Karate Incorporated

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Rome, Georgia

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Welcome to Our Web Site!

This is the site for all  Karate Incorporated School's and Students under the Direction of Renshi Sensei  Alton Martin and Managed By Sensei Matt Sommers. This site is Dedicated to the "Ultimate in Self-Defense Shorin-Ryu Karate". From  Okinawa to America. Brought Back By American Service Men after the Wars.

What is your Lineage  (Pedigree)
 
We teach Shorin Ryu Karate from Okinawa that was first taught by Tode Sukugawa and as taught to Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura and is what Bushi Matsumura taught. We do not teach modern Itosu based Shorin Ryu which Includes Pinan kata and others that were invented by Itosu Ankoh. We do not teach the karate that was a result of the meeting of the Masters or the transplantion of karate from Okinawa to Japan. We do not teach the karate that is currently propagated on Okinawa or by greedy Americans trying to make a buck. We are direct Sakugawa lineage through a unique chain of events. Our kata is as follows: Junji, Channan, Naifanchi, Seisan, Kushanku, Chinte, Bassia, Chinto, Useshi, Chinsu, Hakutsuru, Baihe, Huquan. We do not teach Old man kata method. We do not teach Sport Karate.

WHAT IS SHORIN-RYU KARATE?

Shorin-Ryu Karate Dates back to about 500 AD,
Originally called Shaolin it is the forerunner for most
modern Martial Art Styles. Shorin-Ryu Karate is based on
pure Self-Defense. Being comprised of Simultaneous Blocking
and Hitting, Trapping and Striking, Taisabaki (Body Shifting),
Kicks, Take Downs and Throws, Tuite (Joint-Locking), as well
as Katame (Grappling) and Kyusho-Jutsu (Pressure Point Strikes)
and Kobudo (Weapons Training). Finish it all off with Tameshiwara
(Breaking Skills).   

WHY SHORIN-RYU KARATE?

Shorin-Ryu Karate Called  "The Ultimate in SELF-DEFENSE" Is a  well balanced self-defense system and do to its age and the fact that it is used to a certain extent by our American Military and  Special Purpose Combat Teams as well as Special Law Enforcement Groups. Proves its Validity and Quality. We also believe this means that it has in the past; and is still being tested today in  "real time" REAL Combat !

WHAT ABOUT KATA?

The original combat martial arts contained no complex formalized movements and were simple to learn. This is a truth that no one wants to admit because nearly all modern martial arts use a pre-determined series of kata (Long sets of complex patterns of movements with “hidden” techniques that modern day karate instructor’s can’t agree on or even seems to know the same ones, that supposedly once learned act like a dictionary to help you remember all the complex made up crap that you just learned kind of like a dance routine) as forms training. World famous Bruce Lee would not accept this and instead broke with the new Japanese "tradition" and trained in a free-form manner. He did not know that the precedence was in his favor. In reality he had stumbled upon Jiyu Kata or Mukei (No form). For Bruce it just made since. Anyone who has been instructed in Mukei feels the same.

 

Long complex set patterns for training did not occur until karate was transplanted from Okinawa to Japan in the Edo period during the 17th century. In little Okinawa, Mukei was an important method of training until 1902, when Yasutsune Itosu taught school children. He wanted a way to teach school-age kids so they would remember what they had been taught and so he would not have to worry how they would use what they had learned. Only being taught the movement and not the applications, they would not be able to use it to cause mischief and violence. When Karate was transferred to mainland Japan, it was this "institutional" version that went with Gichin Funakoshi and the others.

The older version of karate training still exists here in America with the last people who have been taught the complete art of  Shorin Ryu Karate (Shaolin Way) which includes: Tode Sakugawa’s  Karate, Bushi Matsumura’s Suide, Jigen Ryu and  Gotente, the Minamoto and Motobu family's style of Bushi Te. We still teach the original Mukei kata, and we teach Yakusoku Kata. It is common for students to have been trained by another teacher in one of the modern karate “styles” before coming to our system. We welcome every one that wants to learn. We may well be the last Okinawan native system to be instructed in the truly ancient manner.

In America this is one KARATE School that has chosen to continue the ancient tradition we teach Jiyu Kata. All Yudansha (black belts) practice Mukei with all Waza (techniques). This allows the practitioner to react in a spontaneous and natural manner.

 

WHO CAN LEARN SHORIN-RYU KARATE?

EVERYONE CAN!   However we recommend  Children start Shorin-Ryu around age thirteen as we do not award  Black Belts to anyone under  the age of eighteen.

Then What Do you Teach Children?

 Lets face it children do not learn the same way as adults nor do they have the same compacity for understanding or required Disciplne, reflexes, power, or speed etc! to learn adult Karate?  That is one of the reasons why Yasutsune Itosu Changed the kata for Children, and the reason why kata was taught to children without the Bunkia (Applications) This difference in progressional or graduated learning is why we have  different levels in  School  and Children start out in Pre School, and Kinder Garten  rather than in High School or College.
 
This is also why teachers who work with and teach Children have Special Degrees For that purpose. So wouldn't you think their Karate Instructor  Should to?  A Black Belt does not give someone the required Knowledge to teach children.  A Black Belt is a tangible symbol  (a Goal) that shows a student has learned the Basic,s. Today however you will find many  Instructors neglect to; or just don't get the extra training needed to teach Children. That is why you will find many children who will tell you "I Used to take Karate but I quit because it was boring." These later turn into Adults  who say "I took Karate as a Child but I don't remember much about it". ( I'll bet you Know someone just like that!.)
 
This is why we offer specialized age Appropriate Childrens Curriclums and  this what sets our Instructors apart from everyone else. Please See under Children's Classes.

  According to resources, children are exposed more and more everyday to violence from the media as well as movies and real life. Children spend 80% of their time outside of school.  94% of the U.S. voters think that it would be better if children and teens are included in after-school activities that allow them to learn and experience new things. Do you Agree?  Email us your thoughts!

PROUD MEMBER OF THE

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May God Bless America!

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Thanks for visiting,  and be sure to get in touch and let me know what you think! 

Contents Copyright © 1987-2011
Al Martin Sensei,  Associated Karate Schools
and Karate Incorporated
All rights reserved by
Al Martin & Associated Karate Schools
and Karate Incorporated