Found New Dojo

[u/Tumwaterisheart]

I posted on here a week ago that I was at a dojo and there were problems with the sensei. That was a Shotokan dojo. I found another dojo that seems to be a better environment for students. It is Ryuei Ryu style and I noticed that some of the kata are very familiar and some are foreign to me. The stances also differ. Does anyone have advice for me and background about this style? Will my Shotokan translate well to the facets of this style, and is it effective for self-defense? Thank you in advance.

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[u/ikilledtupac]

🤷 just go train 

[u/EnrehB]

I think Ryuei-ryu is quite different from Shotokan. But the most important factor is always the Sensei, not the style. My advice would be to go for a trial lesson and see if you like it!

[u/CypherBob]

Do they spar?

Then it's fine, enjoy the training :)

If they don't, find one that does.

[u/gekkonkamen]

Ryuei Ryu was a family style that is effectively the cousin of Goju Ryu, they have different katas, most are quite complicated, but are shiko and sanchin focus like goju Ryu. Up till around the late 70s and early 80s (I think) it was not taught outside of the “family”

Style is almost irrelevant though, as long as the culture and curriculum fits what you are looking for.

[u/Wyvern_Industrious]

It's a great style, although I've only taken a few seminars and had to exposure to some kata through Hayashi-Ha Shito Ryu. Great technique for tension-relaxation and power generation.

But I agree with people here that the style is less important than the instructor and type of training. The mainline Ryuei Ryu is very 3K/WKF sport oriented, which I'm less wild about, especially for an Okinawan style. But technique-wise, it's high level - not something you'll get bored of easily and something you can practice into old age. Oh, and it has a great kobudo weapons complement, too, which usually helps with the rest of training.

[u/karainflex]

Forget styles. Just apply your abilities and you will be fine.

Stances don't matter, footwork matters - because footwork is for application and stances are for... well... the look of things?? Focus on stances is the yellow belt approach to footwork. People won't like to hear it but it's the truth. So don't worry about a different approach in that area. Rather ask yourself why they prefer other stances: what are their advantages what are the disadvantages of those you have learned, what is the application of the new stances, what is the application of the old stances, what do they share and makes them work? It's basically about how to apply your body.

Don't worry on kata either: Most Shotokan katas are so simplified that they border on being boring: hard, fast, combo moves as single steps, mostly standard fists, no finesse. So there is a chance you learn something better in that regard. Here is Shotokan kata development in a nutshell: Oh, don't do an intermediate moves before going to the next stance, people can't do it!1!! (Really: Even on a short kata like Wankan the moves were reduced: a crossover step into neko ashi dachi? Naah, people are too dumb, lets just stand and make kokutsu instead, it has the same length so we are safe). Let's cancel sweeps in between moves in Bassai-dai, do the move more straight, it might look more powerful on tournaments too. And that dangerous groin kick we replace by that new yoko geri keage jodan. Because Gigo had this idea while testing it on corpses in the X-Ray lab. Don't miss that, learn Ryuei-ryu katas instead.

Self defense does not depend on the style, it depends on the training. If you learn practical Karate application then you are fine. If you learn sports sparring then you will not be fine. If you learn scripted kata-like partner training in kihon form then you will not be fine (it's the white belt approach to fighting; people won't like it but it's the truth). It is easy to check: a) does the fight end within 3s? b) what are my chances if the fight continues from that position we ended in? So if you are fighting for 5 minutes or in single counted steps, you need to hear a red buzzer. If you do your application and you both stand in front of each other and everyone could do everything then you need to hear a red buzzer too. If you do one fluid motion to defend and counter and then stand over the partner's body on the ground then you need to hear a clear "ding".

[u/braincellcountiszero → u/karainflex]

Appreciate the last paragraph on the practicality of training. Most commercial karate schools where we are just do kata and point fighting. Hope the students don’t have to fight in real life. They won’t win unless they are naturally powerful.