At Butoku Karate Dojo our style or system of Karate is Shorinji Ryu, translating as Shaolin Temple Method or Family. This signifies that our art is from a mother style. It is a blend of internal (soft) and external (hard) martial arts and weaponry. Although today there are various styles and systems we still follow the Butoku Kai system that is emphasizing and blending all training together for a complete system. Our style is Shorinji Ryu.

According to O’Sensei Richard Kim our system of Shorinji Ryu was founded by an unknown monk of the Shaolin Temple. There are other styles of Shorinji but most are not related to our system. The term Shorinji denotes our origin to the Shaolin Temple. Shorinji Ryu, as we practice it, is a synthesis of the studies of O’Sensei Kim. His teachers have been many, however, his Shorinji lineage includes Yabu Kentsu, Ankichi Arakagi, as well as, Chao Hsu Lai in Shanghai China.

Kata is the heart of karate and the core of our system. Through the generations, Karate has been handed down through Kata. Even with the separation and distinction of styles, the Zen Bei Butoku Kai continues to teach all the traditional Kata and weaponry. Having the largest repertoire for martial arts, the Zen Bei Butoku Kai continues to create professional martial artists with high levels of excellence. Kata today is classified as modern and traditional. Shorinji Ryu practices the traditional kata maintaining a self defense approach not the modern or sport orientation.