Shitō-ryū

Infobox martial art group

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name = Shitō-ryū
(糸東流)
aka =
date founded = 1931
country = flagicon|Japan Japan
founder = Kenwa Mabuni (1889–1952)
head = Many independently led organizations
arts = Karate
ancestor_arts =
descendant_arts =
ancestor schools = Shorin-ryū • Shorei-ryu
descendant schools= Shito-kai • Shuko-kai • Seishin-kai • Kuniba-kai • Hayashi-ha karate
notable pract = Fumio Demura • Minobu Miki
website =

Nihongo|Shito-ryu|糸東流|Shitō-ryū is a form of karate that was founded in 1931 by Nihongo|Kenwa Mabuni|摩文仁 賢和|Mabuni Kenwa.

History

Kenwa Mabuni was born in Shuri, a district of Naha, Okinawa in 1889. Mabuni-sensei was a descendant of the famous Onigusukini samurai family. Perhaps because of his weak constitution, he began his instruction in his home town in the art of Nihongo|Shuri-te|首里手 at the age of 13, under the tutelage of the legendary Nihongo|Anko Itosu|糸州 安恒|Itosu Ankō (1813–1915). He trained diligently for several years, learning many kata from this great master. It was Itosu who first developed the Pinan kata, which were most probably derived from the "Kusanku" form.

One of his close friends, Sensei Nihongo|Chojun Miyagi|宮城 長順|Miyagi Chōjun (co-founder of Gojū-ryū Karate) introduced Mabuni to another great of that period, Sensei Nihongo|Kanryo Higaonna|東恩納 寛量|Higaonna Kanryō, and began to learn Nihongo|Naha-te|那覇手 under him as well. While both Itosu and Higashionna taught a "hard-soft" style of Okinawan "Te", their methods and emphases were quite distinct: the Itosu syllabus included straight and powerful techniques as exemplified in the Naifanchi and Bassai kata; the Higashionna syllabus, on the other hand, stressed circular motion and shorter fighting methods as seen in the popular Seipai and Kururunfa forms. Shito-ryu focuses on both hard and soft techniques to this day.

Although he remained true to the teachings of these two great masters, Mabuni sought instruction from a number of other teachers, including Seisho Aragaki, Tawada Shimboku, Sueyoshi Jino and Wu Xianhui (a Chinese master known as Go-Kenki). In fact, Mabuni was legendary for his encyclopaedic knowledge of kata and their bunkai applications. By the 1920s, he was regarded as the foremost authority on Okinawan kata and their history and was much sought after as a teacher by his contemporaries. There is even some evidence that his expertise was sought out in China, as well as Okinawa and mainland Japan. As a police officer, he taught local law enforcement officers and at the behest of his teacher Itosu, began instruction in the various grammar schools in Shuri and Naha.

In an effort to popularize karate in mainland Japan, Mabuni made several trips to Tokyo in 1917 and 1928. Although much that was known as "Te" (Chinese Fist) or Karate had been passed down through many generations with jealous secrecy, it was his view that it should be taught to anyone who sought knowledge with honesty and integrity. In fact, many masters of his generation held similar views on the future of Karate: Sensei Gichin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan), another contemporary, had moved to Tokyo in the 1920s to promote their art on the mainland as well.

By 1929, Mabuni had moved to Osaka on the mainland, to become a full-time karate instructor of a style he originally called Hanko-ryu, or "half-hard style". In an effort to gain acceptance in the Japanese Butokukai, the governing body for all officially recognized martial arts in that country, he and his contemporaries decided to call their art "Karate" or "Empty Hand," rather than "Chinese Hand," perhaps to make it sound more Japanese. Around the same time, perhaps when first introducing his style to the Butokukai, is when it is believed the name of the style changed to Shito-ryu, in honour of its main influences. Mabuni derived the name for his new style from the first kanji character in their names, Itosu and Higashionna. With the support of Sensei Ryusho Sakagami (1915–1993), he opened a number of Shito-ryu dojo in the Osaka area, including Kansai University and the Japan Karatedo Kai dojo. To this day, the largest contingent of Shito-ryu practitioners in Japan is centered in the Osaka area. [ [http://www.martialsource.com/shitohistory.htm The History of Shito Ryu] at martialsource.com] [http://www.martialarm.com/history/shito-ryu.html The History of Shito Ryu] at martialarm.com]

Mabuni published a number of books on the subject and continued to systematize the instruction method. In his latter years, he developed a number of formal kata, such as Aoyagi, for example, which was designed specifically for women's self defense. Perhaps more than any other master in the last century, Mabuni was steeped in the traditions and history of Karate-do, yet forward thinking enough to realize that it could spread throughout the world. To this day, Shito-ryu recognizes the influences of Itosu and Higashionna: the kata syllabus of Shito Ryu is still often listed in such a way as to show the two lineages.

Kenwa Mabuni died on May 23 1952, and the lineage of the style was disputed between his two sons, Kenzo and Kenei. Currently, the Shito-ryu International Karate-do Kai (also known as Seito Shito-ryu) lists Kenzo Mabuni as the second Sōke of Shito-ryu [ [http://www.seitoshitoryu.com/soke.html Kenzo Mabuni Soke] at seitoshitoryu.com] , while the World Shito-ryu Karate-do Federation (also known as Shito-kai Shito-ryu) lists Kenei Mabuni. [http://www.karatedo.co.jp/shitokai/wskf/history/index.html History] at WSKF]

Branches

Other schools of Shito-ryu developed after the death of Kenwa Mabuni, both because the death of a founder typically results in a dispute as to who will succeed him as the leader of a given school and because many prominent Karate teachers choose to modify the style, thereby creating new branches.

Major existing branches of Shito-ryu include:
* [http://www.shitokai.com Shito-kai] (糸東会): One of the two branches claiming direct lineage of Shito-ryu: In 1960 Mabuni's student Manzo Iwata founded Japan Karate-Do Kai Eastern in Tokyo and Mabuni's son Kenei Mabuni founded Japan Karate-Do Kai Western in Osaka. These two branches were reunited in 1964, establishing [http://www.karatedo.co.jp/shitokai/English/et-index.html All Japan Karate-Do Federation Shito-Kai] , which, after the death of Manzo Iwata in 1993, became known as [http://www.karatedo.co.jp/shitokai/wskf/index.html World Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Federation] . It was led by president Ken Sakio (a student of Choki Motobu and Mabuni Kenwa) from 1993 to 2004, and is currently led by president Tokio Hisatomi, a student of Mabuni Kenwa [ [http://shitokai.com/hisatomi.php Tokio Hisatomi] at shitokai.com]
* [http://www.seitoshitoryu.com/ Seito Shito-ryu] : Seito, or "True" Shito-ryu is the style promoted by Shito-Ryu International Karate Do Kai and is other of the two branches claiming direct lineage from Kenwa Mabuni. It was founded by his son Kenzo Mabuni and, since his death in 2005, belongs to Kenzo's daughter, Tsukasa Mabuni.
* Shuko-kai (修交会): Founded by Chojiro Tani, student of Mabuni Kenwa, in 1949, this style represents the Tani-ha version of Shito-ryu.
* Itosu-kai: Established in 1952 by Mabuni Kenwa's student Ryusho Sakagami (1915-1993) in Yokohama area, now run by Sakagami's son Sadaaki Sakagami.
* Seishin-kai (聖心会): Founded by Kosei Kokuba, student of Mabuni Kenwa and Choki Motobuin 1943 in Osaka, Japan. This school originally represented Motobu-ha Shito-ryu, but no longer claims this lineage.
* Kuniba-kai: Shogo Kuniba, third soke of Seishinkai and the son of Kosei Kokuba, moved to Portsmouth VA in 1983. His American dojo was separated from Seishinkai after his death in 1992 and became known as Kuniba-kai. This branch, now led by Shogo's son Kozo Kuniba, currently represents the Motobu-ha style of Shito-ryu. [ [http://www.kokino.org/int-kunibakai.htm Motobu-ha Shito - ryu Kunibakai Karate - do] at Kokino Shito-ryu karate school]
* Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu: Founded by Teruo Hayashi, student of Mabuni Kenwa and Kosei Kokuba, after he was co-leading Seishinkai together with Shogo Kuniba and studied Ryuei-ryu in Okinawa. The European organization for this style is Mitsuya-kai, run by Hayashi's long time student Mitsuya Seinosuke.
* Japan Karatedo Inoue-ha Shito-ryu Keishin-kai (日本空手道井上派糸東流慶心会): Founded in 2004 as a direct descendant of Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu by Yoshimi Inoue (井上慶身), a top student of Teruo Hayashi, with headquarters in Tottori, Japan and dojos in Miami - Florida, Stockholm, Karlstad - Sweden, Florianópolis - Brazil and other countries. Inoue is a senior coach of the Japan National Karate Kata Competition team and his students include Mie Nakayama (3 times World Kata Champion), Rika Usami (2007 JKF All-Japan Individual Kata Champion), Miyuki Osawa (World University Champion 2004), Nao Morooka (2006 Asian Games Champion), and Kasuga Wakabayashi (2005 Asian Games Champion). [ [http://www.karate-class.com/martial_art_history.htm Martial Art History] at Inoue ha Shito ryu Keishin Kai Karate-do Kobushi Dojos, Miami FL]
* Shiroma Shito-ryu: Shinpan Shiroma, a student of Itosu and Higaonna, and Mabuni Kenwa's peer, taught Shito-ryu in Shuri and Nishihara, Okinawa, from World War II until his death in 1954, thereby creating the only known Okinawan branch of Shito-ryu. His student, Horoku Ishikawa, continues his lineage.
* Kotaka-ha Shito-ryu: Founded by Chuzo Kotaka, another member of Seishinkai, in Hawaii.
* Sanku-kai: Founded by Yoshinao Nanbu, a Tani-ha Shito-ryu student.
* Genbu-kai: Taught by Fumio Demura, a student of Ryusho Sakagami, in California since 1965.
* Hokushin: Taught by Hanshi Minobu Miki in San Diego.
*San-Shin-Kan: Founded by Kancho Tamas Weber of Sweden, taught in Europe and Israel.
*Kurokawa-ha Shito Ryu Kai: Founded by Dr. Timothy M. Brooks, direct student of Masters Teruo Hayashi, Shogo Kuniba and Ryusho Sakagami.
*Seiko-kai: Founded in 1993 by Seiko Suzuki, a student of Ryusho Sakagami. [cite web |url=http://www.shitoryu.net/html/shitoryu.html |title=A Brief History of the Origin of SHITO-RYU SEIKO-KAI |accessdate=2008-02-09 |author=Andreas Kuntze |date=2003]

Characteristics

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 Shorin Ryu and Shotokan (松涛館), on the other hand Shito-ryu has circular and eight-directional movements, breathing power, hard and soft characteristics of Naha-te and Tomari-te (泊手) styles, such as Goju-ryu (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) [cite web|url=http://shitokai.com/uke-no-go-gensoku.php|title=Uke No Go Gensoku|publisher=Shitoryu Cyber Academy|accessdate=2007-05-16] :
* 落花 ("rakka", "falling petals"). The art of blocking with such force and precision as to completely destroy the opponent's attacking motion. Examples of rakka are the most well-known blocks, such as "gedan-barrai" (下段払い) or "soto-uke" (外受け).
* 流水 ("ryusui", "running water"). The art of flowing around the attacker's motion, and through it, soft blocking. Examples are "nagashi-uke" (流し受け) and "osae-uke" (押さえ受け).
* 屈伸 ("ku-ushin", "elasticity"). This is the art of bouncing back, storing energy while recoiling from the opponent's attack, changing or lowering stance only to immediately unwind and counterattack. Classic examples are stance transitions "zenkutsu" (前屈立ち) to "koukutsu" (後屈立ち) and "moto-dachi" (基立ち) to "nekoashi-dachi" (猫足立ち).
* 転位 ("teni", "transposition"). "Teni" is the utilization of all eight directions of movement, most importantly stepping away from the line of attack.
* 反撃 ("hangeki", "counterattack"). A "hangeki" defense is an attack which at the same time deflects the opponent's attack before it could reach the defender. Examples of this are various "tsuki-uke"'s (突き受け), including "yama-tsuki" (山突き).

Modern Shito-ryu styles also place a strong emphasis on sparring. Shito-ryu stresses speed, and fighting is generally initiated from a higher, more upright stance than Shotokan employs. On the other hand, because the style has so many kata, a great deal of time is spent perfecting any one of its 40 to 60 forms.

See also

* Kenwa Mabuni
* Karate
* Funakoshi Gichin
* Fumio Demura
* Shogo Kuniba

References