Wilmington Karate Club

​SHORIN-RYU KARATE

Shorin-Ryu Karate is a traditional Okinawan martial art, and a complete self-defense system. It uses blocks, punches, kicks, grabs, locks and throws. Training develops discipline, coordination, timing, speed, balance, physical fitness, and self-confidence.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SHORIN-RYU

In 527 A.D. a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma came from India to the Shaolin Temple in China to teach Buddhism. He found that sick and weak. He went to a cave and meditated for nine years. When he returned to the temple he taught them exercises to strengthen their bodies. The exercises became the foundation of Shaolin Kung Fu.

In Okinawa there was a martial art known as Te (Hand). Okinawa was the major trade center for Asia and was influenced by many cultures. Many Okinawans traveled to China to study Chinese martial arts and Chinese immigrants taught the Chinese arts to the Okinawans. It was this integration of Te and Chinese martial arts that became known as Karate (Chinese Hand).

Chatan Yara, the earliest recorded Okinawan to train in China, studied for twenty years. He brought back from China his Bo and short swords. He saved an Okinawan girl from a Samurai using only an oar.

Kusanku, an ambassador from China, taught Sakugawa. From his teachings the Kusanku Katas were developed. Sakugawa is considered the first to use the term Karate "Chinese Hand".

Sakugawa's most famous student was Bushi Matsumura who developed the Naihanchi Katas.

Matsumura taught Itosu Yasutsune. Yasutsune is most famous for introducing karate into the school system. He developed fiven Pinan Katas to teach to school children, because he thought the traditional katas were to difficult for kids.

Yasutsune taught Chosin Chibana. Chibana founded the Kobayashi style of Shorin-Ryu. On his death he passed leadership of the style to Shugoro Nakazato, who passed leadership to his son Minoru Nakazato, who is the current Tenth Dan of our style.