Matsumura Orthodox Shōrin-ryū
Matsumora Orthodox Shorin Ryu is a style of martial art that was brought to Okinawa by a Chinese envoy named Kusanku. In Okinawa, Kusanku’s style was combined with the local style of boxing named Te (hand) and became known as Kara-Te (first China Hand and then Empty Hand). Sokon (Bushi) Matsumura, the royal bodyguard of the Okinawan king, perfected this art and handed it down through direct family lineage. Nabe Matsumura (the grandson of Sokon Matsumura) taught the style to his nephew, Hohan Soken, who went on to found Matsumura Seito (Orthodox) Shōrin-ryū to distinguish it as containing the original kata as taught by Bushi Matsumura. Our dojo teaches the original katas that were developed by Matsumura paired with the Hakutsuru (white crane) kata taught to Hohan Soken (and further developed by others in our lineage) by the Chinese tea merchant Go Kenki. These kata stress the actual combat applications of the art, including nerve strikes, grappling, body alignment and pressure point techniques.
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