is the Japanese term referring to a

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

in any discipline. The

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

itself is commonly used as a suffix. In English, the word is frequently used to refer to schools of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

, although it can also be found used in other disciplines (for example Nihon- koryū and Sōgetsu-ryū in

ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting Evergreen, evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro () to invite the go ...

, Kantei-ryū in

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

, etc.).

In the martial arts

Japanese martial arts are often classified and codified into . Usually a given style will have its own curriculum, ranks and licensure system. These may be based on the parent style or a combination of sources that form the background of the system. The name of a style may have particular meaning or may simply be a location. Toyama-ryū is named for the Toyama Military Academy in Japan. In contrast, Gōjū-ryū is the ' hard-soft' style, which indicates both characteristic techniques and thematic elements that form a 'signature' of the style. Sometimes this is merged or confused with the name of the

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

(as is the case with Shōtōkan-ryū karate). High-level practitioners of an established style may splinter off and form their own derivative styles based on their own experience or interpretation. Sometimes this is encouraged by the parent style, sometimes it represents an ideological schism between senior members of the style. Sometimes, it is done simply for 'marketing' reasons or to adjust a system to modern times. There is no universal licensing or ranking system across all . A high-ranking person or black belt in one style does not necessarily correspond to a high-level understanding in another style or group of styles. There are many in Japan that have existed for many hundreds of years, as well as many more that were created in modern times. The concept of organizing a codified system is obviously not a Japanese or outwardly Asian one, though many international or foreign styles may adopt the nomenclature and systemization of koryū bujutsu in order to add an air of mystique or legitimacy to their system, or simply as a way to show respect to their roots and background.

References

External links

*
"What is a 'Ryu'?" by Wayne Muromoto
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryu Japanese martial arts terminology Japanese words and phrases

In the martial arts

References

Further reading

External links