Dojo Crest & Name

Please note we are currently teaching from our private home dojo (see note below).
Classes are by appointment only.

Our dojo crest consists of an outer area where at the top we have the kanji for "Ryukyu Karate Kobudo". Ryukyu is the old name for Okinawa, prior to its annexation by Japan in the late 1870's. On the lower portion we have the name of our dojo. The inner gold ring is interpreted as symbolizing a "circle of a family (Wa)", within our dojo we have a feeling that all our members are part of the dojo family (kazoku). We have leaves encircling the red hidari-gomon in the center, which symbolizes the continuing growth and development in our training.

The hidari-gomon, the symbol that is synonymous with Okinawan karate worldwide is the original coat-of-arms of the Royal Sho Family of Ryukyu. Our representation symbolizing the roots of our karate, Okinawa.

The fist represents the power and strength of karate, kenpo, chuan-fa, china-hand, and many other names by which martial arts are known all over the world. It is the universal symbol for karate in modern times.

The crossed "Sai" represent our rich heritage in Okinawan weaponry and the skill necessary to learn and excel in kobudo.

Dojo Name

The name of our Dojo, the SHURI KARATE DOJO, is hugely significant within the traditional martial art of karate from Okinawa.

Karate, originally developed on the small island of Okinawa, was the birth place of much of the karate we see today. However, with karate being introduced to the mainland of Japan in the late 1920's, much of what we see as karate today is not the original "old ways" (Koryu) karate. Formerly known as "Tode" or "Ti". Today most karate schools teach a modern sport orientated karate, with much of the original techniques removed or at least unrelated to any form of self-defence. To most dojo the kata are seen as a way to pass an exam and obtain the next belt, rather than the complete self-protection system that are the classical kata with the effective techniques contained within them.

Many Karate masters of the time originated from the small village of SHURI and many of its exponents called their system of Karate, SHURI-TE (literally - hand of SHURI).

At the time most of the karate on the island of Okinawa was of the "Koryu" (old ways) school of training. The kata and techniques were developed to protect their lives in an uncertain and often dangerous environment. The SHURI KARATE DOJO is dedicated to promoting and preserving these "old ways".

Please Note:

We do not accept all applications for membership. Our dojo follows the older Okinawan tradition of training from a small home based dojo. We follow a strict code of conduct and all applications are considered on merit. We only accept those students who are dedicated and committed to Karate training for the long term.

Note for experienced martial artists: This is a private dojo that is not open to visitors without first gaining permission to train. The dojo exists to take beginners from white belt onwards. It does not cater to experienced martial artists looking for one-off training or transferring from another style.