==Suikendo==
What is Suikendo? Translated it means “Fist Flowing Like Water” [ref name="http://tadashiyamashita.com/suikendo.html"]http://tadashiyamashita.com/suikendo.html[/ref] but what is does it mean? First lets image a waterfall and imagine an attacker striking the waterfall. The waterfall would avoid the attack by flowing around the strike. Now imagine the attacker immersed in the waterfall. No matter the defense, the water stikes the attacker. Like water, Suikendo defends against attack through simultaneous blocks and movement.[ref name="http://tadashiyamashita.com/suikendo.html" /] Like water, the flow of the system allows for simultaneously striking of the attacker while blocking.^{http://tadashiyamashita.com/hanshi.html}

==History==
===Karate===
Karate-Do was born in Okinawa, an island south of Japan.[ref name="http://www.ihadojo.com/Origins/index.htm"]http://www.ihadojo.com/Origins/index.htm[/ref][ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate/"]http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate/[/ref] The birth of Karate came from three styles: Naha-Te, Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te. Naha-Te was developed in the port town of Naha. Shuri-Te was developed in the more aristocratic Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa. Further north in Tomari, Tomari-Te developed.[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/112/okinawa"]http://www.all-karate.com/112/okinawa[/ref]

*Naha-Te developed into Goju-Ryu Karate[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te"]http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te[/ref][ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate"]http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate[/ref]
*Shuri-Te influenced Shotokan Karate[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te"]http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te[/ref]
*Shuri-Te developed into Shorin Ryu Karate[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate"]http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate[/ref]
*Combined aspects of Naha-Te and Shuri-Te influenced Shito-Ryu Karate[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te"]http://www.all-karate.com/114/naha-te[/ref]

Karate has since developed into four distinct styles:Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Uechi Ryu and Shorei Ryu.[ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate"]http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate[/ref] Hundreds of different styles of karate across the world can be traced back to these four Okinawan styles of karate.[ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate"]http://www.martial-arts-info.com/115/karate[/ref] Shorin Ryu is one of the four original Okinawan styles of karate. [ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com/129/shorin-ryu"]http://www.martial-arts-info.com/129/shorin-ryu[/ref]

===Shuri-Te===
To-De Sakugawa (1733-1815), an early Okinawan master, is credited as being one of the initial importers of Chinese martial arts to Okinawa.[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/115/shuri-te"]http://www.all-karate.com/115/shuri-te[/ref]
===Shorin Ryu===
Shuri-Te eventually developed into Shorin Ryu.[ref name="http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate"]http://www.all-karate.com/110/shito-ryu-karate[/ref] Shorin Ryu was founded by Choshin Chibana (1885-1969).[ref name="http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/001/002/index.html"]http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/001/002/index.html[/ref]

Shorin-Ryu kata was developed as a system of communication and defense. Since the Japanese occupiers of Okinawa forbid the Okinawans from meeting in groups, the Okinawans developed kata. An Okinawan could meet another on the road, teach him a kata and be gone. At that time, traditional weapons such as swords were outlawed, and farming tool derivatives, such as the Nunchaku, Sai and Kama were included in many martial arts systems of Okinawan origin, including Shorin-Ryu.[ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com" /]

Shorin Ryu is one of the four original Okinawan styles of karate. Shorin Ryu makes use of hand techniques more than foot techniques and uses predominately high stances. Traditional weapons are also practiced in this martial art.[ref name="http://www.martial-arts-info.com"]http://www.martial-arts-info.com[/ref]

===Yamashita-Sensei===
Not only is Yamashita-Sensei recognized as a leading aurthority in the martial arts, but his accomplishments also include his study with several notable high ranking masters. These masters include the late Chibana Chosin of Shorin Ryu, and Shuguro Nakazato founder of the Shorin Ryu Shorin Kan. As well as trained directly under the late Shinpo Matayoshi, founder of the Zen Okinawan Kobudo Renmei.[ref name="http://tadashiyamashita.com/hanshi.html"]http://tadashiyamashita.com/hanshi.html[/ref]

==Notes==
[references/]