The Ryu Style Traditional Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate is the most comprehensive and complete martial arts system in the world. For centuries, the island of Okinawa, strategically situated in the sea South of Japan and East of China, has been a major trading crossroads, as well as a fertile breeding ground for the growth and development of the martial arts. The people of Okinawa were forced by circumstance to create a method of self-defense to protect themselves, thus over the centuries a very special system developed, which today we refer to as Karate. Traditional signifies that which has withstood the test of time, remaining mostly unchanged through the centuries, being refined and improved by the ancient masters through years of practice, reflection and wisdom. Shuri is the name of a town in Okinawa, which possesses the famed Shuri-Gate. Shuri means beautiful. Ryu means system. Kara means empty and Te means hand. Putting it all together, Shuri-Ryu Karate translates as “The Beautiful Way of the Empty Hand.” Karate is an art of serenity, a philosophy, and a way of life. It is a complete system of exercises designed to bring balance, unity and coordination between the Body, Mind, and Spirit. The essence of Karate is not in fighting or aggression, but rather in the focused concentration of the Mind; the strengthening of the Body; and the harnessing of the Spirit or Will, to empower our entire being. Karate teaches: - True Confidence - Self-Respect - Self-Control - Self-Awareness - Personal Discipline and the development of our inner Self and character. Karate training will also teach you the Art of Self-Defense, giving you the peace of mind and sense of security that can only come from your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones, if called upon to do so. History: Ancient Roots of Shuri-Ryu The historical roots of Shuri-Ryu Karate can be traced to the Buddhist monks of the Shaolin (Shorin) Monastery in Ancient China. Around 500 A.D., one Bodhi-dharma, a high ranking Buddhist monk from the warrior caste, traveled from India through Tibet and into China, spreading Buddhist philosophy. He is reputed to have stopped at the Shaolin Temple and while there, in addition to teaching the many monks Zen meditation, Bodhi-dharma showed them 18 special exercises to improve their health coupled with vital energizing breath techniques designed to bring strength to the body and mind. He also instructed the monks in the art of self-defense. In time, these monks developed a most comprehensive fighting technique and came to be known as the most formidable fighters in all of China. Along with the “Shorin” system developed in China, the system of Kung-Fu and Pakua developed. In the mid 1800’s, one Tsao Hsiang (Hsing) studied these internal systems from the masters Li T’sun and Sun Lu T’ang. Hsing left these secrets to his nephew “T’ung Gee Hsiang (Tong Gee Hsing) that came to be known as the Hsing-Yi style. Another master, one Sokon Matsumura, personal bodyguard and martial artist to the Okinawan King, Sho-Tai, traveled to China where he studied the original arts; upon his return to Okinawa, he incorporated them into Shuri-te. This style was in turn learned by the famed masters Yasutsune (Ankoh) Itosu, Choki Motubu, and Yosuhiro Konishi, among others. During World War II, Robert A. Trias, already distinguished as the middle-weight boxing champion for the U.S. Navy, learned Hsing-Yi from Shuri-te Master, Tong Gee Hsing. In Singapore, Mr. Trias studied Kempo and then Ju-Jitsu from Hoy Yuan Ping. Later, he studied under Yosuhiro Konishi. Mr. Trias was the very first person to introduce Karate in the U.S. in 1945. In 1946, he opened the very first dojo, or Karate School in the nation, in Phoenix, Arizona. He founded the once largest Karate organization in the world, the United States Karate Association. Master Trias’ first style of martial arts was called Shuri-Karate Kempo. The further incorporation of Shuri-Te and the Hsing-Yi Style Kempo, later became known as Shuri-Ryu. Shuri-Ryu Karate is considered the “Ancient Karate” of Okinawa, and is the most comprehensive and complete system of unarmed self-defense available today, anywhere in the world.