Shohei-ryu
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|---|---|
| Emblem of the Okinawan Karate-do Association, which developed Shohei-ryu | |
| Country of origin |
 Okinawa, Japan |
| Creator | Okinawan Karate-do Association |
| Parenthood | Pangai-noon Kung Fu |
| Ancestor arts | Uechi-ryū |
| Official website | www.okikukaihq.jp |
| Meaning | "Shine brightly with fairness, equality, and peace" |
Shohei-ryu (昭平流 Shōhei-ryū) is a style of Okinawan karate that is descended from Uechi-ryū, and hence from Pangai-noon Kung Fu.[1] Following the 1991 death of Kanei Uechi, son of Uechi-ryū founder Kanbun Uechi, there was an organizational split and the directors of the Okinawa Karate-Do association officially created the name Shohei-Ryu for their organization's version of the style.[1] In Japanese Shohei-ryu means to "shine brightly with fairness, equality, and peace". The organization's chairman is Tsutomu Nakahodo.[2]
The art is practiced internationally, with schools in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.[3]
Ryuko Tomoyose (Shohei-ryu Hanshi 10th Dan) was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Asset in the Field of Okinawan Karate and Martial Arts with Weaponry by the Okinawa Prefecture in 2000.[4]
The Okikukai Emblem
"The emblem is really a composite of two symbols, one representing the old Okinawa and the other the new. The off-center circle-within-a-circle is the official prefectural symbol of Okinawa; the outer red ring represents the ocean, the inner white ring peace, and the central red sphere means development or progress. This symbol of modern Okinawa is enclosed within a symbol of the ancient Ryukyuan Kingdom consisting of three yellow waves that circle a white region. The Okinawan emblem combines symbols to represent the continuity of ancient Ryukyuan values within modern-day Okinawa, and the concentric circles motif symbolizes, variously, the eternity of Heaven and Earth, self-completion, equality, and peace. This whirling vision of justice and peace, so central to the Okikukai philosophy, is also the confident expression of the belief that the ancient Ryukyuan ethos continues and will continue to enliven Okinawan life.".[5]
Kata
The kata of Shohei-ryu [6] are a superset of Uechi-ryu:
- Sanchin
- Kanshiwa
- Kanshu
- Seichin
- Seisan
- Seiryu
- Kanchin
- Sanseiryu
- Ryuko
References
External links
- Okikukai The international headquarters of Shohei and Uechi Ryu.
- English language version of headquarters website
- Description of Uechi-ryu.
- History of Shohei-ryu and Uechi-ryu (brief).
- History of Shohei-ryu and Uechi-ryu (detailed).
- The Ryuha Name Significance of the name Shohei-ryu.
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