Shuri-Ryu

[shaolin_al]

I saw that a thread similiar to this maybe more then one has been posted before. I come from a background in CMA mainly and am looking to get back into martial arts. There is a Shuri-Ryu Dojo near me and I was wondering what people's opinions are who have trained or currently train in the system?

[chinto]

I saw that a thread similiar to this maybe more then one has been posted before. I come from a background in CMA mainly and am looking to get back into martial arts. There is a Shuri-Ryu Dojo near me and I was wondering what people's opinions are who have trained or currently train in the system?

well there are several systems that could provably claim that title.. but I would ask what is its linage and that will tell me a lot about it. so if you could find out something of its linage I would be able to maybe give you a clue... but the name " shuri Ryu" is not one I have heard of persay. my guess is its a Kobayashi Shorin Ryu dojo.. as their linage goes strait to Itosu and from there to Bushi Matsumura... but please ask them what their linage is and some questions about what style it is. If they say "Linage means nothing"... or " I don't know" comes out of the instructors mouth.. run .. do not walk for the nearest exit!

[cstanley]

Shuri-ryu is the style created by Robert Trias back in the late 50's early 60's. It is mix and match karate ( a little Shotokan, a little Shorin, and a LOT of Trias). He made up a bunch of his own kata and just generally had a ball making stuff up. On the negative side, I think people who do that muddy the water and dilute the tradition.
On the positive side, Trias was a good guy and got a lot of people started in karate. He formed the USKA, a huge karate organization in the 60's and 70's and his stable included everybody who was anybody in US karate in that day (Wallace, Bowles, Corley, Wren, Foster, Hayes, Abel and a bunch of others). Many joined his organization while remaining in their own ryu, so it wasn't just open to Shuri ryu. I believe his daughter took over after he died and she may still be heading it up.

[twendkata71]

the Shuri ryu style claims the Okinawan karate monicer. but Nowhere on Okinawa will you find an Shuri ryu school. Trias supposedly trained with a student of Choki Motobu. The Kata of Shuri ryu do come from several sources, Shotokan, Goju ryu,Shorin ryu. Trias changed the kata from their original. He did have a connection with Master Konishi (founder of shindo jinen ryu/Ryobukai). And Master Suzuki(seibukan international/Goju ryu), I am not sure if he actually trained with these individuals, but he did recieve rank from Konishi and Master Gima(Shoto ryu), Gima was a student of Funakoshi's.
Trias did have many connections to masters in Japan and this in turn helped his USKA grown. After Trias died in 1989 his organization fell apart.
In spite of the fact that for one, their were three different names/styles that he created(Shuri ryu,Shorei ryu, Shorei Goju kempo), most of the Shuri ryu stylist that I have incountered have been excellent
karate ka in their own right with sound technique. And their kata wasn't bad either. There is also elements of Hsing I kung fu in the Shuri ryu style.
Their still is no documented proof of Trias's teacher Tung gee Hsing existing or being an actual student of Motobu, and why he would since he was a Hsing Yi kung fu stylist. He supposedly trained in Tenshin Shinyo ryu kempo Jujitsu while in Singapore, with another Chinese person. And also trained in Judo.
Irreguardless of Trais's stories to make his style more legitimate, he did produce many very talend karate people. He did by all account have a great deal of karate knowledge, wherever it may have come from.

[cstanley]

Well, his knowledge was not very deep at all. He started out as a "Camp Hansen one-year wonder." He had some photo ops with some Japanese and Okinawan people, attended a seminar or two, and talked a good line. Had he really any depth of knowledge, he would not have needed (or wanted) to make stuff up and change kata. In his defense, he was simply too ignorant to know any better. Anyway, when I knew him, he was so fat he could barely get a belt around his waist and would be out of breath walking across a gym. Damn, I tried to be nice in my first post.:toilclaw:

[shaolin_al]

LOL Cstanley. I find all of this extremely interesting as I see there are mixed beliefs about the Trias system. One thing I have realized though is many systems of martial arts seem to have somewhat unprovable backgrounds. I read that Trias studied Goju Ryu and wanted to remove many of those kata from his system, however some of his students continued to train them and kept them within their own flavors of the system. Anyone else read this?

[searcher]

Just to add a bit to the above posts. Many that study shuri-ryu are big into the sport karate scene and they do pretty good, many world and national ckamps in their ranks.

The kata they perform are all geared toward competition.

[shaolin_al]

That makes sense. The sensei at this dojo told me that their school does not focus at all on tournaments or competing. I come from a background in traditional arts but it sounds like Shuri-Ryu might not be right for me. Thanks for the replies so far. Anyone else who studies Shuri-Ryu have info to share?

[Grenadier]

I trained in Shuri Ryu for several years, under two different teachers, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Twend wrote up a pretty good summary about the Shuri system, so I'll just add a few points to it.

The system was bequeathed to Robert Trias' daughter, Roberta, after his death. For one reason or another, the system split into two factions, one headed by John Pachivas, and the other headed by Roberta Trias-Kelley, and those two factions are still going strong. Robert Bowles now leads the Pachivas faction after Pachivas' death back in the 90's.

The kata in the system are a mixture of Trias' creations (Go Pei Sho, Dan En Sho), as well as ones commonly practiced in other systems (Naihanchi, Sanchin, Bassai Dai, Empi, Kanku Sho, as well as Nandansho / Nijushiho, Ten Sho, etc). The ones that are shared with other systems are still significantly different, but that does not dilute the learning in any way, shape, or form.

If anything, the kata tended to be more circular than their Shotokan equivalents, and gave me an interesting insight into things. Regardless of whether they originated from Trias or not, interpretation of the kata is strongly emphasized (bunkai / oyo), and the students are expected to understand the kata from both the performer's point of view, as well as the attackers' points of view.

There's a good bit of grappling involved in the Shuri Ryu training, too. It can certainly be argued, that Shuri Ryu is a well-rounded system.

The way I see it, if someone trains under a competent Shuri Ryu instructor, I see no reasons why he couldn't be just as good, if not better, than someone training in Shotokan, Wado, Goju, Isshin, etc. The chief instructors of the system are all excellent teachers, and I would have gladly stayed with the system, if there had been a school in my area after I had moved.

If someone can trace his lineage back to one of the chief instructors, current, or deceased, then for all intents and purposes, that's good enough for me. Trias left behind a solid group of strong Karate teachers (Roberta Trias, Pachivas, Bowles, Abele, Benson, Awad, Rabino), and the style continues to grow to this date.

Of course, this doesn't include the ones who were tossed out of the organization...

[Grenadier]

I read that Trias studied Goju Ryu and wanted to remove many of those kata from his system, however some of his students continued to train them and kept them within their own flavors of the system. Anyone else read this?

Depends on what faction... Those who continued to train in the Goju-Shorei system still keep the Goju kata in there, while those training in Shuri Ryu, stick to the core list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuri-ry%C5%AB

[twendkata71]

The Shuri ryu people that I know personally are, John Jelks,Woodrow Fairbanks, Mike Awad, Roger Monk, and Ridgely Able(from his days as a USAKF coach with Don Madden.) I was throughly impressed by Master Jelks, Master Fairbanks, Master Awad and Master Able.
All I really have to say it the "The man makes the art , The art does not make the man."

[cstanley]

Actually, the traditional understanding is that the art, indeed, does (or should) make the man. Otherwise, all you have is a cult.

[Grenadier]

Well, his knowledge was not very deep at all. He started out as a "Camp Hansen one-year wonder." He had some photo ops with some Japanese and Okinawan people, attended a seminar or two, and talked a good line. Had he really any depth of knowledge, he would not have needed (or wanted) to make stuff up and change kata. In his defense, he was simply too ignorant to know any better.


I'm simply going to disagree with you on this matter. Most of the kata in the system are already practiced in other systems. While there are some subtle differences in the way they're performed by a Shuri Ryu practitioner, versus a Shotokan / Wado / Goju / Shito practitioner, that's to be expected. Kata such as Kanku Sho and Nandan Sho (their equivalent of Nijushiho) aren't exactly pieces of chopped liver, after all.

There are only a handful of kata that Trias created. None of them are lacking in substance, and each of them can impart some important lessons.

The way I see it, if he could perform all of the kata that he required everyone else to do for their ranks, then I would strongly doubt that he was "simply too ignorant to know any better."




Anyway, when I knew him, he was so fat he could barely get a belt around his waist and would be out of breath walking across a gym. Damn, I tried to be nice in my first post.:toilclaw:


He wasn't exactly in the best of health in his last decade of life. He was also dying of bone cancer, and fought the battle for years. Even after he knew it was terminal, he still got up every day, to teach classes, and carry out his duties.

In his prime, he was in pretty darn good condition.

In the end, those who create their own systems, are going to be judged not by how strong they were in real life, or how much money they made, but rather, what kind of legacy they left behind. To Trias' credit, he left behind an organization that has survived the times, continues to grow, and has produced many excellent martial artists. The chief instructors of the system are all respectable folks, and their martial arts skills aren't something to laugh about.

[Grenadier]

That makes sense. The sensei at this dojo told me that their school does not focus at all on tournaments or competing. I come from a background in traditional arts but it sounds like Shuri-Ryu might not be right for me. Thanks for the replies so far. Anyone else who studies Shuri-Ryu have info to share?

Shaolin_al,

If you get a chance, ask the sensei about taking a free class or two, and let your own eyes be the ultimate judge of whether you think you'll like it or not.

I did the same thing back in 1997, and don't regret my time training in Shuri Ryu at all.

[shaolin_al]

What you have said so far is very deep Grenadier. I've noticed any system that has been founded more recently always seems to draw a lot of haters. Even jeet kun do isn't respected by traditionalists but that still does not take away from the effectiveness of the system. I believe whatever system one trains that gives them peace and keeps them happy is worth their time,effort,and money. Ill keep you updated when I get a chance to check the place out. Thank you everyone so far for your replies!

[twendkata71]

You do make a good point.





Actually, the traditional understanding is that the art, indeed, does (or should) make the man. Otherwise, all you have is a cult.

[Shuri_Ryu_Phil]

Shuri-ryu is the style created by Robert Trias back in the late 50's early 60's. It is mix and match karate ( a little Shotokan, a little Shorin, and a LOT of Trias). He made up a bunch of his own kata and just generally had a ball making stuff up. On the negative side, I think people who do that muddy the water and dilute the tradition.
On the positive side, Trias was a good guy and got a lot of people started in karate. He formed the USKA, a huge karate organization in the 60's and 70's and his stable included everybody who was anybody in US karate in that day (Wallace, Bowles, Corley, Wren, Foster, Hayes, Abel and a bunch of others). Many joined his organization while remaining in their own ryu, so it wasn't just open to Shuri ryu. I believe his daughter took over after he died and she may still be heading it up.

Wow.No Shuri ryu is the same as Shuri Te .Trias just gave it a different name in the US.Shuri Ryu is known by other names in Okinawa.Also Hanshi Bowles is now the head instructor of Shuri Ryu.

[Shuri_Ryu_Phil]

Just to add a bit to the above posts. Many that study shuri-ryu are big into the sport karate scene and they do pretty good, many world and national ckamps in their ranks.

The kata they perform are all geared toward competition.


What do you mean by competition katas?Do you even know the katas we have???
Yes Shuri ryu has alot of good competitiors but if you took Shuri Ryu youd know its much more then soem silly competition Karate.

[cstanley]

Wow.No Shuri ryu is the same as Shuri Te .Trias just gave it a different name in the US.Shuri Ryu is known by other names in Okinawa.Also Hanshi Bowles is now the head instructor of Shuri Ryu.

Shuri ryu is not Shuri Te. Shuri Te is the old name for what was Itosu Kai and the ryu that derived from it. Shuri Ryu is Trias' creation, has many made up kata and chnages to the original kata. It is an American style and was intended to be.

[Shuri-Ryu-Phil]

Shuri ryu is not Shuri Te. Shuri Te is the old name for what was Itosu Kai and the ryu that derived from it. Shuri Ryu is Trias' creation, has many made up kata and chnages to the original kata. It is an American style and was intended to be.
Not exactly the same but extremely similar.

[cstanley]

Not exactly the same but extremely similar.

How are they "extremely" similar? In what ways?

[Scarey]

I don't know much about Shuri Ryu, but my training is in Shorei Goju Ryu, one of the other three Trias styles. I'm not sure how the Trias styles were when he was around, but ours tends to be a bit revolutionary, in the sense that it can upset traditionalists. We basically take the stance that there is no style that cannot be improved by the addition of more functional elements, and the subtraction of the less. However, there is still the core system which remains mostly the same. It's interpretation just changes with the oncoming of new knowledge and techs. If Shuri Ryu is at all similar in it's openness to new knowledge, I would definitely recommend it. At least in lieu of my own style to which I am obviously biased, and is not exactly available on a widespread basis. (being that it is mostly in Indiana)

[cstanley]

I don't know much about Shuri Ryu, but my training is in Shorei Goju Ryu, one of the other three Trias styles. I'm not sure how the Trias styles were when he was around, but ours tends to be a bit revolutionary, in the sense that it can upset traditionalists. We basically take the stance that there is no style that cannot be improved by the addition of more functional elements, and the subtraction of the less. However, there is still the core system which remains mostly the same. It's interpretation just changes with the oncoming of new knowledge and techs. If Shuri Ryu is at all similar in it's openness to new knowledge, I would definitely recommend it. At least in lieu of my own style to which I am obviously biased, and is not exactly available on a widespread basis. (being that it is mostly in Indiana)

Sounds a lot like innovation to me. Whatever floats your boat.

[Paquita]

If you go to this site there is a section that talks about the shuri ryu style.This is where I trained, and will again starting in the summer. I can't wait!

www.shurite.com

[Grenadier]

If you go to this site there is a section that talks about the shuri ryu style.This is where I trained, and will again starting in the summer. I can't wait!

www.shurite.com (http://www.shurite.com)


Hanshi Abele's school. I enjoyed my years of training there, as well. An excellent teacher, and even more importantly, a great man.

Have you been to one of the symposiums yet?

[Shuri-Ryu-Phil]

The roots of Shuri-Ryu are in Okinawa, especially in the Shuri-Te karate of Ankoh Itosu and Choki Motobu and the Hsing Yi Chuan of Tung Gee Hsing. Robert Trias, the style’s founder, trained with Tung Gee Hsing, who had cross-trained with Choki Motobu earlier in the Okinawan village of Kume Mura. Tung Gee Hsing taught Trias Hsing Yi (the “Intellectual” Fist) and Shuri Karate Kempo. Later Trias studied with Hoy Yuan Ping, Gogen Yamaguchi, Roy Oshiro, Yasuhiro Konishi, Makoto Gima, and several other teachers. Konishi awarded Trias with the 9th Dan in 1964 and was a prominent student of both Choki Motobu and Gichin Funakoshi. Gima was a prominent student of Funakoshi and awarded Trias the 10th Dan in 1983. Both, Konishi and Gima helped Trias reconstruct the old Shuri-Te system of Okinawan karate with some modifications, hence a new name for the system was designated Shuri-Ryu. Shuri-Ryu also incorporated some Naha katas and methods.

[Brandon Fisher]

The roots of Shuri-Ryu are in Okinawa, especially in the Shuri-Te karate of Ankoh Itosu and Choki Motobu and the Hsing Yi Chuan of Tung Gee Hsing. Robert Trias, the style’s founder, trained with Tung Gee Hsing, who had cross-trained with Choki Motobu earlier in the Okinawan village of Kume Mura. Tung Gee Hsing taught Trias Hsing Yi (the “Intellectual” Fist) and Shuri Karate Kempo. Later Trias studied with Hoy Yuan Ping, Gogen Yamaguchi, Roy Oshiro, Yasuhiro Konishi, Makoto Gima, and several other teachers. Konishi awarded Trias with the 9th Dan in 1964 and was a prominent student of both Choki Motobu and Gichin Funakoshi. Gima was a prominent student of Funakoshi and awarded Trias the 10th Dan in 1983. Both, Konishi and Gima helped Trias reconstruct the old Shuri-Te system of Okinawan karate with some modifications, hence a new name for the system was designated Shuri-Ryu. Shuri-Ryu also incorporated some Naha katas and methods.
Phil,
Thank you for that. Very interesting history. I have a question, does Shuri Ryu incorporate Kumemura Hakutsuru in the kata curriculum at any point?

[Grenadier]

Phil,
Thank you for that. Very interesting history. I have a question, does Shuri Ryu incorporate Kumemura Hakutsuru in the kata curriculum at any point?

Hakutsuru is taught, but from what I've seen, it's strictly optional. I've never seen it as a requirement for advancement.

Each year at the International Martial Arts Symposium, Hanshi Robert Bowles teaches the kata during one of the sessions. I hope to take his seminar this coming October.

[Scarey]

Hakutsuru is taught, but from what I've seen, it's strictly optional. I've never seen it as a requirement for advancement.

Each year at the International Martial Arts Symposium, Hanshi Robert Bowles teaches the kata during one of the sessions. I hope to take his seminar this coming October.


Where is this symposium held?

[searcher]

Do you even know the katas we have???
Yes Shuri ryu has alot of good competitiors but if you took Shuri Ryu youd know its much more then soem silly competition Karate.

Yes, I know which kata you have. I know several of Mr. John Sharkey's students and have known them for several years. I am not attacking your style of choice, I am merely making an observation. I have been training long enough in Okinawan Karate and the martial arts to be able to evaluate a kata. When I see a kata with stances and techniques used in a manor that is set towards gaining a higher score, it is what I am saying when a kata is geared towards competition.

[Brandon Fisher]

Thanks

[Grenadier]

Where is this symposium held?

It's held in Columbia, South Carolina, usually around the 1st weekend of October. You can find the details on Hanshi Abele's website:

http://www.shurite.com

[shaolin_al]

Thanks everyone for contributing so far. I think I might go check this school out and see if I like it.

[Paquita]

Thanks everyone for contributing so far. I think I might go check this school out and see if I like it.

Are you close to this area (Columbia)? If you are, maybe we could meet sometime.

[Never_A_Reflection]

I certainly hope you like what you see in checking out that Shuri-Ryu dojo. I have been studying Shuri-Ryu for going on two years, and I find that it is a very effective system that is a lot of fun to work. I know that there was a tournament and seminar this past weekend in Fort Wayne, IN hosted by Hanshi Bowles--my sensei won the Shuri Cup there and his sensei was promoted to 8th degree--and such seminars can be very informative, so if you do plan on attending in October, you will definitely want a notebook! Good luck, and have fun.

[Grenadier]

I know that there was a tournament and seminar this past weekend in Fort Wayne, IN hosted by Hanshi Bowles--my sensei won the Shuri Cup there and his sensei was promoted to 8th degree

Was that Joe Walker? If so, then congrats to him on a well-deserved promotion.



--and such seminars can be very informative, so if you do plan on attending in October, you will definitely want a notebook! Good luck, and have fun.

No shortage of topics, that's for certain, since Shihan Abele brings in many instructors from a wide variety of systems (Ju Jutsu, Shotokan Karate, Shito Ryu Karate, various Kobudo systems, Wing Chun, FMA, etc). The healing arts clinics seem to be quite popular there, too.

[shaolin_al]

I do have to say the connections to xing yi quan could be fake or real I have no idea and don't think it will ever be proved, but personally in the past I have studied xingyi and do see some minor similarities in movements of shuri-ryu kata.

[Never_A_Reflection]

Was that Joe Walker? If so, then congrats to him on a well-deserved promotion.

Yes, Mr. Walker was promoted to 8th degree, and his step-son, Joseph Johnston, who is my sensei, won the Shuri Cup. Overall, a pretty eventful weekend for us.

[BrianF]

I too am looking into Shuri Ryu and live in Indiana. Fort Wayne is a bit too far to train witn Mr. Bowles. I found a school in Muncie, IN, which is much closer.

Is anyone familiar with this school? I am new to the forum and do not know whether it is appropriate to state the name of the school/instructor, so I will withhold it for now. Not to hide it, just to make certain I comply with any rules here. The instructor seems knowledgable and is well respected in the community.

Any help will be appreciated.


Thank you.


BrianF

[Brandon Fisher]

I too am looking into Shuri Ryu and live in Indiana. Fort Wayne is a bit too far to train witn Mr. Bowles. I found a school in Muncie, IN, which is much closer.

Is anyone familiar with this school? I am new to the forum and do not know whether it is appropriate to state the name of the school/instructor, so I will withhold it for now. Not to hide it, just to make certain I comply with any rules here. The instructor seems knowledgable and is well respected in the community.

Any help will be appreciated.


Thank you.


BrianF
I am familar with several of the older schools in Indiana who is it teaching Shuri Ryu in Muncie? This way maybe I can help a little more.

Brandon

[Never_A_Reflection]

Believe Mr. George Sheridan runs that school. He is a 7th degree blackbelt, last I knew, and I believe he is also a County Sheriff. I know that Mr. Walker knows him, and I recall hearing stories about Mr. Sheridan, but I can't recall what they were. I will be practicing Judo with Mr. Walker tonight, so I will try to remember to ask him what he knows about Mr. Sheridan for you.

[Brandon Fisher]

Believe Mr. George Sheridan runs that school. He is a 7th degree blackbelt, last I knew, and I believe he is also a County Sheriff. I know that Mr. Walker knows him, and I recall hearing stories about Mr. Sheridan, but I can't recall what they were. I will be practicing Judo with Mr. Walker tonight, so I will try to remember to ask him what he knows about Mr. Sheridan for you.
I have heard the name but really don't know more than that. Sorry!!

[Grenadier]

Believe Mr. George Sheridan runs that school. He is a 7th degree blackbelt, last I knew, and I believe he is also a County Sheriff. I know that Mr. Walker knows him, and I recall hearing stories about Mr. Sheridan, but I can't recall what they were. I will be practicing Judo with Mr. Walker tonight, so I will try to remember to ask him what he knows about Mr. Sheridan for you.

Yup. You pretty much described Sheridan Sensei. He's one of the chief instructors of the Shuri Ryu system under the Bowles faction, and a darn good teacher.

He's hard nosed, indeed, but you'll learn a lot from him. He has a pretty good working knowledge of Kobudo as well.

[Never_A_Reflection]

Mr. Walker has informed me that Mr. Sheridan is, indeed, a bit of a hard-nose, as Grenadier said, but his technique is good and you will most certainly learn a great deal from him.

[BrianF]

NAR, Brandon, Grenadier:

Thank you for your replies. The instructor is Mr. Sheridan and I have observed his classes a couple of times. I also know him outside the dojo. He is well respected as a LEO and as a person.

My questions were about the school/style and those have been answered. I hope that work and family commitments will allow me to begin training with him.

Thanks again.


Brian F

[shaolin_al]

The school i'm looking at is of the Robert Trias system. The instructor is a woman who learned from him, but she has been training and/or teaching shuri-ryu for over 25 years.

[Never_A_Reflection]

Well Brian, I am glad that you had your questions answered, and I sincerely hope that life allows you to bring Shuri-Ryu into it. It is definitely going to give you a workout, mentally and physically, and I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I do. If you get into it and ever find yourself one state over and you end up in Central Illinois, send me a message or look up our dojo and we'd be glad to have you in to work out with us.

~Noah

[Grenadier]

Shaolin_al,

You're in a great location for Shuri Ryu training. Arizona is chock full o' senior Shuri Ryu sensei, and Hanshi Trias-Kelley is in your area, too.

Anyways, I hope to see y'all over at Hanshi Abele's International Martial Arts Symposium in South Carolina this October.

[twendkata71]

Hope to see you at the international symposium as well. Mr. Able has a lot of great talented masters there every year.

[Shuri Ryu Sonny]

The school i'm looking at is of the Robert Trias system. The instructor is a woman who learned from him, but she has been training and/or teaching shuri-ryu for over 25 years.

I've been training at the Double Dragon for about five years now, where; Renshi Fran is the chief instructor, a sixth degree black belt in Shuri-ryu, under Osensei Dr. Roberta Trias-Kelley, 10th Degree black belt. Other instructors are her son Kosensei Billy,and Kosensei "Samurai" John Nelson, Jr both third degree black belts.

I do feel that the Roberta Trias Kelly Faction stayed more traditional where as the John Pachivas faction, where I believe that John Sharkey follows has kinda I don't know if "killed" the tradition is the correct word, but they do seem to pratice a more "flashy" style then what we consider traditinal.

[dancingalone]

Yeah, but what does 'traditional' mean in this case? I had understood shuri-ryu had a lot of Mr. Trias' own creations within it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but shuri-ryu is not an art that is centuries old after all.

Good luck with your training!

[kohelet]

very interesting opinions of Shuri-Ryu. I have trained this style since 1986 and currently hold 4th dan under Lorraine Lewis who currently holds 9th dan under Dr. Trias-Kelly. Yes it is a creation of Robert Trias. Yes it does have a basis in the karate of Okinawa. If i remember correctly Trias got the name for his new style from Konishi. No it is not Shuri-te! reguardless of what some might tell you. We do however use some technique that are no longer taught in most Okinawan karate such as the older form of the punching hand keeping the fore finger straight rather than curled and keeping the elbow down rather than to the side and bent as in most modern karate. That being said, Shuri-Ryu is an uniquely American creation. I personally think that you would do well to try a few classes at the dojo you have found and see how you personally feel about it. The good thing about having many styles to choose from is that there is bound to be one that fits everyone's needs. Shuri-Ryu does have a couple of factions as far as its current organization and leadership but the basics are the same where ever you go. Sensei Lewis teaches a veriation that is quite different than both the ISA group and that taught by Dr. Trias-Kelly. She has trained with many different instructors since she began in 1965 and has seen many developments over that time. In my humble opinion it is a great system and has developed a wonderful group of excelant karate ka. As for Trias himself, his liniage will be a subject of debate for ages to come but his accomplishments are beyond question. He has done more for the early development of karate in America than any other of his time. As was said in earlier posts, during his time anyone who was anyone in karate was in some way associated with him and his USKA. It is one of the several styles created or influenced by Trias and has withstood the test of time. Trias may not have specifically detailed where he obtained his karate knowledge but I assure you his knowledge was authentic and based both in the karate of Okinawa and some form of Chinese martial arts, though I personally doubt it was Hsing-Yi specifically. It is however rooted in the internal arts because Sensei Lewis is a stickler for not being what she calls jokingly Um Gawa! meaning hard and muscular. Trias Karate is to be soft and internal using leverage and proper bone alignment with softness for its effectiveness, which seems to be lacking in Japanese karate of today atleast in its early ranks.


Eric Eubanks 4th dan Shuri-Ryu, 4th dan Shorei-Ryu

[Grenadier]

very interesting opinions of Shuri-Ryu. I have trained this style since 1986 and currently hold 4th dan under Lorraine Lewis who currently holds 9th dan under Dr. Trias-Kelly.


Well met! After I left South Carolina (under Ridgely Abele), I trained with the Trias-Kelly faction for two years, under Renshi Fran Babbino, who is also one of O-Sensei's students (6th dan).

Even though I'm quite happy at my current dojo, training in Japanese Karate, there are times that I look back at the Shuri Ryu training, and really miss it. Hopefully, I can brush up a bit when I go to this year's symposium in a few weeks.



being said, Shuri-Ryu is an uniquely American creation.

Indeed. There was a pretty good discussion on the Yahoo group, regarding this matter. In the end, it's an American creation, with an Okinawan flavor.

Regardless of the origin, though, it's a solid system, and O-Sensei Trias (Robert) left behind quite a legacy. All of the chief instructors of the Shuri Ryu system from the two major factions are top notch instructors, and I've enjoyed training under both factions as well.

[miguksaram]

Yes, I know which kata you have. I know several of Mr. John Sharkey's students and have known them for several years. I am not attacking your style of choice, I am merely making an observation. I have been training long enough in Okinawan Karate and the martial arts to be able to evaluate a kata. When I see a kata with stances and techniques used in a manor that is set towards gaining a higher score, it is what I am saying when a kata is geared towards competition.

Sorry to raise a dead thread...but I am slow at work today. :) Anyway, I am one of Sharkey's black belts and we do practice our stances at different levels, one being traditional and the other gear towards competition. Those who have been in the sport karate circuit knows that it is more about performance than it is about pure tradition.

BTW Infidel...what is your name?

[miguksaram]

I've been training at the Double Dragon for about five years now, where; Renshi Fran is the chief instructor, a sixth degree black belt in Shuri-ryu, under Osensei Dr. Roberta Trias-Kelley, 10th Degree black belt. Other instructors are her son Kosensei Billy,and Kosensei "Samurai" John Nelson, Jr both third degree black belts.

I do feel that the Roberta Trias Kelly Faction stayed more traditional where as the John Pachivas faction, where I believe that John Sharkey follows has kinda I don't know if "killed" the tradition is the correct word, but they do seem to pratice a more "flashy" style then what we consider traditinal.
Our lineage is not under Pachivas. We are under the Koppel tree..Trias->Koppell->Bouryley/Bridgewater->Sharkey

[kohelet]

I know from experience that the Koppel group have interesting variation in their kata. In some instances I like his version better than the ones used in the other groups. Too bad Koppel and Trias had a falling out of sorts. Both great karate leaders in their own right.

As for Today's Shorei/ Shorei-Goju/Shuri styles I would say that even with the minor variations between them the are all great styles to train and make some fine karate ka. This coming weekend here in Asheville NC we are having the honor of a public seminar with Terry B. Sanders, 3rd person ever promoted to black belt by Trias and current head of Shorei-Ryu, and would love to see a packed house. He is a great instructor and a wonderful personality as well. He will be teaching the kata Suparimpei as well as weapon forms and theory.

Eric Eubanks, 4th Dan Shuri-Ryu 4th Dan Shorei-Ryu