Our training incorporates traditional karate, basic clinch fighting, sweeps, take downs, and throws. Each class includes solo training (kihon and kata), impact training (hitting and kicking target shields), and partner training (self-defense drills, bunkai drills, kata-based sparring, sweeps, take downs, and throws). For rank promotion purposes, we follow the Shorin Ryu curriculum listed below.
The Shorin Ryu Karate Academy is a charter Shorin Ryu Karatedo International (SRKDI) dojo; therefore, any student who becomes an SRKDI member and earns rank in our club will have his/her rank recognized in Okinawa. (Note: as a member of the club, you are not required to test for rank, but it is encouraged.) Moreover, as an SRKDI member, all yudansha ranks (black belt ranks) can also receive an Okinawan yudansha rank certificate through the International Shogen-Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai, which has a formal relationship with SRKDI.
Below is a basic outline of the key curricular elements for each rank, from 6th Kyu (the first rank in our curriculum) to 1st Dan (1st degree black belt):
RO KYU (6th KYU: WHITE BELT W/ GREEN STRIPE)
Kihon:
- Walking stance
- Front stance
- Lunge punch
- Reverse punch
- High block
- Low block
- Front kick
- Fighting stance and guard
Kihon Drills:
- Four low-block combination drills
Kata:
- Fukyugata 1
Bunkai Drills:
- Fukyugata 1 bunkai drills
Basic Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Basics of self-protection (lecture information)
- Situational awareness
- What you can control
- What you cannot control
- Understanding types of violence
- Understanding fighting and its consequences
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Basic Fall Skills
Basic Throws:
- Sweeps
- Winding Throws
- Neck Throws
Readings:
- The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do by Shoshin Nagamine
GO KYU (5th KYU: WHITE BELT W/ 2 GREEN STRIPES)
Kihon:
- Chest blocks
- Side stance
- Side kick
Kihon Drills:
- Four chest-block combination drills
Kata:
- Fukyugata 2
Bunkai Drills:
- Fukyugata 2 bunkai drills
Basic Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Yakusoku Kumite #1 and #2
- Sweeps
- Winding Throws
- Neck throws
Readings:
- The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate by Gichin Funakoshi
YON KYU (4th KYU: GREEN BELT)
Kihon:
- Cat stance
- Shuto uke
- Round house kick
- Elbow strikes
- Knee strikes
Kihon Drills:
- Four high-block drills
Kata:
- Pinan 1-2
Bunkai Drills:
- Pinan 1-2 bunkai drills
Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Bearhug releases and follow-ups
- Under the arms and over the arms
- From the Front and the rear
- Headlock release
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Yakusoku Kumite #3
- Winding throws
- Neck throws
- Sweeps
Break Falls
Readings:
- Karate-Do: My Way of Life, by Gichin Funakoshi
SAN KYU (3rd KYU: BROWN BELT)
Kihon:
- Hook kicks
- Crescent kicks
- Shovel kicks/knee stomps
Kihon Drills
- Four shuto uke drills
Kata:
- Pinan 3-5
Bunkai Drills:
- Pinan 3-5 bunkai drills
Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Blunt weapon defense and follow-ups
- Using blunt weapons in self-defense
- Bearhug releases and follow-ups
- Under the arms and over the arms
- From the Front and the rear
- Headlock release and follow-ups
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Yakusoku Kumite #4
- Shoulder throw
- Inner and outer reaping throws
Readings:
- Bunkai Jutsu by Iain Abernethy
NI KYU (2nd KYU: BROWN BELT WITH ONE BLACK STRIPE)
Kihon:
- Naihanchi stance
- Spinning back kick
- Spinning hook kick
Kihon Drills:
- All four sets of drills (16 drills)
Kata:
- Naihanchi 1-2
Bunkai Drills:
- Naihanchi 1-2
Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Knife defense
- Using bladed weapons in self-defense
- Knife avoidance
- shielding and getting to the side of the attacker
- getting away
- Blunt weapon defense and follow-ups
- Using blunt weapons in self-defense
- Avoiding strike by backing up
- Lunging in to close gap (timed when weapon is in centerline—when you move in the weapon will have moved away)
- Go for eyes or throat
- Or, control weapon hand/arm and attempt takedown and disarm
- Bearhug releases and follow-ups
- Under the arms and over the arms
- From the Front and the rear
- Headlock release and follow-ups
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Yakusoku Kumite #5
Break Falls
- Double leg lift throws
- Tackle
Readings:
- Facing Violence by Rory Miller
IK KYU (1st KYU: BROWN BELT WITH TWO BLACK STRIPES)
Kihon:
- All techniques should be sharp, snappy, focused, and demonstrating speed, power, and control
- Stances should be strong, precise, and consistent
Kihon Drills:
- All four sets of drills (16 drills)
Kata:
- Naihanchi 3
Bunkai Drills:
- Naihanchi 3
Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Knife defense
- Using bladed weapons in self-defense
- Knife avoidance
- shielding and getting to the side of the attacker
- getting away
- Knife disarm
- when you cannot escape or backed into corner
- shielding
- grasping attacking arm
- close the gap
- takedown
- get away
- Blunt weapon defense and follow-ups
- Using blunt weapons in self-defense
- Avoiding strike by backing up
- Lunging in to close gap (timed when weapon is in centerline—when you move in the weapon will have moved away)
- Go for eyes or throat
- Or, control weapon hand/arm and attempt takedown and disarm
- Bearhug releases and follow-ups
- Under the arms and over the arms
- From the Front and the rear
- Headlock release and follow-ups
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
Yakusoku Kumite #6
Break falls
Basic throws
Basic wrist and arm locks
Readings:
- Meditations on Violence by Rory Miller
SHODAN (1ST DAN: BLACK BELT)
Kihon:
- All techniques should be sharp, snappy, focused, and demonstrating speed, power, and control
- Stances should be strong, precise, and consistent
Kihon Drills:
- All four sets of drills with precision, snap, speed, power, and control
Kata:
- Ananku
- Wankan
Bunkai Drills:
- Ananku
- Wankan
Kata-based Sparring
Self-Defense Drills:
- Knife defense
- Using bladed weapons in self-defense
- Knife avoidance
- shielding and getting to the side of the attacker
- getting away
- Knife disarm
- when you cannot escape or backed into corner
- shielding
- grasping attacking arm
- close the gap
- takedown
- get away
- Blunt weapon defense and follow-ups
- Using blunt weapons in self-defense
- Avoiding strike by backing up
- Lunging in to close gap (timed when weapon is in centerline—when you move in the weapon will have moved away)
- Go for eyes or throat
- Or, control weapon hand/arm and attempt takedown and disarm
- Bearhug releases and follow-ups
- Under the arms and over the arms
- From the Front and the rear
- Headlock release and follow-ups
- One and two handed Lapel grab releases and follow-ups
- Wrist releases and follow-ups
- Choke defenses and follow-ups
- All drills performed with speed, power, intent to stop/incapacitate opponent yet with control
Yakusoku Kumite #7
Break Falls
Basic Throws
- Shoulder wheel throw (in preparation for Wanshu)
Basic wrist and arm locks
Readings:
- The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence A. Kane
- Tales of Okinawa’s Great Masters by Shoshin Nagamine
