THE RYU

 by Phillip Starr

We've all heard of a plethora of styles that end in the (Japanese) word, “ryu.” Contrary to what many people think, “ryu” doesn't mean “style.” Its meaning is rather different as is what it necessarily infers.

It is a generic term used to denote the flow of water; ryuto is the practice of drifting candlelight lanterns on a stream during summer festivals honoring the dead and a ryusei is a falling star. And so it is consistent in the land of the expressive language and running water that “ryu” would be the character denoting the flow of formal traditions of all the arts of Japan, including their martial arts.

Before the 15^th century, military combat there was literally hit or miss and success on the battlefield depended upon the warrior's ability to survive long enough to assess and learn from his experiences. It wasn't until the Muromachi Period (1300-1600) that warrior clans began to organize their skills, polish them, and transmit them to other clan members. Thus began the evolution of the Japanese martial “ryu.” Each one developed its own identity, its own peculiar strategies, certain weapons that they favored, and so on. A given “ryu” was passed down through generations of samurai who maintained and nurtured it.

I recall my friend, Master Seiyu Oyata (10^th dan, now dec.) telling me that prior to the end of WWII, karate had no “ryu.” “Karate was just karate”, he said. “One teacher would specialize in a very small number of kata or techniques (some specializing in just one) and IF you learned well, they would send you to another teacher who specialized in something different...”

At the end of the war, Okinawa's economy was non-existant and people did whatever they had to do in order to survive. Enter the American G.I. (U.S. Marines) who occupied Okinawa. They had money, which the local inhabitants needed and coveted. “After the war”. Master Oyata continued, “the different karate teachers began referring to what they taught as 'ryu' so they could become better known to American soldiers. That was the start of the karate 'ryu'.”

I asked for a clearer explanation of “ryu.” He told me, “A ryu is a tradition that has been passed down through generations for a long time. So a 'new' style of karate should not be called a “ryu.”