Okinawan Shorinji-Ryu
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The Shorinji-Ryu this site focus on must not be confused in any way with the Japanese forms of Shorinji or Shorinji Kempo. Both share some history and refer to the teachings of the Shaolin, but our Shorinji is from the Ryukyu Islands. Japanese Shorinji stems from Doshin-Sho and Ryukyu Shorinji from Southern China. Ryukyu Shorinji-Ryu Karate No-Jutsu is a blend of Chinese boxing concepts (street fighting techniques) and Okinawan Te. The Okinawan’s maintained a close knit relationship with the Chinese and implemented many of the secret family techniques, thus bringing into Te the influence of the Shaolin Way. Several breathing and meditation techques come from the Shaolin Temple through the teachings of Bodhidarma. Bodhidarma was an Indian priest who traveled to China in the fifth or sixth century A.D. He passed on to the Shaolin priests eighteen forms from the I-Chin-Ch’ing. (1425) Poems of Te date back a 1,000 years. Forms of self defense and weaponry were practiced due to the unrest of the times. At this time the island was known as Uchina and the island was split into three regions. As a result of this separation (and the internal strife it caused) a great war broke out in the capital city of Shuri around 1470. Coming to power after the war was a former Chinese sovereign named Sho Ha Shi. Sho Ha Shi brought the three regions together and confiscated all weapons with the purpose of maintaining control and to birth a new culture. To compensate for this weaponless state was the beginnings of the Empty Hand. Karate began to develop through the hands and spirit of Tode Sakugawa. Sakugawa developed a relationship with the Chinese masters that would influence many individuals and encompass Okinawa with a tradition that has lasted hundreds of years. Shorinji-Ryu is a combat martial arts system. While this system has seen the sport arena, it is practiced in the old ways. It is a clan system that has survived due to the diligence of individuals such as Kyoshi James Coffman ,Kyoshi Roy Osborne and just a handful others. It has not been watered down to meet the needs of the masses and finical gain . It is taught as it was taught before the systems as a whole became very watered down in the United States. Shorinji is based on a homage and tradition of the Shaolin Temple with the original concepts brought from China by Tode Sakugawa, as well as merchant sailors that became shipwrecked on the islands. Some of the inner concepts are Chinese boxing-Kempo mixed with a form of Te that already existed on the island with additional flavors of Tsuruken taught by Master Sokon. Shorinji became even more developed and refined within the hands of Chotoku Kyan who was a student of the great emperors bodyguard-Bushi Matsumura. At the same time however, Nabe Matsumura became the inheritor of what was to become Matsumura Seito. Upon Nabe Matsumura’s death Hohan Soken became the inheritor of Matsumura Seito and passed along this tradition to Fuse Kise. |
Shorinjiryu is a name used by various styles of karate
that evolved from Sokon Matsumura of Shuri-te lineage, through
to Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945). Various disciples of Kyan carried
on his teachings, synthesizing their own methods and those
acquired from other teachers, into their own systems. In the
modern world there are various groups of Shorinjiryu, including
Shorinjiryu utilise shorter stances, and emphasize speed and mobility. Use of the hips is stressed. Shorinji-ryu is a Japanese word meaning "Pine Forest Temple Style"; karate-do means "the way of the empty hands". Shorinji-ryu karate-do is a very traditional form of Okinawa karate. By traditional it is meant that the style is taught as much as possible without any changes. It is each instructor's responsibility to maintain the purity of the style - both in the techniques which are taught and in the instructional manner. In a traditional dojo, classes are instructed in exactly the same manner as Shorinji-ryu classes in Okinawa. No effort is made to "improve" or "Americanize" the style. |
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What is the difference
between Shorinji and Shorin article was found on fighting arts Unyu (Banned Member) 10/06/07 02:39 AM What is the difference between Shorinji and Shorin Quote: I just joined Karate and was wondering what the difference is between Shorinji and Shorin? Are they the same? They can be and they can be very different. I'm sure you know that "Shorin" is "Shaolin" in Japanese and "Shorinji" is "Shaolin Temple" in Japanese. The confusion begins when you are speaking of Shorinji ryu Okinawan Shuri Te/Tomari Te, Chotoku Kyan lineage vs. the Japanese versions of Shorinji Ryu which are a more modern form of Japanese Budo with aspects of the original Okinawan Shorinji Ryu, yet distinctly different. Then you have Doshin So's Shorinji Kempo which is supposedly a Japanese form of Shaolin Chuan Fa and is as much an ideology based on Zen Buddhism as it is a Japanese Karate system with Judo mixed in. Some Shorinji systems, Japanese and Okinawan, practice free sparring with bogu gear. What is markedly different are the kata and other training modalities. The Japanese Shorinji kata have more of a Shotokan or Shito Ryu feel and look to them- i.e.: wider, longer stances and so on. Confusing, huh? Most of the Shorin Ryu systems are more Okinawan than anything else, with some of the sportive influence of Japanese "schoolboy" karate mixed in (thought I'd put that since your moniker says "BigBoyKarate" . Matsubayashi (Shorin) Ryu (Pine Forest Flow), founded by O'Sensei Nagamine Shoshin, is a mix of Tomari Te, Shuri Te and some of Choki Motobu's toudi, which was influenced by both schools of thought, plus some of his practical fighting knowledge. The main distinguishing feature is their high chamber, on the chest versus the hip. Otherwise from outward appearances the kata are similar to other Shorin Ryuha, with the exception of some unique forms such as Wankan which are thought to be influenced by Nagamine's training on Taiwan. Kobayashi (Shorin) Ryu (Old Pine Forest Flow), is O'Sensei Chibana Choshin's system which was heavily influenced by the Shuri Te of Itosu Anko. It has elements of Tomari Te and some ryuha, like Shinshi Higa Yuchoku's subsystem, have Goju Ryu elements mixed in. The two main ryuha are the Shidokan (Miyahira Shinshi) and Shorinkan (Nakazato Shuguro Shinshi). The former shinshi (sensei) being the eldest of the two in seniority but still second to Yuchoku Higa Shinshi. This is probably the closes to Itosu's brand of karate. Kata like Jion, which are missing from other Shorin Ryuha, make these systems unique. Matsumura Orthodox (Seito) Shorin Ryu is the art thought to be closest to Sokon Matsumura's system of Shuri Te. It does have some supplemental kata of Tomari Te origin (Wansu, Ananku, etc.) introduced from Hohan Soken O'Sensei's students who trained in Okinawan Shorinji Ryu and Okinawan Kenpo but they are not stressed for ranking. Originally these Tomari kata were not a part of the system. Regardless, even these are done with Matsumura Seito principles in mind (stances, punching form, chambering, stepping, recentering, ad nauseum). The kata often associated with Matsumura Orthodox is the "Hakutsuru" or "White Crane" form. From this core system you have Fusei Kise Shinshi's Kenshinkan (he was a Kyoshi in Shorinji Ryu his base system) and Kuda Yuichi Shinsi's Matsumura Shorin Kenpo. He was a high ranking yudansha under Nakamura Shigeru O'Sensei (Okinawan Kenpo founder) before training with Soken, and mixes aspects of both in this subsystem (ryuha). The purer systems of The Seito branch are headed by Akamine Shinshi and Nishira Shinshi who is familially tied to Hohan Soken O'Shinshi. Kise has been awarded the title of Grand master by the Japanese governmwent, but most Matsumura Seito stylists recognize Nishihira as the inheritor of the system. Kise's system is seen as far removed from the almost purevSeito karate he was teaching pre-mid 1970s. Kuda's system has many, many Okinawan Kenpo elements to it. Then you have from Chotoku Kyan O'Sensei's influence the systems of Shobayashi ("Little Pine Forest"), Seibukan, Chubu Shorin Ryu, Sukunaihayashi and of course Shorinji Ryu which is Joen Nakazato Shinshi's take on his karate training. They do a lot of bogu sparring as do the Okinawan Kenpo folks. These "Shorin-based" systems are a good mix of Tomari Te and Shuri Te. MAs historians claim that at least 90% of modern karate styles can trace their roots to Okinawan Karate and to the Shorin Ryuha specifically. Hope this helps. They are all decent systems fundamentally, but of course the sensei and practitioner help make things more complete. Good luck! Train hard and smart! The Shorin systems are a great base to have. |
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*** This Section is under development *** *** Thank you for viewing*** |
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- Section Two - Fusei Kise's Shorinjiryu Kata By Sensei James Coffman |
The Following Kata are the Official Kata Master Fusei Kise Taught in the proper order in which
they were taught back in 1960 to 1964
Okinawan Shorinjiryu Kata list obtain from Sensei James H. Coffman
Shorinji kata:
1960 -Seisan, Wansu, Anunku, Niahanchi #1(sho-dan), Naihanchi #2(Ni-dan),
Naihanchi #3 (San-dan) in 1961-2 the order again changed to reflex the Pinan
kata: Pinan #1, #2 became the 1st kata taught than Seisan, etc. after Niahanchi
#3 came Pinan #3, Pinan #4, PaiSai Sho, Paishi Dai, Pinan #5, Chinto, Gojushiho,
Kusanku, Sanchin, Rohai.(Quote from Sensei Coffman-I was never taught or exposed to the kata)
"Soken Kata - PaiShi-Sho" and Soken kata PaiShi-Dai", "Direct Quote From Sensei Coffman, these were Sokens personal version of these Kata that were taught to us 1961-64. They are no longer taught that I know of, other than myself & my Black belts) Sensei James Coffman / Smoka Teach The Following Matsumura Seito Kata Master Hohan Sokens Matsumura Seito Kata kata: The Matsumura Seito kata: (as I was taught them) 1961-64 then again up dated and added to: 1972-1977 Pinan #1, #2, #3, #4 Naihanchie #1, #2, #3, PaiShi Sho, PaiShi Dai, Pinan #5, Chinto, GojushiHo, KusanKu, Rohai (There are no Saisan - Wansu - Anunku kata in the Matsumura seito system ever taught by Sensei Soken) Matsumura Seito Kubodo (Weapons)
Bo#1, Bo#2, Bo#3
Anunku Sai, Sai #1, #2, #3
Nunchucku #1, #2, #3 , Nunchucku #1 (Training kata)
Tonfa #1, #2, #3 ,Tonfa #1 (training kata)
Kama #1, #2
Nunte Spear Dai
(Weapons taught to me, but I have no kata ever taught to me for them) Nunte
Sai, NiTan Bo, Oar)
Quote From Sensei James Coffman
(There are also a second version of GojushiHo & Kusanku that I was taught, however when I went on field maneuvers in the desert, I lost part of them and did not want to teach them wrong, thinking I would again be taught them at a later date. However Kise stopped teaching any of the Shorinji kata after the year 1967-1975, then he relearned the kata(s) Seisan, Wansu, Anunku from some where??? What he teaches now is different. (????) These are the Shorinji kata I was taught (1960-1964) The Following Information for (Kata Section 2 ) was obtain directly from: James H. Coffman Shorinji Ryu 1960-Present Matsumura Seito 1961-Present 7th Dan 1977-, Jikideshi smoka-usa.com
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