Modern karate first took seed 400 years ago on the island of Okinawa. It was during the 15th century, when weapons were banned from the island, that the Okinawan people had to find new ways to protect themselves from bandits and invaders. They discovered that through intensive training their hands and feet alone were capable of being as deadly as the deadliest weapons. For several hundred years, the Okinawans perfected their techniques as a peaceful art through the form of kata, a series of solo, dance-like exercises using defensive blocking, punching, and kicking movements. The Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate practiced at the Yankton Karate Club developed through the combination of the hard hand techniques of the Okinawan people and the soft circular movements of Chinese Boxing. This style became known as Goju-Ryu Karate, or hard-soft way. Practitioners learn how to combine soft blocking tactics with quick strong counterattacks. Much emphasis is placed on speed so that blows are delivered in rapid succession. Goju-ryu employes breathing exercises as well as dynamic tension katas.

Goju-Ryu Notions for Training