- Seishin-do Karate (SSK) are expanding, if you or your club is interested in joining our association please contact us for more information, see our contacts page or look for a club local to you for more details.
Welcome to ‘Seishin-Do Shukokai Karate’
We are an association of Professional Karate Instructors teaching the Shukokai Style of Karate-Do throughout the North of England.
‘Seishin-do’ means ‘The Way of Positive Spirit’
Our aim is to provide responsible karate tuition by top professional instructors in a safe and friendly environment. Karate is a fascinating martial art encompassing Tradition, Sport, Fitness and Self-defence in one exciting training programme.
Regular beginners classes run at all our clubs allowing you the opportunity to get involved in Karate. So come along and join in.
A brief history of Shukokai Karate
In 1609 a newly unified Japan invaded the island of Okinawa and outlawed the carrying and use of all weapons. As a result the people developed systems of unarmed combat. Over the centuries the systems were improved as several different forms emerged due to outside influences from China and the use of common farming and fishing tools as weapons.
However Karate literally means “empty hand” and Karate do “the way of the empty hand”
 Kenwa Mabuni |
Shukokai Karate, "The Way for All" is a dynamic form of Okinawan Karate, which has evolved from careful analysis of the dynamics and principles of traditional karate. The lineage of Shukokai is such that it can be considered a direct descendant of its parent style, Shito Ryu. The Shito Ryu school of Karate was founded by Soke Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952). Mabuni, like many of the old karate masters, was descended from the Okinawan warrior class, or “bushi”. Now Shito-ryu is one of the most wide-spread styles of karate in the world.
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How Shukokai Evolved
Chojiro Tani was born in Kobe, Japan in 1921 and began studying the art of Karate during Junior High School at the Gojo School of Karate. He entered Doshisha University in 1940 and furthered his studies of karate under the direction of Ken-na Mabuni (son of Soke Kenwa Mabuni). In 1948 he opened the Shukokai School of Karate in Kobe, where he taught Tani-ha Shito-Ryu. He also organised clubs in Kyoto University and Osaka College of Economics, Tottiro University and Kobe University Medical School.
Outside of Japan, Tani's style spread mainly in Europe (Kofukan International). Shigeru Kimura, one of the students of Chojiro Tani then promulgated Shukokai to the Great Britain and United States, whilst Yoshinao Nambu continued to teach in Europe.
In 1968 Sensei Tani and Sensei Kimura introduced the style to England.
 Sensei Tani |
 Sensei Kimura |
Firstly, read this quick because I doubt it will be here long!
Well, I recieved a letter this morning singing the praises of the SKU because my instructor has left. Having read through it, I have to say that I dont think it's made me want to stay with the SKU, if anything it's made me happy to leave. Personal attacks on instructors and back handed attempts to make you move to another club are questionable at best. I've even heard a rumour that a certain 9th Dan black belt has decided to open a club in the very same location as one other instructor who has left which I must admit I find morally dubious and quite distasteful.
While I have nothing against the SKU or any of the instructors or members personally, I do feel that the black belt I got a few years ago is all but meaningless now. I've seen people breeze through black belt gradings like it was a mere formality that was in the way of the end of day presentation. Anyone who's had a black belt for more than a few years must see new Dan grade students and almost cry.
My 1st Dan was an achievement (albeit only 3 years ago), everyone who went with me worked very very hard and we were sweating buckets after doing numerous left/right combinations, I've been to recent gradings to help other students and seen them doing a handful of combinations before being sent off for the next line to go up. Rather than 2 people doing padwork at a time, there were 6 at one grading I was at, who could realistically mark, let alone SEE what was going on.
Anyway, after seeing the new syllabus I'll be following recently, I feel a lot more confident that it will help me in more real world situations / self defence, which in this day and age I think is very important. Rather than some of these self defense bits being drills we did every week as an extra to the syllabus, they are incorporated into it and enhance the syllabus in my view. Both myself and my family will benefit from a more progressive syllabus, and while I'm a 2nd Dan now, I'm under no illusion that what I've learned so far from the syllabus I'm leaving behind would do me much good in a situation we see all too commonly on our streets these days.
Again, nothing personal against the SKU or it's members, but I must say this letter today and the other rumours have given me a very bitter taste. |
