Home : MMA Fights Tonight : Blog : Who's Who : Information : Entertainment : Publications : Fitness : Directory : Multimedia : MMA : Forums : Links

from Karate Depot

Who's Who in
Shorin Ryu Karate

Sokon Matsumura

Shorin-ryu (小林流 (松林流, 少林流), Shōrin-ryū?) is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. Said to have been founded by Sokon Matsumura during the 1800s, Shorin-ryu combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles Shuri-te and Tomari-te. Shorin-ryu is widely considered to be one of the two major modern styles of Okinawan karate, along with Goju-ryu, which is rooted in the other traditional Okinawan style, Naha-te.

Sokon Matsumura was a renowned warrior of his time; bodyguard to three kings of Okinawa, he has been called the Miyamoto Musashi of Okinawa and was dubbed Bushi, or warrior, by his king. However, while he is often referred to as the "founder" of Shorin-ryu, he did not invent all the components of the style, and perhaps didn't refer to it as "Shorin-ryu" himself. It is quite possible that he synthesized his knowledge of Okinawan arts with Chinese fighting styles that he learned on his travels and taught it as a coherent system to some eager students, who subsequently refined it, labeled it, and passed it on. "Shorin" is the pronunciation of the Chinese "Shaolin" in Hogun, the primary dialect of Okinawa; and "ryu" means style. Therefore, Shorin-ryu, "Shaolin style", or (small pine forest) reflects the Chinese influences intrinsic to the art.

Along with being a style on its own, Shorin-ryu is also perhaps the most influential single ancestor of modern Japanese karate. One of Matsumura's best-known students, Anko (or "Ankoh") Itosu became a great practitioner and teacher of Okinawan karate and developed the five Pinan kata, which are now taught not only in Shorin-ryu, but also in a wide variety of Okinawan, Japanese and derived martial arts. It is also believed by some that the first three Pinan kata were actually developed by Matsumura and the last two by Itosu. In addition, Itosu and another student of Matsumura's named Anko Azato were among the primary influences on a fellow Okinawan named Gichin Funakoshi. Funakoshi introduced his Okinawan martial arts to mainland Japan in 1922, and in subsequent decades was instrumental in developing what he termed simply "karate" or "karate-do" into a popular Japanese martial art. (The style Funakoshi taught on mainland Japan is now called Shotokan karate.)

Shorin-ryu is generally characterized by natural breathing, natural (narrow, high) stances, and direct, rather than circular movements (with the exception of Shorin-Ryu Kyudokan, which makes extensive use of circular movements). Shorin-ryu practitioners will say that deep stances are not important for powerful moves, and that only correct motion matters.

There is not a known, whole system of Shorin Ryu except for Matsumura Shorin Ryu. There are many dojos who use the term however for simplicity's sake. Some of the best known schools of Shorin-ryu were started by Matsumura's students keeping with Okinawa's tradition of successorship each of Matsumura's Deshis (students) changed the name of their system when they took over, so the branches began Shobayashi-ryu, Ryukyu Hon Kenpo, Matsumura Orthodox Shorin-ryu, Seidokan, Kobayashi Shorin-ryu (Shido-kan and Shorinkan), Kyudokan, and Matsubayashi-ryu, Okinawa Kenpo, and Sukunaihayashi (Shorin-ryu Seibukan), but there are many others, most with long and distinguished histories that trace back to Matsumura and his students.

Shorin Ryu Karate VHS

Shorin Ryu Karate DVD

Shorin Ryu Karate Links