Matsubayashi-ryū

Matsubayashi - Ryu (Japanese松林 流) is a Karate style that was founded in 1947 by Grand Master Shoshin Nagamine. Matsubayashi - Ryu is now one of the main directions within the Shorin- Ryu family of traditional Okinawan Karate and is a highly original form of karate. The name of Matsubayashi - Ryu ( Ryu = " style " ) was chosen in honor of the old Grand Master Matsumura Sokon and Matsumora Kosaku. Matsubayashi means " pine forest " ( Matsu = " pine " and Hayashi = " forest " ), which also alludes to the Shaolin origin ( Shaolin = " small forest ", is said to have location in a pine grove ) of the Okinawa Karate.

Characteristics of style

In Matsubayashi - Ryu relatively high levels, a natural breathing and straight movements are practiced. Coaching Kata plays in Matsubayashi, as well as generally in the original Karate, a central role. In traditional dojo are often practiced for half of the training time or longer kata. In addition to basic techniques and seven so-called Yakusoku Kumite forms - these are fixed attack and defense combinations - as well as dealing with traditional weapons, such as with the long stick ( Bo) practiced.

Kata

In the style, there are 18 kata, which can be summarized into the following groups:

• Fukyugata Ichi and Ni Fukyugata: The two introductory kata
• Pinan I - V ( Pinan Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, Godan ): These five kata were created around 1900 from old Kata to teach karate to the Okinawan schools. The Pinan kata are the original versions of the West widespread Heian Kata IV
• Naihanchi I - III ( Naihanchi Shodan, Nidan, Sandan ): This kata has been used from time immemorial to introduce beginners in karate. They convey other than the Pinan Kata body principles. This kata are the precursors of known as Tekki I-III in Japan Kata.
• Wankan, Ananku, Wanshu, Rohai, Passai, Chinto, Gojushiho, Kushanku: These are eight traditional Kata, which have been used for centuries to learn karate.

The founder of Matsubayashi - Ryu

Shoshin Nagamine was born on 15 July 1907 on Okinawa. He began his studies at the age of 17 years led by Taro Shimabuku and later learned among the famous karate masters Ankichi Arakaki, Kyan and Choki Motobu Chotoku. From 1931 to 1935 he was taught by Grandmaster Chotoku Kyan, who influenced his karate prevail. During a training period at the Police Academy in Tokyo in 1936, he learned Choki Motubo know and talked with him, even after the return of both to Okinawa contact. Motubo was considered one of the strongest free-fighting experts on Okinawa. In 1953, Shoshin Nagamine gave up his police career and opened in Naha on Okinawa his own dojo, which he called " Kodokan Matsubayashi Ryu Karate ". Nagamine was the founder and president of the Okinawa Karate -Do Federation. In 1975 he wrote the highly acclaimed book " Essence of Okinawan Karate Do ," in which his style is presented. In his later years, Shoshin Nagamine have devoted the interplay between karate and Zen. Shortly before his death in 1997 he held in Hawaii, a noted speech "Karate Do and World Peace ." The Matsubayashi style was up to its filing in 2012 by Shoshin Nagamines son, Soke Takayoshi Nagamine, in the home dojo continued in Okinawa. There are, however, particularly in the U.S., many Dojo Matsubayashi, which are organized independently from the home dojo.

Matsubayashi - Ryu has on Okinawa and in the U.S. many followers. For historical reasons, there are currently in Europe, relatively few schools that teach Matsubayashi - Ryu or other traditional karate styles from the Shorin- Ryu family. Since about 2005 there has been but also in Germany, the first dojo in which Matsubayashi - ryu is taught. One focus is currently in North Rhine -Westphalia. Furthermore, there are also in Northern Germany 2 Matsubayashi -Ryu dojo.