Our Style

Matsumura Orthodox Shōrin-ryū

The roots of our art

Shōrin-ryū is a style of martial art that was brought to Okinawa by a Chinese envoy named Kusanku. This combined with a local form of boxing called Te (hand) to become Kara-Te — first "China Hand," and then "Empty Hand."

Sokon (Bushi) Matsumura, the royal bodyguard and chief instructor of three Okinawan kings, perfected this art. Our kata stress the actual combat applications of the art, including nerve strikes, grappling, body alignment, and pressure-point techniques.

Kata truly is the heart of karate. It teaches self-discipline, breathing, and serves as a living catalog of the techniques of our system — and ultimately, the lesson of life-long self-improvement.

Students practicing karate at Crane Karate Academy

The Curriculum

Shōrin-ryū Kata

Beginner

  • Naihanchi Shodan
  • Naihanchi Nidan
  • Naihanchi Sandan
  • Pinan Shodan
  • Pinan Nidan
  • Pinan Yondan

Intermediate

  • Wansu
  • Ananku
  • Seisan
  • Pasai Sho
  • Pasai Dai
  • Tsuru Sanchin

Advanced

  • Chinto
  • Kusanku
  • Gojushiho
  • Ryushoken
  • Gohoken
  • Matsumura Rohai
  • Tomari Rohai

What to expect

We teach Okinawan kata and self-defense techniques that incorporate hand strikes, elbow strikes, kicks, knees, joint locks, and throws. Training includes body conditioning, calisthenics, sparring, and breaking to build confidence, focus, strength, and speed.

We place significant emphasis on developing basics and conditioning to create a solid foundation — both for health and to allow people to safely execute the more advanced techniques.

At the foundational levels we use hard blocks and strikes. As students reach the intermediate and advanced stages, the art transitions to a much softer style focusing on flow, control, and quickly stopping an attacker.

Crane Karate Academy students and instructors together in the dojo
Young students lined up at a karate tournament
Black belts holding their ShidokanUSA rank certificates

Words of the Masters

On the spirit of karate

"To all those whose progress remains hampered by ego-related distractions, let humility — the spiritual cornerstone upon which Karate rests — serve to remind one to place virtue before vice, values before vanity, and principles before personalities." Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura
"Karate may be referred to as the conflict within yourself, or a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training, and your own creative efforts." Shoshin Nagamine
"Spirit first, technique second." Gichin Funakoshi
"Karate-do is definitely a martial way, and its identity lies in do or principles. Any martial art without proper training of the mind turns into beastly behavior." Shoshin Nagamine