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Revision as of 14:57, 31 March 2005 by 82.92.14.180 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Gensei-Ryu is a karate style and has its roots in Shuri Te, one of the three original karate styles on Okinawa (a Japanese island). It was developed by Sensei Seiken Shukumine (1925-2001) who combined classic techniques with new ones and so formed an improved version of the Okinawa-Te he had learned from grandmasters Sadoyama and Kishimoto. The name he gave to this style comes from Gen ('universe', but also 'subtle and deep truth'), Sei ('control', but also 'system' and 'creating a form') and Ryu (stream, school, tradition). The combination Gensei-Ryu means we pursue the deep truth and make it clear once after we get the truth. Sometimes is spoken of Genseikan, where the term Kan means 'intuition'.
Gensei-Ryu was demonstrated for the first time in Japan by Sensei Shukumine in 1949. In 1955 Gensei-Ryu was recognised by the Japanese Karate Association (JKA). Shukumine published in 1964 his book “Shin Karatedo Kyohan” in which he descibes the techniques of the style. In 2003 the World Gensei-Ryu Organisation decided to use this book as a guide line for Gensei-Ryu. The book also describes the kata (excercises where a number of kicks, punches and other techniques are performed against 4 to 8 imaginary opponents) that are practised in Gensei-Ryu, amongst it the basic kata Gensei Shodan, Ten-i no, Chi-i no and Jin-i no, but also Naihanchi, Wankan and the most famous for this style, the one you work up to from the basic kata: Sansai no kata.
Gensei-Ryu is a relatively small, but 'pure' style and is characterised by deep, low stances and Shihoo. Shihoo means 'four directions' and comprises excercises in which a combination of techniques are repeated again and again in four different directions. It looks a little like a kata. Gensei-Ryu stands close to the original Okinawa karate and is therefor a pure form of karate, taught by sincere masters in a way as is meant by Sensei Seiken Shukumine. Unfortunately there are some schools that have replaced the basic kata of Gensei-Ryu by beginners kata from the Shotokan style just to make it more interesting (competative) for matches. They call themselves Gensei-Ryu (or sometimes Gensei-Ryu Butokukai), but they don't follow the original road as meant by the founder of the style. Also they have never been recognised neither by the JKA, nor by the World Gensei-Ryu Organisation, nor by Sensei Shukumine himself.
Other karate styles derived from Gensei-Ryu are a.o.: Taido, Genwakai, Keneikai, Ryounkai, and Seidokai.