Motobu-Ryu: The Most Practical Karate Style You’ve Never Heard Of

What if I told you about a karate style forged in the streets of Okinawa and perfected by one of its most controversial figures? Meet Choki Motobu, the street-fighting legend who revolutionized karate with a no-nonsense, real-world approach to combat.
In this video, we dive deep into Motobu-Ryu Karate, exploring:
✅ Choki Motobu’s wild life and famous fights
✅ The practical self-defense techniques that set Motobu-Ryu apart
✅ The one-knuckle punch (Ippon-ken) and why it’s so effective
✅ The philosophy behind kata application in real combat
✅ How Motobu-Ryu survives and evolves today
Unlike flashy tournament styles, Motobu-Ryu is built for survival, not sport. It’s raw, effective, and brutally efficient. Watch until

[@ascaniosobrero]

Motobu's karate was just what the original Okinawa karate was. A personal defense close range fighting system. All the Okinawa masters used this approach. Only when karate was brought to Japan in the 1920's it became a sport, with longer distances (for safety), high kicks (from Savate), most attacking techniques changed to blocks (again for safety). It's just a different thing. I have been practicing Shotokan for 40 years now, but in the last several years I have been focusing on the real meaning of kata. They have not being reinterpreted by Motobu: simply, that was the original intent, for training sequences and build a muscle memory. I think this is the most fascinating part of karate, if you are not interested only in the sports side

[@AllfretÉNewmun]

Actually goju introduced karate to mainland Japan. There is the Goju Kai style, which for lack of a better expression, is the Japanese verion of goju ryu. A number of styles were developed by snr students of funakoshi...shito ryu, etc

[@mr.jordwell9084]

All Karate styles: Our style is legit!

[@catyear75]

I’d love to study this system…! Respect to Motobu …!

[@DouglasGomesBueno]

Motobu Sensei always will be my Hero a True Warrior that proved his point in real fights.

[@mizukarate]

I would love to learn this system.

[@LaterriusJackson-bb6fq]

Kata has always been for practical fighting. When karate was introduced to the west only the kata was taught not the traditional fighting methods. In fact that is what happened with motobu he was taught only the kata and he had to find his own way of applying the techniques. The original purpose of Okinawan karate was for use as military hand to hand combat. Those techniques were not taught to motobu because his instructors felt that he would misuse the techniques by fighting in the streets. Then and now if you truly understand how to fight with kata you will be a very deadly person .

[@groveavenue]

I started with Shotokan because that was the karate at my university. It has limitations in a real angry fight with an opponent who wants to seriously hurt/kill you. I think I have discovered (too late - I am 71 now) that the Okinawan schools are best for the harsh ugly world of personal confrontation. This video suggests that Motobu-Ryu is super-practical :)

[@PawpawRic]

I Was lucky enough to been able to study Wado Ryu throughout the 80s into the mid 90s when my instructor passed away he talked about this style I had forgotten it until I stumbled upon this. Thank for posting it

[@Shaolinkempotc]

I am truly impressed by him. I do know that he never found a way to beat his older brother. So, the aristocratic style that he was not allowed to learn had something to it…

[@NYKgjl10]

You can make the case that Motobu Ryu broke away from typical karate tradition and the original art that emphasis on self-protection combat CQC.

[@winkeemanley1820]

Bruce Lee also based his martial arts around street fighting and practicality thus Jeet Kune Do was formed.

[@NYKgjl10]

@@winkeemanley1820 Motobu Ryu and other arts that broke away from traditional karate arts such as Nippon Kempo,e.t.c.. came before JKD.

[@Aniontedone]

Blind tradition can get you killed. Practicality can save your life.

[@Ratva666]

But I am HEARD of it. Motobu is the first man to invent the forehand punch. Until then, everyone hit only with the back hand and blocked with the front hand. My favorite karateka of all time. The man who said that Shoto-kan is an imitation of karate.

[@MichaelPatterson1955]

I was taught Shodan Ryu Shotokan. We leaned the practical use of the Kata moves.

[@ernestohemingway2308]

The kata is an encyclopedia of fighting techniques you can use for your own individual fighting system. Each person or organization try create and preserve their own fighting techniques. The original katas from Okinawa are the ancestors of Shotokan karate and other styles of karate like Taekwondo. Taekwondo masters borrowed from Shotokan karate many techniques to mix with Korean martial arts. Today, Shotokan karate is practiced by many people around the world. Everybody try to preserve their martial arts thru training by using traditional methods.

[@josephperkins4857]

He was the whoop butt sensei

[@HatianHurricane]

His philosophy sounds a lot like Bruce Lee's philosophy. Or should I say that Bruce Lee's philosophy sounds a lot like his.

[@dogwink]

How do they pressure test? I don't believe efficacy until I see it being pressure tested. I concede that it may have worked in the past, but how do we know what's being currently taught is effective without pressure testing?

[@AlanPearson-x7n]

Unless someone has completely redesigned the human body, techniques which would damage it two centuries ago will still be effective today. I believe most styles have a great deal to offer. Just find something that works for you.

[@AverageMojaveMailman]

They don't.

[@DouglasGomesBueno]

Motobu style are not very Popular like Funakoshi style but in my opnion he's the true Father of Karate, Motobu victory against Professional Boxers made Japan respect Okinawa Karate.

[@Walter-c1i]

The original old school Shotokan was deadly!later it lost combat effectiveness after Funakoshi's son Gigo and others changed it and added deep stances ,flashy high kicks, Point tournaments, and focus on technical precision of kata movement rather than practical application! Look at the Shotokan of master Kase to see the original undiluted unpolluted Karate-Do ( Cahr ah teh - Dohw)

[@The05273]

So in which country beside Japan is it possible to learn this style?

[@MichaelPatterson1955]

Where can a person go and learn this correct form or style of empty hand protection?

[@davidwongwantho96]

This is what martial arts should be about - practicality. All katas and patterns should just enrich one's understanding of the system but MUST never replace the practical aspects. It is for this reason Chinese Kung Fu is in such a bad light - the emphasis on patterns and no practical applications has turned Kung Fu into a joke.

[@DouglasGomesBueno]

Observation : Motobu ate the Father of Modern Karate not of Traditional Karate sadly he's not very good With Marketing like Funakoshi.

[@Highlander88]

I think every martial art, not based on practicality, will loose its sense in the future. Martial Art without fighting will end in high sophisticated dancing. I have Pics from Motobu and Funakoshi in my Dojo to remember me always on the fighting and the humanity/ philosophical Background of Karate. Greetings from Germany

[@fighter3120]

👊🏻

[@jm7578]

The rare styles of Karate are the toughest!

[@Aniontedone]

Japanese version of Bruce Lee.

[@Mohan0369]

Focus on practicality. Badly needed in today’s world.

[@Livefreealways]

Bunkai very important

[@michaeltaylor8501]

IMO, self-defense/combat practicality ought to be any martial art's traditional focus. If whatever is truly martial within a system is removed, then that altered system is no longer a martial art, but something else, eh? 🤔

[@Walter-c1i]

The ONLY reason Shotokan is more popular is because the Japanese government backs it!

[@Livefreealways]

Kimura Shukokai Karate advanced technique of the old karate

[@olivertriebel5274]

Isn't practicallicy a tradition in karate?

[@joelcolon4147]

Practical

[@joelcolon4147]

Practical