Michael J. Dobyns

Isshinryu is a karate style all its own. Thereis no astyle similar to it. Even though ishhinryu's roots lie in thae major Okinawan styles of Gojuryu and Shorinryu, it remains completely different.

If you have ever studied any other form of karate, Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan, or Korean, and then enetered an Okinawan Isshinryu dojo to observe a class, you should be able to pick out the differences right away. For instance, you will not see the traditional corkscrew punch executed at all. In its place you will notice vertical punches executed with lightning speed. You will also notice that the thumb is placed on top of the fist rather than the side. Another noticeable charactgeristic is that none of the blocks are executed bone against bone (sometimes referred to as 'hard style blocking'). Each Isshinryu block is executed with ulna and radius bones, along with the muscles in between.

These differences, and many many others that the founder of Isshinryu incorporated into his style may be the reason Master Tatsuo Shimabuku was considered a rebel by his fellow masters and a karate 'menjin' (genius) by his followers.

Contents

Preface
About the author
Chapter 1 History of karate
Chapter 2 The founder of Isshinryu
Chapter 3 Tatsuo Shimabuku's teachers
Chapter 4 Issinryu
Chapter 5 Mizu Gami
Chapter 6 The Isshinryu Kata
Seisan kata
Seiuchin kata
Naihanchi kata
Wansu kata
Chinto kata
Sanchin kata
Kusanku kata
Sunsu kata… (meer)