SHUKOKAI KARATE ASSOCIATION

It is important to remember, however, that the towns of Shuri, Naha and Tomari are only a few miles apart, and that the differences between their arts are only of emphasis and not of real substance. Beneath these surface differences, both the methods and aims of all Okinawan Karate are the same... 3 distinct styles emerged named after the cities in which they were practised: Shuri-te was from the capital, Naha-te from another large city and Tomari-te after the major port. Shuri-te was a "hard" style based on the Chinese Shaolin approach, Naha-te carried softer Chinese elements and, being based in a port with many influences, Tomari-te was a mixture of many styles.

Primary location: United Kingdom