Welcome
This website is a guide for people training with me (Jonathon Hallberg) in Kalamazoo and is also a resource for those interested in learning traditional Okinawan Karate-Do. I currently run classes at the Michigan Ryusyokai Karate Club located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. We teach traditional Okinawan Karate Do, specifically Goju-Ryu under the Sekai Ryusyokai So-Hombu Dojo in Okinawa Japan.
Kalamazoo Dojo
While I currently teach the classes at the Michigan Ryusyokai Karate Club, it is not my dojo. The club was established by my sensei, Paul Babladelis, 9th Dan, Hanshi. Under his guidance, whoever is the senior member at the club runs the classes. A number of us also pitch in with supplemental responsibilities. Currently, Babladelis sensei lives in Costa Rica, so the responsibility of teaching rests with me. MRKC is a club dojo and is not a commercial venture. It is an official branch of the Sekai Goju-Ryu Ryusyokai Association. As such, there is no emphasis placed upon participation in sports competitions, nor on making money.
Why the Website
I intend to put together a website for the Michigan Ryusyokai Karate Club proper. This site is a collection of materials that I established when operating a home dojo in Southern Illinois. I think it may still provide interesting content for others. To learn more about the operation of my former dojo, click here.
Goju-Ryu in Brief
Goju-Ryu is a style of Karate formalized by Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953) on the island of Okinawa, Japan. It literally translates from Japanese as “hard-soft style,” and is a blend of Southern Chinese White Crane and Monk Fist boxing, as well as the indigenous Okinawan Ti (lit. “hands”) practiced on the island for centuries. As Miyagi sensei died relatively young (for an Okinawan) and unexpectedly, he did not name an inheritor of the style. Many of his students claimed this title. And, because Miyagi sensei taught each one of them differently, there is no small amount of variety in what one might encounter at different branch dojo (training halls). Goju Ryu, as I was taught it, begins with an emphasis on strength training and conditioning. One of my Goju-Ryu teachers, Paul Babladelis sensei, jokingly classified what he taught as a sort of “caveman karate.” He went on to explain that, as you advance, you are taught techniques that are more yielding in order to redirect strong attacks from opponents. Goju Ryu makes use of a lot of in-close fighting principles. It is widely known for more linear movements, and does have some throwing and grappling techniques. If you are a beginning student, the core curriculum you will be taught is Goju-Ryu. You can learn more about this on the “Training Program” page.
Ti (Very Much) in Brief
Explaining “Ti” is a more challenging task. Ti can be likened to “chie,” or “wisdom” in English. This is a direct explanation by the founder of the Shinjinbukan, Onaga Yoshimitsu kancho. At its heart, every “style” began as a particular instructor’s approach and preference for certain fighting techniques and strategies. Most people associate specific kata (forms) with a particular style of karate. Once a teacher’s approach becomes systematized (i.e. turns into a “style”) and is passed on from generation to generation, people often become engrossed with preserving the “correct” version of a kata or technique because of what they were taught, rather than how it is used or how it helps develop an applied fighting tactic. Aesthetics are no basis for a combat system. Hence, Ti emphasizes the “how” and “why” of striking, kicking and moving based upon bio-mechanics and human nature. Onaga sensei has said on countless occasions, “I am weak; you are strong, but I will not lose – this is Ti.” While Onaga sensei studied and teaches Kobayashi Shorin Ryu, the Ti that he chose to share with me fits seamlessly with the Goju Ryu that I have learned, and has dramatically broadened my understanding of it. Ti can be applied to most striking-based fighting systems to some degree. For obvious reasons, it is ideally suited for advanced Shorin Ryu practitioners and, because of my specific training, for Goju Ryu practitioners as well. Those interested in learning the Ti that I practice should have some previous martial arts background. For more information on Ti, please visit the “Chasing Two Rabbits” page.
Because this site is devoted more to information about the dojo and how it functions, I will leave further exploration of the history of both Goju-Ryu and Shorin-Ryu to you. You may find some beneficial sites on the Links page.