What is the difference between These forms of Karate?

Isshin Ryu Karate and Goju Ryu Karate?





I do not want a google/wikipedia response, I would like to hear from people who have studied and love karate.|||Isshinryu Karate was founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku, the last of the great innovators of Karate. Master Shimabukuro (pronounced Shimabuku) was a renouned expert at what is now called Shorin-ryu Karate, which is the martial method of the guards at Shuri Castle in Okinawa. Shimabuku was the famous Master Kyan%26#039;s top student, and Shimabuku%26#039;s younger brother is now the grandmaster of Shorin-ryu. Shimabuku was also highly interested in Kobudo (he learned some sai from Kyan) and Naha-Te, now called Goju Ryu, and went on to study with Tiara Shinken, and Goju Ryu%26#039;s founder Chojun Miyagi. Shimabuku also studied Naihanchi kata under Choki Motobu, the famous fighter. Miyagi, Goju%26#039;s founder, only ever taught students 2 kata, and the two Shimabuku learned were Sanchin and Seiuchin. (After Miyagi%26#039;s death, his students put together all the kata they learned and created the kata set that is now taught in Goju ryu) Shimabuku%26#039;s Isshinryu karate was very popular among the Marines stationed in Okinawa, and Shimabuku even traveled to the Phillipines to teach Marines, and made two trips to the US. Isshinryu includes 8 empty hand kata, Seisan, (Kyan) Seiuchin, (Miyagi) Naichinchi (Motobu), Wansu (Kyan), Chinto (Kyan), Kusanku (Kyan), Sanchin (Miyagi) and Sunsu, Shimabuku%26#039;s personal kata which includes moves from many of the other kata, and even some kata Shimabuku did not include in the Isshinryu Curriculum. Isshinryu also has bo, sai and Tuifa kata, though the number and method of instruction of these vary from school to school.


Gojuryu, which is Miyagi%26#039;s fighting system, and Isshinryu have many similarities, (i.e. both practice Koteketai, and use makiwara) but the main difference is that Gojuryu goes more deeply into Miyagi%26#039;s system, while Isshinryu is still primarily Shorinryu, rounded out by Gojuryu.|||Goju Ryu is based on old Okinawan Naha-Te, an old form of karate, combined with elements of Chinese Kung Fu. The stances can be upright to somewhat deep, though not as deep as you%26#039;ll find in Shotokan. They combine linear striking movements with circular, open-handed grasping and parrying movements.





Isshin Ryu is what I describe, meaning no offense, as the mutant offspring of Shuri-Te and Naha-Te. It combines kata from both schools. The punches are performed with a vertical fist with the thumb on top, and the blocks are done with the meaty part of the arm instead of the bone. The stances are much more upright than most karate systems. The movements are never extended past 90%, in order to preserve the joints.|||I%26#039;ve actually studied isshin ryu and am belted in it. Although that wikipedia answer is correct isshinryu in practice has little application and is just a more advance form of Goju ryu and other arts combined. Isshinryu focuses on the vertical fist, strong katas and strong stances. During practice it was huge to know the bunkai (meaning and application) of everything you did. |||What up clowns?





It is kind of hard to say what the difference between these two styles is for the following reason:





Actually the founder of Isshin-Ryu karate Tatsuo Shimabuku studied Goju-Ryu karate and incorperated it into Isshin-Ryu. Isshin-Ryu is a combination of Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu, and as a result has elements of both. The % is about 80% Shoryn-Ryu and 20% Goju-Ryu. Since Isshin-Ryu contains elements of both, it is very hard to describe any major differences.





In reality most Goju-Ryu schools here do not train it the way it is trained in Okinawa. This stems from the fact that much as they did with the Japanese, the Okinawans did not want to share the best stuff with people who were occupying their country. One difference is that Goju-Ryu tends to use many more open hand techniques then Isshin-Ryu.





It would actually be easier to explain the differences between Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu, the two parents styles of Issin-Ryu. Goju-Ryu is more noted for it%26#039;s hard linear motion while Shorin-ryu is considered a more circular style. Goju-Ryu is often considered a harder style although it does contain soft techniques.





I have had it explained to me this way. A boulder rolls downhill at a Goju-Ryu master. The Goju-Ryu master will stop the boulder with a hard block, and then destroy it. A shorin-Ryu master would move out of the way and destroy the boulder as it wente by.





In actuality at advanced levels all Okinawan styles would tend to use softer techniques and Tai Sabaki to avoid on incoming motion and counter at the same time. At advanced levels in both styles any blocks would actually be parries or strikes.





Goju-Ryu does tend to emphysize stronger stances and more rooted power then Shorin-ryu at lower levels, but as I said they become much more similiar at upper levels.





hope this partially answers your question.|||Katana172version3 (hard name to remember) is right. Not going to repeat what he said, I%26#039;m tired just thinking about it.