About Us

About Us

The Dojo Name

The dojo name, Uruwashii Kan, is based on the philosophies from three martial arts books: Budoshoshinshu, Hagakure, and Ideals of the Samurai. In Budoshoshinshu, the author, Yuzan Daidoji, takes a biocular view of life that stressed both personal and social ethics, both individual growth and social stability. His view, in simplified terms, means that a man who would be a warrior must be an example: to himself, his family and friends, and to society in general. For inward collapse will result in outward collapse. In Ideals of the Samurai, the author discusses the “ideal of the cultivated warrior. This ideal is symbolized in the character or uruwashii, meaning a situation of balance and harmony between the exterior, pattern or beauty, and the interior essence or substance. Men who possess this quality will be accomplished in the world of the arts as in the world of martial skills and courage.” Kan is defined as “hall” or building. Thus, the dojo name, Uruwashii Kan, is defined as the hall of “balance”.

Style Background

The style of karate taught at our dojo is an original form of karate developed on the island of Okinawa. Okinawa developed different types of karate, each having several offshoots or branches. Our style developed around the ancient capitol of Shuri. The styles from the Shuri area are generally known as Shorin-ryu [Sho-reen reeyoo] translated to mean pine forest style. Of the four main branches of Shorin-ryu, we practice the Kobayashi-ryu [ko-ba-e-ash-e] meaning young forest style. This style is several centuries old, however it was previously known as “te” or Shuri-te until 1928 when Mr. Chosin Chibana [Cho-sheen Che-ba-na] selected a name which reflects the link between Okinawa karate and the Shaolin temple of China. The Kobayashi-ryu taught at Uruwashii Kan is taught in the same tradition as it is taught today in Okinawa.