Kobayashi Shorin-ryu
Encyclopedia
Kobayashi Shōrin-ryū ( is the school of Okinawa Shorin-ryu karate
founded by Chōshin Chibana
. The style is properly called Shorin-Ryu.
in 1915, one of Itosu's most senior students, Choshin Chibana, wanted to continue to teach the Shorin-ryū
style of karate he learned from his instructor. Chibana named his system Shorin-ryū, but using the Chinese characters for "small" (小) and "forest" (林). Chibana lineage schools are commonly referred to as "kobayashi," but this is technically incorrect, as Chibana never used this term to refer to his karate. It was meant to be “Shorin” as tribute to the Shaolin Temple. (Shorin is the Japanese
and Okinawan
pronunciation of Shaolin
). However, he believed strongly that Shorin-ryu was largely Okinawan and purposely modified the first character from the Chinese "Shao/Sho" so it would retain its originality. As other schools later adopted the name "Shorin-ryū," the term "kobayashi" was probably added to describe which exact characters were used to write the term "Shorin," but was never meant to be the official name of the style.
In 1920, Chibana opened his first dojo
in the Torihori district of Shuri. Spellings such as "Tottoribori" or "Tottori-cho" are erroneous and incorrect. The old name of Torihori was Tunjumui, so it is unknown where these erroneous names came from. He later taught in other parts of Shuri such as Gibo and Yamakawa, and in Naha at Kumoji and Asato, with the main Chibana dojo being in Yamakawa.
Chibana taught this style of Shorin-ryū until his death in 1969. Each of his top students went on to create his own branch of Shorin-ryū: Nakama Chozo created Shubokan, Yuchoku Higa created Kyudokan, Katsuya Miyahira
created Shidō-kan, and Shūgorō Nakazato
created Shorinkan
.
The kanji are never written as 小林小林流 (kobayashi shorin-ryu) but always as 小林流 (shorin-ryu). The term Kobayashi Shorin-ryu is only used in the west and only by certain branches of Shorin-ryu. The Japanese reader of the kanji 小林流 automatically knows it is not Matsubayashi-ryu 松林流 because the kanji are different.
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
founded by Chōshin Chibana
Choshin Chibana
was an Okinawan martial artist who developed Shorin-ryū karate based on what he had learned from Ankō Itosu.Chibana was the last of the pre-World War karate masters, also called the "Last Warrior of Shuri" He was the first to establish a Japanese ryu name for an Okinawan karate style, calling...
. The style is properly called Shorin-Ryu.
History
After the death of Anko ItosuAnko Itosu
is considered by many the father of modern karate, although this title is also often given to Gichin Funakoshi because the latter spread karate throughout Japan.- Biography :...
in 1915, one of Itosu's most senior students, Choshin Chibana, wanted to continue to teach the Shorin-ryū
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
style of karate he learned from his instructor. Chibana named his system Shorin-ryū, but using the Chinese characters for "small" (小) and "forest" (林). Chibana lineage schools are commonly referred to as "kobayashi," but this is technically incorrect, as Chibana never used this term to refer to his karate. It was meant to be “Shorin” as tribute to the Shaolin Temple. (Shorin is the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and Okinawan
Okinawan language
Central Okinawan, or simply Okinawan , is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni, and a number of smaller peripheral islands...
pronunciation of Shaolin
Shaolin
The shào in "Shaolin" refers to "Mount Shaoshi", a mountain in the Songshan mountain range and lín means "forest". With sì , the name literally means "monastery/temple in the woods of Mount Shaoshi"....
). However, he believed strongly that Shorin-ryu was largely Okinawan and purposely modified the first character from the Chinese "Shao/Sho" so it would retain its originality. As other schools later adopted the name "Shorin-ryū," the term "kobayashi" was probably added to describe which exact characters were used to write the term "Shorin," but was never meant to be the official name of the style.
In 1920, Chibana opened his first dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
in the Torihori district of Shuri. Spellings such as "Tottoribori" or "Tottori-cho" are erroneous and incorrect. The old name of Torihori was Tunjumui, so it is unknown where these erroneous names came from. He later taught in other parts of Shuri such as Gibo and Yamakawa, and in Naha at Kumoji and Asato, with the main Chibana dojo being in Yamakawa.
Chibana taught this style of Shorin-ryū until his death in 1969. Each of his top students went on to create his own branch of Shorin-ryū: Nakama Chozo created Shubokan, Yuchoku Higa created Kyudokan, Katsuya Miyahira
Katsuya Miyahira
was an Okinawan martial artist who was the grand master of the Shorin-ryu Shido-kan style of Okinawan Karate and the president of the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate Association. He is ranked Hanshi, 10th Dan. Miyahira created the Shido-kan branch of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu after the death of his teacher,...
created Shidō-kan, and Shūgorō Nakazato
Shugoro Nakazato
is a Japanese martial artist. Described as a "one punch artist" by some of his American students, Nakazato has developed his karate sparring into a fine fighting art. He has several large photographs of himself on his dojo wall, and has given many demonstrations on the Japanese mainland, as well as...
created Shorinkan
Shorin-ryu Shorinkan
is a branch of the Kobayashi Shorin-ryū style of Okinawan Karate, developed by Shūgorō Nakazato, Hanshi 10th Dan. Nakazato was a student of Chosin Chibana. After Chibana's death in 1969, Nakazato assumed the title of Vice President of the Okinawa Shorin-Ryū Karate-do Association...
.
About the name
"... now the Japanese call it 'kobayashi style' but that is incorrect - but that is all right because only people who do not know Okinawan karate will call it by that name. Since they do not know you must gently remind them or the Okinawan people will laugh at their ignorance. After all, it is funny, many foreign people call it kobayashi shorin-ryu (小林小林流)- that is just like saying shorin shorin-ryu. It doesn't make much sense ..."The kanji are never written as 小林小林流 (kobayashi shorin-ryu) but always as 小林流 (shorin-ryu). The term Kobayashi Shorin-ryu is only used in the west and only by certain branches of Shorin-ryu. The Japanese reader of the kanji 小林流 automatically knows it is not Matsubayashi-ryu 松林流 because the kanji are different.