Welcome to the Shorin Ryu Karate Academy
The Shorin Ryu Karate Academy will soon be meeting on the campus of Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) in Wenzhou, China, offering training opportunities for all members of the WKU community. We train specifically in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, a traditional Okinawan karate system created by Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine.
Our Classes
We emphasize practical applications of kihon (basic techniques) and kata (pre-set arrangement of self-defense moves intended for solo training). Classes typically include:
- Warming up with combative partner drills
- Solo kihon practice
- Partner drills applying the kihon techniques
- Pad drills to develop power and focus
- Solo kata practice
- Partner drills applying the kata movements (bunkai training)
- Kata-based sparring (free-form sparring using movements from the kata in live sparring)
- Basic break falls, rolls, and throws
- Discussions of self-protection principles (legal and moral issues of violence, awareness, avoidance, escape, de-escalation, and fighting to escape a situation when all else has failed)
Training Philosophy
We intentionally include variety in our training: solo practice, partner drills, pad drills, basic break falls and rolls, basic takedowns and throws (where they appear in the kata), basic grappling and ground fighting, and self-protection drills. Our training philosophy is to build as comprehensive a training matrix as possible. We acknowledge that every drill or activity has a basic flaw, but by engaging a variety of drills in a training matrix, we can compensate for those various flaws and train effectively without injuring ourselves or our training partners.
All Skill Levels Welcome
We welcome people from a wide range of karate and martial arts training backgrounds, from beginners with no martial arts training to experienced martial artists. Our core curriculum is Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu karate, and we enthusiastically share the heritage of Okinawan karate with all who are interested in seriously studying this dynamic and historic martial art.
