Shōrin-ryū Karate is the third-oldest Okinawan style of Karate, developed from the earlier tradition of Shuri-Te. It is a discipline I have dedicated many years to studying and practicing, gaining a deep appreciation for its techniques, philosophy, and historical significance.
00:59Hello, it's me, the Real Joe, and this is Martial Arts Style, a brief history of Shurenru Karate.
01:10Shurenru Karate was founded in 1933 in Okinawa by Choshin Chobana, who during the pre-World War was one of the karate masters known as the Last Warrior of Shuri.
01:23Shurenru may have been officially founded in 1933, but the style dates way back to the ancient days of Okinawa when the small island was known as the Ryuku Kingdom.
01:39The Ryuku Kingdom was the name of Okinawa in the ancient times before the Japanese takeover.
01:46The kingdom of Ryuku traded with mainland Japan and China.
01:51Shurenru Karate is the ancestor of Shurite, which derides from Te, the oldest style of karate.
02:00Shurite, along with some Chinese martial arts, helped give birth to Shurenru Karate.
02:06Shurenru is the first Okinawan style to use the word Roo.
02:14Shurenru, which when translated means the Small Forest Style.
02:21Like most styles of Okinawan karate, Shurenru's low stances are not deep, and most of the training in the ancient days took place on the sandy beaches.
02:33Naim Matsumura, who is the grandson of Bushi Matsumura, the founder of Shurite Karate, helped his family keep Shurenru alive.
02:44From there, he taught his nephew, Hohan Soken.
02:49Hohan Soken helped launch Shurenru into the Western civilization, which brings us to today's Shurenru.
02:57Shurenru helped pave the way for the first three Japanese-based martial arts styles, such as Shotokan, Wadoru, and Shitoru.
03:06During the late days of World War II, the Battle of Okinawa took the lives of thousands of innocent Okinawans.
03:16After the U.S. government took control of Okinawa, they outlawed any style of martial arts for a couple of years.
03:24The martial arts of Okinawa went underground, including Shurenru karate.
03:29Also, like most Okinawan styles of karate, before the introduction to Western civilization, there was nothing fancy about the art form.
03:41It was used for exercise, combat, and self-defense.
03:47There were no competitions or dozens of colored belts.
03:51When the belt system was introduced, it started out as a white belt, and then through years of training with the belt around the waist, it would start turning dark, going from white to brown, and then black, and from there it would become gray.
04:11Like most styles of karate today, Western civilization has watered it down and turned it into a competition art by changing the katas around and making it a bit fancy, adding numerous colored belts and more.
04:30But in Okinawa, you can still find the traditional style of Shurenru karate, which is strictly for exercise, combat, and self-defense.
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