Robert A. Trias known as the Father of Karate in America was responsible for the beginning of Karate in the United States. Grand Master Trias was responsible for opening the first karate school in America located in Phoenix Arizona, also he began the first martial arts organization known as the United States Karate Association. Responsible for many first in America, Grandmaster Trias organized the first karate tournaments, rules and regulations, belt promotion system, the first professional karate tournament and some of the first martial arts training films in the United States.
Bringing to the United States at the end of WWII Okinawa Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do, Robert A. Trias promulgated and promoted all styles of karate under the USKA banner which was hi-lighted each year at the most prestigious championships commonly known as the USKA Grand Nationals. This tournament gained world fame which became the USKA International World Championships.
After his death in 1989, Robert H. Bowles was elected by the Shuri-Ryu Chief Instructors and Senior Yudansha and Shuri-Ryu school heads to lead the Shuri-Ryu system. Grand Master Bowles organized and formed the International Shuri-Ryu System to continue to promote and propagate the Shuri-Ryu system under the vision of Grandmaster Trias.
The United States Karate Association was purchased and all rights are the ownership of Grandmaster Robert H. Bowles who was the former senior Chief Instructor under the late Robert A. Trias.
In the beginning, Shuri-ryu can be traced back to the 6th century to the founder of the martial arts who was known as Taishi Daruma. Following this, karate mushroomed throughout China and in many different forms, eventually reached Okinawa, Japan, and later Korea. Shuri-ryu Karate-Do is known as the ancient karate of Okinawa and is also known as the most complete system of karate-do in the world. This is due to Shuri-ryu’s documented history and the tracing back to the oldest possible lineage for authenticity of this Budo based art..
Shuri-ryu offers an extremely complete repertoire of techniques. Its basics encompass; Punching, striking, clawing, ripping, kicking, jumping, blocking, hooking, reaping, sweeping, throwing, holding, grappling, falling, choking, joint-bending and twisting, feinting, dropping and side-stepping movements, unitizing seventeen major stances designed for balance, power and stability.
Shuri-ryu also includes moral training and an ethical code similar to that of the Samurai (code of Bushido), based on such virtues as: Courage, truthfulness, justice, benevolence, politeness, honor and loyalty. This code of conduct does not merely prevent the misuse of the art, it makes an art out of living itself. One of the most important aspects of true karate-do is that it teaches how to live and how to die.
Lastly, although Shuri-ryu karate is a complete martial art and a way of life, Shuri-Ryu karate may be used as a sport for exercise, competition, and recreation while at the same time possessing the most devastating self-defense potential of any system of unarmed combat in the world. The latter is true because Shuri-ryu was developed in real self-defense in life-or-death situations, both in terms of its Chinese and its Okinawan roots. It is a system which incorporates combat techniques tested in real life situations throughout its long history, a history which carries us in an unbroken line all the way back to the very origins of karate.