ABOUT RYU SHU KAN

ABOUT OUR DOJO

Students of the RYU SHU KAN become part of an international family that reaches around the world from Okinawa, the birthplace of Karate, to over 50 schools throughout America & across the Atlantic. The organization is headed by Grand Master "Taika" Seiyu Oyata, 10th Degree Black Belt and heir to the Royal Life Protection Arts of the Okinawan Nobility.

The feeling of family is enhanced and cultivated by seminars personally conducted by "Taika" Oyata. From the highest Black Belt to the newest beginner, every student has the opportunity to train directly with one of the last true remaining masters of original Okinawan Karate.

ABOUT KYOSHI GERARD SENESE

Gerard Senese, Director of the Ryu Shu Kan of Farmingville on Long Island is also Director of the Town of Brookhaven's Sachem Community Youth Services' Children's Karate Program. Senese Sensei began his training in 1974 in Taika Oyata's art which was called Ryu Kyu Kempo at that time & received his Sho-Dan in 1978.

He began teaching in 1980 & has been a full time instructor since 1984. He was awarded his 7th degree Black Belt by Taika Oyata in 1996 & was given the titile of Kyoshi. He has also taught Women's Rape Awareness programs for Southampton Hospital's Women's Center, as well as seminars around the country in the advanced techniques of Taika Oyata's Shin Shu Ho Life Protection Art.

Kyoshi Senese has traveled with Taika Oyata to Washington D.C. to assist with F.B.I. training and also assisted in N.Y.C. at the NYPD Defense Instructor's academy. Kyoshi Senese has also traveled to Japan with his wife Hiroko (who is from Shikoku, one of the four main islands of Japan) and to Okinawa with Taika Oyata to further his studies in Japanese/Okinawan culture and philosophy. Together with his wife, they are BOCES Arts-in-Education presenters and appear at public schools on L.I. to share the enjoyment of the Japanese culture through programs of taiko, folk song and dance.

As an executive commitee member of the Japan Center at Stony Brook University, he directs the community oureach events for the Center. Kyoshi Senese and his wife, Hiroko, are the executive producers of the "Sakura Matsuri"-Cherry Blossom Festival; the premiere cultural event of the Japan Center held at the Wang Center at Stony Brook University.

He has also developed a Gentle Martial Arts program for the 50+ generations that incorporates Tai Chi, Okinawan Nai Han Chi and Samurai Sword Kata.

Kyoshi Senese shares his enthusiasm of the unique art of Taika Oyata with all who show interest in learning about the original art of life protection of Okinawa and also shares his enjoyment of the other aspects of Japanese culture through festivals and workshops he hosts throughout the year.

ABOUT TAIKA SEIYU OYATA

Taika Seiyu Oyata, founder and head of RyuTe® Renmei and Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu® is responsible for introducing Tuite and Kyusho Jitsu to the United States.

He is a descendent of Zana Oyakata, a high ranking official of the RyuKyu Kingdom, who was a tragic hero in the Satsuma invasion of RyuKyu in 1609.

Taika Seiyu Oyata began his martial arts training at a very early age as he was shown the Okinawan form of Sumo by his father, Kana Oyata, who was the middle weight Sumo Champion. During World War II he received instruction in Iaido, Kendo, and Judo. After World War II, he began training with Uhugushiku-no-tan-mei, a retired personal guard of the last king of the independent RyuKyu kingdom. The Uhugushiku family was noted for their martial art skills and served the Okinawan ruling class for many centuries. Uhugushiku was known as a "kakurei bushi", hidden warrior, and did not teach outside of family lines or those with no direct connection to the warrior class of Okinawa.

Under Uhugushuku's tutelage, Taika Oyata learned the principles of weapons fighting, weapons kata and concepts of technique. Uhugushuku introduced Taika Oyata to Wakinaguri a descendent from the ancient Chinese families sent to Okinawa as emissaries. Wakinaguri continued to instruct Taika Oyata in the principles of ancient martial arts, most notably, the presure point strikes of Atemi-jitsu & Kyusho-jitsu. Neither Uhugushiku nor Wakinaguri had descendents to whom they could pass their art; therefore, Oyata became the inheritor of this knowledge. After the deaths of Uhugushuku and Wakinaguri, Taika Oyata trained with Shigeru Nakamura from whom he learned the 12 basic enpty-hand kata that are taught in Ryu Te and other famous Okinawan Martial Arts Instructors such as Seikichi Uehara.

In 1977, Taiak Oyata established his headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas. In 1980, Oyata began to broaden the knowledge of the general martial arts public by introducing the concepts of Tuite and Kyusho Jitsu throughou America and revitalized the way in which karate is taught and studied today.

In the middle 90's Oyata renamed his organization, RyuTe®. This is an acronym for RYU kyu karaTE, (Ryukyu Hand) which refers to the culture of the Ryukyu people and all that they have to offer. One additional meaning of the kanji could be "flowing hand", which, when this kanji is used describes the way in which karate techniques should be performed; flowing like water without a break in one's movement between defense and offense.

INTRODUCTION TO RYUTE, THE WAY OF THE HANDS

RyuTe® is a classical form of karate emphasizing life protection by controlling an opponent without the use of excessive of force. RyuTe® includes Tuite: grappling, locking, and escape techniques; Kyusho Jitsu: striking techniques that exploit the body's weak points; Kobudo: weapons techniques and Bogu Kumite: protective gear full-contact sparring.

The Key to learning Ryute® is in the kata and kata interpretations. These separate RyuTe® from other stylized systems of karate.

Essence of Ryute®

The essence of RyuTe® is held in the physical characteristics and concepts that developed from the "old ways" of karate. To develop a clear understanding, the physical aspects of RyuTe® are divided into 3 categories based on Oyata’s 5 levels of training (see below). These categories can be more fully understood by studying the Japanese terms used below in the descriptions.