katas there are. Like Goju-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu makes the use of supplemental training, like the chishi and makiwara.
The major organizations of Shorin-Ryu Karate are Shobayashi, Kobayashi, Matsubayashi, and Matsumura Style Shorin-Ryu. The Okinawan Cities of Shuri, Tomari, and Naha each have their own version of Shorin-Ryu. Other Shorin-Ryu federations, organizations, and associations affiliated with or not affiliated with the Okinawan Budo-Kai.
Okinawan Goju-Ryu - Not very different
from it's Japanese counter part, the use of supplemental
training orginated from the Okinawan style of Goju-Ryu,
then later used by Japanese Style Goju-Ryu. The person
who taught Goju-Ryu to Chojun Miyagi was a man named
Kanryo Higashionna. Kanryo Higashionna traveled to China,
and learned an external martial arts system that uses
breathing patterns and as well as some supplemental
training. Goju-Ryu was referred to as Naha-te, since the
village of Naha on Okinawa practiced the style of karate
Kanryo taught. Also, the 12 styles of Goju-Ryu are still
used from this style, however the Japanese version of
Goju-Ryu has some technical differences from Okinawan
Goju-Ryu. Most of the Goju-Ryu forms retain it's Chinese
infulences.
Shodokan/Shoreikan, Jundokan, Seibukan, Meibukan, International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate Federation, and other federations, organizations, and associations affiliated with or not affiliated with the Okinawan Budo-Kai.
Uechi-Ryu - Originally called
"Pangai-Noon", similar to Goju-Ryu because of
Chinese influence, Uechi-Ryu started out as an external
Chinese style with the use of breathing patterns, and
also supplemental training. The founder, Kanbum Uechi,
went to China and befriended a priest named Chou-Tzu-Ho.
Chou-Tzu-Ho taught a style similar to Kanryo
Higashionna's Naha-Te. This style wasn't very popular,
but became one of Okinawa's major Karate style.
There are no known Uechi Ryu Ha Kai Kan. Closely affiliated with the Okinawan Budo-Kai.
Isshin-Ryu - A style that has both
influences in Goju-Ryu and Shorin-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu is
Okinawa's complete style. Isshin-Ryu makes use of some
kata from Shorin-Ryu and Okinawan Goju-Ryu, as well as
some kobudo kata. It's founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku, trained
under Chojun Miyagi of Goju-Ryu, Chotoku Kyan of
Tomari-Te Shorin-Ryu, and Choki Motobu of Shorei-Ryu.
Isshin-Ryu has gone on to become one of Okinawa's most
practiced karate style along with Shorin-Ryu.
There are many Isshin-Ryu Karate organizations, federations, and associations, all under the affiliation of the Okinawan Budo-Kai.
****Please Note: I can understand that most of this
information is either poor, not accurate, or not true.
Please e-mail me if there are any errors in information
that I should correct.****