shito ryu karate

Historical background

Shito-ryu - founded by Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952) as a fusion of both Naha-te and Shuri-te. Born in Shuri in Okinawa, Mabuni Sensei was a descendant of the famous Onigusukini Samurai family. He began his instruction in the art of Shuri-Te at the age of 13, under the tutelage of the legendary Ankoh Yasutsune Itosu (1813-1915). One of his close friends, Sensei Chogun Miyagi (founder of Goju-ryu), introduced Mabuni to another master, Kanryo Higaonna Sensei, and he began to learn Naha-Te under him as well. While both Itosu and Higashionna taught a ‘hard-soft’ style of Okinawan ‘Te’, their methods and focus were quite distinct: Itosu prioritized straight and powerful techniques as exemplified in the Naifanchi and Bassai kata; while Higashionna focused on circular motion and shorter fighting methods as seen in the popular Seipai and Kururunfa kata. Together, these were the two main influences on the development of Mabuni Sensei and the system he established. To honor his teachers, he named his school "Shito-ryu", where Shito is derived from the combination of the first Japanese characters of Ankoh Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna. Mabuni was also strongly influenced by other Tomari-te masters like Aragaki, Matsumora, and Kyun Chotoku, all of whom contributed to the richness of the developed Shito-ryu style.

Shito-ryu's distinguishing feature is its large number of kata combining Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te elements (between 50-60 kata), a combination of both the long-distance fighting techniques of Shuri-te and the close-distance fighting with heavy movements and special breathing techniques of Naha-te, and an emphasis on the “spirit of the fist of the noble men” (kunshi no ken).

 

 

Shito-ryu Karate at Derech

Being the traditional heart of Derech, the Shito-ryu curriculum and its approach to practical self-defense are the foundations of the training. Basic technique practice (kihon) and research of the Shito-ryu kata compose the main learning methodologies. These are primarily and heavily rely on the teachings of Gonzalo Villarubia sensei. 

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