Sunday, May 27, 2012 by C. Michial Jones
To the outside world, I am a Goju-Ryu man. However, I have always held an “odd fascination” with the other side of the Okinawan coin. While my foundation is built on the Hard and Soft of Naha-te, I have spent a great deal of my life “playing amongst the pine forest”—training deeply in the various branches of Shorin-Ryu.
A Diverse Foundation
My exposure to the Shuri-te and Tomari-te lineages wasn’t a rebellion against Goju-Ryu; it was part of the education my father provided.
- 1979: While learning Goju from my father, I began training in Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu under Bud McCollar on opposite nights.
- The Arizona Years: Living in Glendale, Arizona, provided a buffet of elite instruction. I trained in Shuri-Ryu with the legendary Robert Trias, returned to Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu under Jiro Shiroma, and even explored Uechi-Ryu with Al Sadler and Shito-Ryu with Rudy Croswell.
The Scholar’s Lunch Break
By 1989, I was back in Indiana, but the “research” intensified. I began training in Matsumura Seito Shorin-Ryu with Phillip Koeppel and Shuri-Ryu with Mike Awad.
One of my fondest memories is the time I spent with Eddie Bethea. He worked in my town and would spend his lunch breaks in private training sessions with me, freely sharing his deep knowledge of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu and Kobudo. These sessions weren’t about rank or certificates; they were about two men who simply loved the work of Karate.
A Who’s Who of Okinawan Influence
As the 90s progressed, my “road trips” took me into the dojos of some of the most respected figures in the arts:
- Shogen Oyakawa (Kobayashi)
- John Lennox (Isshin-Ryu)
- Tom Short (Motobu-Ryu Seidokan)
- Steve VanCamp (Motobu-ha Shito-Ryu)
- Fuse Kise & Yuichi Kuda (Matsumura Seito Shorin-Ryu)
- Koei Nohara (Ryukyukan Kobayashi)
- Roy J. Hobbs (Seidokan)
Looking back at this list, it isn’t about “name-dropping.” It is about giving recognition to the men who helped me realize a fundamental truth: Karate is simply Karate.
The Yushikan Synthesis
At the Yushikan, I strictly teach Goju-Ryu and Kobudo. I have not formally taught Shuri-Ryu or Shorin-Ryu since 1999. However, it would be “rude” to stop practicing the gifts these teachers gave me. I maintain my own Shorin-Ryu training privately.
Does this “outside” knowledge creep into the dojo? Absolutely. When I teach a joint lock, a hip transition, or a specific entry, it is informed by 45 years of seeing how the same problem is solved by different lineages.
Style names are useful for history and branding, but they can also be cages. My father made sure I had a diverse education so that I would never be limited by a name. I teach Goju-Ryu, but I practice Budo—and in Budo, all paths eventually lead to the same mountain peak.
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