Karate history can be traced back some 1400 years, to Daruma, founder of Zen Buddhism in India. Daruma is said to have introduced Buddhism into China, incorporating spiritual and physical teaching methods that were so demanding that many of his disciples would drop in exhaustion. In order to give them greater strength and endurance, he developed a more progressive training system, which he recorded in a book, Ekkin-Kyo, which can be considered the first book on karate of all time.
The physical training, heavily imbued with Daruma’s philosophical principles, was taught in the Shaolin Temple in the year 500 A.D. Shaolin (Shorin) kung-fu, from northern China, was characterized by very colorful, rapid, and dynamic movements; the Shokei school of southern China was known for more powerful and sober techniques. These two kinds of styles found their way to Okinawa, and had their influence on Okinawa’s own original fighting method, called Okinawa-Te (Okinawan hand) or simply Te. A ban on weapons in Okinawa for long periods in its history is also partly responsible for the high degree of development of unarmed fighting techniques on the island.
In summary, Karate on Okinawa developed from the synthesis of two fighting techniques. The first one, used by the inhabitants of Okinawa, was very simple but terribly effective and, above all, very close to reality since it was used throughout many centuries in real combat. The second one, much more elaborate and impregnated with philosophical teachings, was a product of the ancient culture of China. These two origins explain the double character of Karate—extremely violent and efficient but at the same time a strict and austere discipline and philosophy with an emphasis on nonviolence, peace and chivalry.
Listening: your child is able to practice their listing skills to develop better self-control discipline and values.
Memory and Focus: Learning karate sharpens memory, focus and retention skills, it also keeps kids mentally engaged.
Hand and Eye Coordination: Hand and Eye coordination is important in your child’s early development. Karate provides plenty of opportunities to improve motor skills trough techniques, obstacles, drills and challenges.
Social Skills: Kids experience partner and team oriented situation in class that helps develop strong communication skills.
Speed, Agility & Balance: Speed, Agility & Balance gives your child better body awareness and coordination.
Goal Setting: Goal setting is an important skill for all kids to learn. Karate teaches both short term and long term goal setting in a fun and positive environment.
The Belt Grade rank is the extension of the Karate-Do education and experience. There are 10 number of Kyu (grades) ranks and 8 number of Dan ranks. Kyu and Dan ranks are in the same manner as the education system.
People with this name are blessed with a lot of leadership abilities. Anyone who wants to explore new horizons and has the freedom to make their own decisions. It is easy for you to motivate yourself to achieve a goal. Moreover, you are constantly ready to fully apply and develop yourself. You should never expect that something is given without trying. Full of strength and determination you are an impressive force of nature.
Strong confidence in your abilities makes this possible. Such qualities help to overcome all difficulties and solve problems in a forward-thinking manner.
People around you will always notice your leadership qualities and submit to your authority. It all comes down to your confidence which shines like a bright light.
Taking on new responsibilities has never become a burden for you. Instead, you look for new challenges to showcase your talents.
Courageous to make tough decisions and ready to act quickly when necessary. Always up to date with the competition. Courage to show your talent is not natural for many. Mental strength is one of your greatest weapons.
Even in the face of defeat you never waver and only move forward towards achieving the set goals. Their strengths develop especially well when working alone or in a team where they are leaders.
Like a warrior who marches into battle. You want to win! Only the first place can quench your thirst. As a strong personality, you know what you want. People appreciate your positive and creative traits. There is no limit to your ambition when striving for success.
Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) is the founder of the Shito-ryu style of Karate. Mabuni was born in Shuri, Okinawa, the son of a 17th generation Samurai called the Bushi (warrior) class. Members of his family served Okinawan lords for hundreds of years. During his time, the martial arts (Okinawa-te) was known according to the village where it was practiced: Shuri-te (the hand of Shuri), Naha-te and Tomari-te. Mabuni learned Shuri-te from Yasutsune Itosu, who was a student of Sokon Matsumura, and Naha-te from Kanryu Higashionna. Mabuni learned some 23 kata from Yasutsune Itosu. Mabuni also learned several empty hand katas and Kobudo (weapon) katas from Seisho Arakaki (1840-1918), and some white crane Kung Fu forms from Woo Yin Gue, a Chinese tea merchant in Okinawa.
During the 1920’s the insatiable Mabuni participated in a karate club operated by Miyagi and Choyu Motobu, with help from Chomo Hanashiro and Juhatsu Kiyoda. Choyu Motobu was a master of Shuri-te (the antecedent of Shorin-ryu) and gotende, the secret grappling art of the Okinawan royal court. Hanashiro was also a Shuri-te expert, while Kiyoda came from the same Naha-te background as Miyagi. Known as the Ryukyu Tode Kenkyu-kai (Okinawa Karate Research Club), this dojo (training hall) was one of history’s gems. Experts from diverse backgrounds trained and taught there, and it was there that Mabuni learned some Fukien white crane kung fu from the legendary Woo Yin Gue.
By this time, Mabuni had become a highly respected police officer and made several trips to Japan after Gichin Funakoshi introduced “Karate” in Japan in 1922, Finally he moved to Osaka, Japan in 1928 and started to teach Karate. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese martial arts sanctioning body, the Butokukai, (then the governing body for martial arts in Japan) started registration for all Karate school and Master Mabuni named his style as Hanko-ryu (half-hard style) which later in 1930’s changed to “Shito-ryu” in honor of his two foremost teachers Yasutsune Itosu and Kanryu Higashionna (the first kanzi character in ‘Itosu’ sounds like ‘Shi’ and that in ‘Higashionna’ sounds like ‘to’, ‘ryu’ stands for ‘style’ or ‘school’).. Not everyone agreed with separating Okinawan karate into factions through the use of style names. In fact, Shutokan headmaster Toyama questioned Mabuni and others about their use of what he called “funny-sounding names.” Mabuni countered that giving the style a name would not only satisfy the Butokukai, but would give people something they could identify with and feel a part of.
Among Mabuni’s earliest students was Kanei Uechi (not to be confused with Kambum Uechi’s son of the same name), who by 1935 was also teaching in Osaka. In 1950, Uechi returned to Okinawa and established the Shito-ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai. On Okinawa, Uechi is considered the true successor to Mabuni’s art, but internationally, Mabuni’s eldest son, Kanei, is acknowledged as the head of Shito-Ryu and runs the Shito-kai. Younger brother Kenzo Mabuni also acknowledged as the head of Shito-ryu was asked by his mother to take over the style. Kenzo Mabuni was unsure and could not decide at the time what to do. So he went into seclusion and at the end of what became a two year retreat, Kenzo Mabuni decided to accept this great responsibility and hence became the inheritor of his father’s lineage. Kenzo Mabuni lives in the original family home in Osaka, where he headquarters his organization the Nippon Karate-Do Kai.
Kanei Mabuni and his younger brother Kenzo head the karate programs at several universities, a task inherited from their father. Still other early students of Mabuni have their own distinct organizations and followings. Ryusho Sakagami, a contemporary of Kanei Mabuni, established the Itosu-kai just after Mabuni’s death. Sakagami’s son, Sadaaki, now oversees the Itosu-kai from the Yokohama area. In 1948, Chojiro Tani organized the Shuko-kai, where he taught Tani-ha Shito-ryu. Ever innovative, the Shuko-kai, under the present leadership of Shigeru Kimura in the United States, appears somewhat different in technique from the other Shito-ryu groups.
Master Mabuni, the founder of Shito-ryu Karate, died in Osaka, Japan in May, 1952 at age 64 leaving his name and art in every heart of each Shito-ryu Karate-Ka.
Shito-Ryu is a combination style, which attempts to unite the diverse roots of karate. On one hand, Shito-Ryu has the physical strength and long powerful stances of Shuri-Te derived styles, such as Shotokan (松涛館); on the other hand, Shito-Ryu also has the circular and eight-directional movements, breathing power, and hard and soft characteristics of Naha-Te styles(剛柔流). Shito-Ryu is extremely fast, but still can be artistic and powerful. In addition, Shito-Ryu formalizes and emphasizes the five rules of defense, developed by Kenwa Mabuni, and known as UKE NO GO GENSOKU (受けの五原則), UKE NO GO GENRI (受けの五原理), or UKE NO GO HO (受けの五法).
Shito-Ryu is a combination style, which attempts to unite the diverse roots of karate. On one hand, Shito-Ryu has the physical strength and long powerful stances of Shuri-Te derived styles, such as Shotokan (松涛館); ...
