Shorin-Ryu’s roots can be traced back to Chinese Martial Arts. These Fighting Arts were brought to the Ryu Kyu islands, now known as Okinawa. Shorin-Ryu was created by Chosin Chibana, a top student of legendary Master Anko Itosu. Shorin-Ryu is desended from Shuri-Te Karate.
The original Karate styles were named after the villages that they came from. Shuri-Te came from the village of Shuri and Te meant hand. Shuri-Te was one of four original styles that would evolve on the island to later be called Karate.
Shorin-Ryu is a style of Karate that has high, narrow stances, and straight movements. Agile and fast movement to evade attacks is paramount in the art of Shorin-Ryu.