Ryushu Blog

An update to an article originally written by Peter Zehr-Sensei in 2016 So here I am on a dreary winter day, thinking, “Where to now?”  I have just finished an amazing weekend of training with Peter Giffen, head of Ryusei Canada, and Matt Mannerow, one…

This Q&A introduces Randy Roach and his Cheticamp Karate Club to the rest of the Ryusei members. Despite his remote location on Cape Breton Island, Randy has pursued his love of martial arts travelling hours at a time by car to get instruction. More than…

The head of our style, Sakamoto-Sensei, is an 8th dan, and he decided that Ryusei Karate-Do would be an eight-dan system. So we have no ninth or 10th dans. The fewer black belt ranks didn’t mean much to us 24 years ago when Ryusei Karate…

Ce qui suit est une entrevue avec Chantal Lepage et Anik DesRosiers, les deux instructeurs du Onnano Dojo de Sherbrooke, Québec (Canada). Le dojo a été fondé par Chantal en 2001, dédié à aider les femmes victimes de violence et d’autres types d’abus. Aujourd’hui, le…

In December 2023, we were proud to accept Ed Docherty-Sensei and his International Chito-Ryu Karate & Fitness (ICKF) dojo as members of Ryusei Karate-Do Canada. Ed is a sixth dan who runs a strong school in Whitby, Ontario, and maintains a deep relationship with his…

Senior practitioners of Chito-ryu karate live under long shadows. First there is enormous shadow cast by founder Tsuyoshi Chitose, a martial arts virtuoso who studied under many masters and synthesized what he learned into his remarkable art. Then there are the shadows cast by the…

The English-language Ryusei Karate-Do Technical Manual was published last fall. It includes a translation of the original Japanese manual, written by Sakamoto-Sensei, with his understanding of Chito-ryu technique, as well some excursions into history and philiosophy. To this we have added illustrations of the lower belt techniques,…

When Sakamoto-Sensei came to Canada in 2000, he did a demonstration and for the first time I got to see the koryu kata being performed. These are old style or ancient kata once performed in Okinawa and often with Chinese roots. I was really impressed…

The following is a piece I wrote about my teacher, Shane Higashi – 9th dan, head of the Canadian Chito-Ryu Karate Association –  for the program given out at the celebration of his 50 years of teaching karate, held last April in Toronto. *   *  …

Most martial artists train to learn how to protect themselves and others. Eventually they ask themselves how well their training is preparing them for this task. After all, there are many styles and systems and not all really teach adequate self-defence skills. This oversight, in…

It’s a well-known fact that more than 100 years ago karate was referred to as “te.” I understand te to be a means of self-defense, an unbeatable martial art, and also a martial art that can transform into dance. However, I continue to question why…

A true fight is one where one or more of the fighters has the potential to sustain grievous bodily harm or even death. When a fighter understands this possibility, a whole range of physiological and psychological changes will occur, to different degrees. I will try…

Sakamoto-Sensei once told me to stop worrying about hitting my opponent. After time and practice, I think I finally understand why. When you stop worrying about hitting your opponent and just do it, your body flows more naturally. As you make contact, the power is…

Are “warming up” and “stretching” the same thing? Often people equate the two. But “warming up” and “long-term flexibility development” are really quite different concepts that have evolved over time. And our practice should reflect that. Faced with some sport or physical endeavour, most people…

Many years ago, I studied percussion under a world-renowned teacher. One of the most important things I learned was to practise slowly – as slowly as I could possibly go. In his words, “If you can’t play it right when you play slowly, how can…

For purposes of the following, the attacker can use either right gyaku-zuki or oizuki (reverse or lunge punch). However, as your practice of Henshuho advances, you should be able to deal with any kind of attack, from either side of the body. 1. Defender starts from…

When I travelled to Japan last fall, it was my third trip there and my first time back since 2004. Things in my life have changed since then. I now have a beautiful daughter. I’m out of my 20s and in my early 30s, and…

Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898 to1984) left a legacy in a karate method that he named Chito-Ryu. The name itself implies O-Sensei’s own historical view of the origins of Okinawan karate being rooted in Chinese kempo. The most notable feature of this karate method, though, is its…

On February 11, 2009, I traveled to Orlando, Florida, to visit James Acampora, an old friend and student of the late Chito-Ryu shihan Art Rott. In order to teach Chito-ryu karate, James has continued the dreams of his instructor by building a dojo and staying…

In trying to create a kyu belt manual for Ryusei Karate-Do, we were faced with a difficult challenge in how to illustrate our kihon, kata and kaisetsu. We didn’t have the money to hire an illustrator, and no one in our organization had the requisite skills. So…

I was born, in 1959, into a caring family. My father was from a modern Mennonite background and my mother from a city family. The big things in New Hamburg, Ontario, the small Canadian town where I grew up, were baseball, hockey and, to a…

To get power in your techniques, whether it’s punching, striking, blocking, kicking or throwing, you need certain common components. But remember, all these different facets of applying power must come together in a fraction of a second, so you have to train yourself thoroughly in…

Years ago, at a drinking party in Japan, I finally worked up enough nerve to pose a question that I was afraid would sound stupid. But it was something that had bugged me for a long time. Why do we have the separate basic exercises…

I believe the greatest martial arts movie ever made is Groundhog Day (1993), starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. In it, full-of-himself Pittsburgh TV weatherman Phil Connors (Murray) is sent with a producer Rita (MacDowell) and cameraman Larry to Punxsutawney, Penn., to cover its Groundhog Day festivities,…

In Japan, Shihohai (worship in four directions) is the first ceremony conducted in the Imperial Court at the beginning of each New Year. It is said to have its origins in yin and yang (two primal opposing but complementary principles) but there is no documentation…

Last December, Roland Figgs-Renshi, the head of Ryusei Karate-Do U.S.A., and his student, Dusty Stalcup, travelled to Japan to participate in the 18th Ryusei-Hai Tournament and Instructors Clinic in Katsukabe, Saitama in Japan. At the tournament, Figgs-Renshi provided his able officiating expertise, honed by his…

Modern karate, I believe, has strayed from the correct path, with many instructors separating the practice of kata and kumite. They think the two are not the same thing. I disagree with this point of view. When I started karate, in 1981, I enjoyed both…

In order to improve your overall technique, you need to introduce the concept of “sinking” into your training. You must feel as if you are dropping into the ground, as well as adopting a dead-weight feeling in your striking limbs and a dropping/sinking feeling while…

Ryusei Karate-Do Canada would like to welcome two new members. Rick Going (left) and Kambiz Miranbigi (right) are long-time Chito-Ryu members who have now establshed the Ottawa Ryusei Karate dojo. Rick GoingRick is a third-degree black belt and has been a member of the Ottawa Chito…

Most of us cast ourselves as heroes in our life stories. To achieve this exalted status usually requires us to ignore some inconvenient truths and put a spin on others. I usually present my decision to test for my 6th degree black belt in Japan…

Here is a copy of an essay I wrote on the technical theory of Ryusei karate. I haven’t marked this up for the Web, since I have included parts of it in other Ryushu articles (such as Hard to be Soft). Click here to see…

In June, 2006, I traveled to Kasukabe and Tsukuba City, in Japan, to join the Ryusei Embukai, attend a clinic by Sakamoto-Sensei and train with Okashita-Sensei afterwards. I was accompanied by two of my senior students, Warren Tresidder and David Waterman. On June 24, we…

We would like to greet and wish all the best for 2007 to Ryusei karateka in Japan, the United States and Australia. In Canada, over the next year, we intend to pursue our course of technical development that includes a series of special clinics and…

On July 24, 2006, Matt Mannerow and I drove from our Ontario towns to Cincinnati, Ohio, to train with Roland Figgs-Renshi and exchange techniques and ideas about Ryusei karate. We arrived at 3:30 p.m. and settled into our motel room not far from the Figgs…

Food For ThoughtIn the course of my karate training, I made three pilgrimages to live at the home of and train with Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984), 10th dan master and founder of Chito-Ryu karate: in 1977, 1979 and 1980. Each time I was humbled by the…

Oshi-zuki, or push punch (think the sequence in Chinto), is often taught as two oizuki (lunge punches) in a row. While this the right way to learn it, oshi-zuki is really much harder than this to do properly, and has applications that aren’t readily apparent…

In January 2005, following a serious dispute with the Chito-Ryu Sohonbu (Headquarters), the membership of the Australian Chito-Ryu Karate Association elected to separate from the International Chito-Ryu Karate Federation and pursue independent research into the technique and legacy of the founder, Dr Chitose. This was…

Very early in their training, karate students are taught a basic punch called oizuki (lunge punch). It is used frequently in basics, bunkai (applications) and kata, and is usually executed in hangetsu-dachi (the Ryusei forward stance). The beginning student should step first and then punch…

The Ryusei Karate-Do Technical manual is currently being translated from Japanese to English by James and Sonoko Hatch, Canadians currently living in Fukoka, Japan. Since the manual contains Sakamoto-Sensei’s advanced training concepts, described in complex kanji, the process of translaton and editing is laborious and…

When I was a young man training at the Chito-Ryu hombu in Kumamoto, Japan, O-Sensei (Tsuyoshi Chitose) would often stop a class to check our stances. He would go around to test leg muscles and exhort the students to use more shime (closing or contracting…

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Ryusei Karate-Do Canada is proud to announce that Ted Jungblut-Sensei has agreed to become a special technical advisor to our group. Jungblut-Sensei is one of the best karate fighters and technicians that Canada has ever produced.He is currently a rokudan (6th degree black belt) in…

In 2004, we in Canada plan to practise what we learned in 2003. Last October, we were visited by Sakamoto-Sensei, accompanied by his students Sakai-Shihan and Mr. Nishizaka, for a series of clinics in Ontario. The week of training gave us enough to work on…

The following document, translated by Mario McKenna, was written by Sakamoto-Sensei to North American Ryusei instructors before he conducted his clinics last October. Within Ryusei Karatedo system, kata, and techniques we can see the expression of ‘keii’ (literally ‘form and intention). Regarding keii, when performing…

Ukemi (breakfall)—how should it be used and what is its real importance to karate practice? Ever since I started training over 22 years ago, I have done ukemi. I was always fascinated by breakfalls, but I did not until recently understand the role that ukemi…

What is the purpose of kata? Many students ask this question. A kata is a series of linked techniques in which a number of different things are accomplished. Here are some points to consider: Kata are designed to stimulate your reflexes and to strengthen the…

Our organization, the Ryusei Karate-Do Federation, is now simply called Ryusei Karate-Do. (So the style and the association have the same name.) This means, for example, the Ryusei Karate-Do Federation Canada has become Ryusei Karate-Do Canada. Why the change? Last fall, Sakamoto-Sensei had a split with some…

It is our aim, in the United States, to diligently study Ryusei Karate in 2003. To make this goal possible, we plan to keep a close working relationship with Ryusei Karate-Do Canada. And, of course, we must stay in contact with Sakamoto-Sensei, who is the…

Over the last year, Ryusei Karate-Do Canada has seen some remarkable growth. Until January, our organization had only one dojo with a few members, Barrie Ryusei Karate. Then in January 2002, Peter Zehr and Matthew Mannerow, who used to belong to the Canadian Chito-Ryu association, joined Ryusei…

With the coming of winter, Ryusei karateka in both Japan and North America went a little nuts. We started going outside to test our spirit and bodies with “snow training.” The madness started in November when Ryusei yudansha in Ontario, Canada, took to backyard training…

What I recall about my early training with Ken Sakamoto is how serious, almost obsessive, he was about practice. The year was 1979 and the 29-year-old was a direct disciple of Tsuyoshi Chitose, the 10th-dan master and founder of Chito-Ryu karate. When I would wake…