Learn how to move
Standing, shifting weight, stepping, striking. This is the body method everything else is built on, and it takes a while before it looks like anything.
Private instruction · Vaughan, Ontario
I teach a karate system almost nobody has seen.
It came out of occupied Okinawa in the 1940s, and as far as I know I'm the only person still practising it. I teach it one to one here in Vaughan, to adults who want something real. You don't need to be fit, or flexible, or to have done anything like this before.
See the practice
One form. Uncut.
The karate should be judged by the movement, not the claims around it.
What you will practise
Technique first, then forms, then years of it.
You'll spend a long time on a few things until your body does them right without being told. Most of the first month won't look like karate.
This isn't a fitness class with punching in it. It's an old fighting system and the material is real. You'll be taught it carefully, and how hard you work is up to you. Say the word and I'll push you.
Learn the forms
The forms hold the system together. Each records a set of principles, gives you something exact to practise, and changes meaning as the rest of the curriculum catches up.
Keep going
Partner work, grappling, weapons and sparring come later. Behind all of it sits a complete ten-kyu and five-dan curriculum. You won't run out of material.
The path
What the first year looks like.
01 · First monthStanding, movement, weight transfer and real striking mechanics
02 · First yearTwo or three forms and the beginnings of the system's underlying mechanics
03 · BeyondPartner work, weapons, deeper applications and refinement
Your instructor
I'm Philip.
I've trained for about twenty years and I hold fifth dan in Ryujin-te. It's the system my teacher handed me, and as far as I know I'm the only person still doing it.
I've taught a four-year-old and a woman in her nineties. Right now I teach adults, one at a time.
My teacher taught me harder than he needed to. I kept his standard and threw out his methods.
Read where the system comes fromA fisherman, a demon, and the Dragon God of the Sea.
The origin story can't be proven and I won't pretend otherwise. It's still the best thing I own.
Read it →Ways to begin
Start with a conversation, or arrange a private lesson.
Tell me what you're looking for. I'll tell you plainly whether this training fits.
Start here
Free introduction
Twenty minutes by phone or Google Meet. Tell me why you're interested; I'll explain how I teach and answer your questions directly.
Free · 20 minutes · phone or video
Book a timePrivate lessons
Ninety minutes
Built around what you can do and how hard you want to work. I can travel within approximately half an hour of Vaughan City Hall.
One lesson $140·Four lessons $500
One instructor, one student, and the time to correct the details.
Get in touchWhere we train
Start somewhere you can relax.
A private lesson can begin at your home, at a suitable local outdoor space we agree on, or wherever you feel most comfortable. A small room is enough. Someone you trust is always welcome to remain and watch.
Your space
We work with the room you have. You don't need special flooring, equipment or a home gym.
Outdoors
If you prefer, I can help identify a suitable local place where we can train safely and without getting in anyone's way.
Beyond one room
Once I understand your goals, later training may move between everyday environments by agreement. Composure and adaptability aren't learned only in a dojo.
A small Saturday-morning adult beginner group will begin when there's enough interest. Tell me if you want to be included.
Training safely
Control comes before contact.
You'll work on your own movement first. Partner work, sparring and weapons come when you're ready for them, not after some fixed number of weeks.
If something hurts, we stop. That one isn't negotiable.
Common questions
What new students usually ask.
Am I too old for this?
Probably not. Recovery changes with age, but precision, timing and understanding can improve for decades. If you have a health condition, speak with your doctor first.
Will I get hurt?
Martial arts carries risk. Early training is solo, contact is introduced deliberately, and I won't ask you to work through an injury.
Will it work?
There's real fighting material in this system. I won't promise instant self-defence. Skill comes from sound mechanics, repetition and, eventually, carefully testing the material with a controlled partner.
What happens in the first lesson?
We discuss what you want and anything relevant about your body. Then I watch how you stand and move, introduce several fundamentals, and give you something precise to practise.
Where do lessons happen?
At your home, at a suitable local outdoor space we agree on, or wherever you feel most comfortable within the service area. A small room is enough, and anyone you trust is welcome to remain and watch. As your training develops, we may use different everyday environments by agreement.
What does it cost?
$140 for a ninety-minute lesson, or $500 for four. The first conversation is free. There aren't any contracts, registration charges or grading fees.
Do I need a gi?
No. The tradition wasn't taught to me in a gi. Comfortable athletic clothing is sufficient.
Why don't beginners spar?
They do—once they can work with control. Sparring without that foundation teaches panic, bad mechanics and avoidable injury.
Do you teach children?
Regular instruction is currently set up for adults. Families interested in future youth instruction are welcome to get in touch. Youth training will begin only when there is a suitable group and the additional insurance and safeguards are in place.
Where does the system come from?
The verifiable transmission begins in Okinawa after the Second World War. Before that is a family legend involving a fisherman, a demon and the Dragon God of the Sea. The complete account is here.
Get in touch
Tell me what you're after.
Your name, roughly where you are, and what interests you. I'll reply personally.
philip@ryujinte.comText or call289-963-5875
