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Workouts resume |
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Stanford Shorin-Ryu Matsubayashi-Ryu
Karate Club The Stanford Shorin-Ryu Karate
Club is offering students, faculty and staff an opportunity to register for
the Spring Quarter karate classes. Shorin-Ryu provides an excellent opportunity to improve
one’s self confidence and mental and physical conditioning. An extremely conservative Okinawan
fighting style, Shorin-Ryu (Matsubayashi-Ryu)
Karate is a centuries-old merger of Chinese gung-fu and the Okinawan fighting art “Te” (meaning fist) and
is widely acknowledged as the “original” style of Karate. Students are instructed according to
traditional Okinawan techniques, rather than being
trained to participate in sport karate contests. Two central tenets shape Shorin-Ryu training:
it is a conservative style and it is a hard style. Being conservative, Shorin-Ryu
stresses defensive measures until an opening has been created at which time
all energy is focused on delivering a single knockout blow. A hard style, in contrast to a soft style,
uses one’s own strength and force to overcome the attack – in
essence the blocking technique is designed to be as destructive as an attack. Shorin-Ryu training takes the shape of an
intense physical workout requiring (and building) stamina and mental
focus. Shorin-Ryu
is noted for its simple and aggressive attacks involving the use of the
hands, elbow and kicks. Teaching
methods include kata (formal exercises), floor
exercises and drills stressing fundamental elements and line training, circle
training and free fighting (kumite) to ensure
self-defense prowess. Instruction in the use of traditional weapons such as bo, sai, tonfa
and nunchuku begins at the black belt level. In addition, physical conditioning and
stretching exercises are incorporated to round out the training
sessions. Shorin-Ryu
karate classes are conducted in a formal, disciplined manner without
exception. This provides the optimum environment to allow each student to
focus on karate training and minimizes distraction and disruption. Shorin-Ryu training is designed to enable
the student to develop power, speed, self-confidence and fighting
proficiency. In Shorin-Ryu,
one does not reach any standard; one trains more intensively to become a
beginner. A student never ceases to be
a student. One does not
intellectualize; one experiences. The
role of the karate instructor is to embody and display good technique –
all that an instructor can possibly “say” about the art is
expressed in his movements. It is the
responsibility of the student to bridge the gap by observation, participation
and imitation rather than attempting to question or analyze. Thus, all instructors participate fully in
all workouts to provide examples of technique, speed, timing and mental
attitude. The Stanford Shorin-Ryu Karate
Club has operated continuously since 1987 under the same leadership. Beginners are accepted during the first two
weeks of each quarter and each student, at the end of the quarter, is tested
individually. Rank is awarded strictly
according to prowess and is registered nationally with the American Karate Federation. All Shorin-Ryu
AKF dojos are non-profit organizations and do not
operate as commercial entities. For more information call 650-724-0457 or email lorenzen AT stanford DOT edu.
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