Isshinryu Karate

Further Information

I find it's a lot easier to remember stuff if I've typed it in. Not to mention, this way, I can quiz myself when I get sleepy at work. :)

[ Creed | Code | Vocabulary | History ]

Karate Creed

I come to you with only karate: empty hands. I have no weapons. But should I be forced to defend myself, my honor or my principles; should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons: my empty hands.

Isshinryu Code

  1. The person's heart is the same as heaven and earth.
  2. The blood circulating is the same as the moon and sun.
  3. The manner of drinking and spitting either hard or soft.
  4. A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.
  5. The body should be able to change motion at any time.
  6. Action to hit is when the opportunity presents itself.
  7. The eye must see every way.
  8. The ear must listen in all directions.

Vocabulary

Weapons
Wooden staff Bo
3-pronged Okinawan weapon Sai
Wooden handle of millstone Tonfa
Long, curved, single edge blade Sickle
Two wooden sticks w/cord Nunchaku
 
Knife hand Shuto
Fore fist Seiken
Back fist Uraken
Spear hand Nukite
 
Stances
Attention stance Musabi dache
Parallel stance Hieko dache
Outside horse stance Shika dache
Inside horse stance Kiba dache
Forward stance Seisan dache
 
Cat stance Neko ashe dache
Inverted open-leg stance Nahanchie dache
Hooked stance Kake dache
 
Numbers
One Ichi
Two Ni
Three San
Four Shi
Five Go
 
Six Roku
Seven Shichi
Eight Hachi
Nine Ku
Ten Ju
Miscellaneous
Thrust Tsuki
Block Uke
Upper area of body Jodan
Middle area of body Chodan
Lower area of body Gedan
 
Sitting position Seiza
Front kick Mae geri
Side kick Yoke geri
Roundhouse kick Mawahi geri
Back kick Ushiro geri

Historical Notes

Isshinryu karate was founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku, who was born in Okinawa in 1906. After initially studying shuri-ti karate from his uncle, Master Shimabuku then studied kobayshi-ryu and shorin-ryu from Chotoku Kiyan and goju-ryu from Chojun Miyagi. Later, he returned to studying kobayshi-ryu and chorin-ryu from Choki Motobu. He then studied the art of the bo and the sai from Hirara Shinken and Yaby Ku Mo Den.

During World War II, he avoided conscription by fleeing to the countryside, and then later in collusion with soldiers from the Japanese Army, who he then taught karate to.

In 1956, Master Shimabuku officially created isshin-ryu, which combined the best techniques from shorin-ryu and goju-ryu. Isshinryu was designed to emphasize the most important parts of karate and to eliminate unnecessary and ineffective movements.

Master Shimabuku died in May, 1975; his son, Kichiro, then became the 10th Dan master.