Anyone heard of CHAYON-RYU?

Anyone ever heard of this guy? http://www.robertmclain.com/ or this style?

What do you think.

Only a week or so ago, while playing a video game online. His game name was 'Dim Mak', when I asked him if he studied any particular martial art, he pointed me to the website u posted. I was kinda wondering the same thing you are though. I've never heard of Chayon-ryu either, but I'm sure there's many styles that I have not heard of.

It's big in Texas; I think the founder lives in Houston. The website, and every brochure I've ever been given by one of their students (lots) explains that Cha Yon Ryu is a martial art that combines the best of Kung Fu, Karate, Aikido, Taekwondo, and Jujitsu.

Perhaps surprisingly, the best of Kung Fu, Karate, Aikido, Taekwondo, and Jujitsu is indistinguishable from Karate.

If I were inclined to care, I might think that was a little bit odd, myself.

Thanks for the replies, I'm contemplating a move to a different school that offers more realistic approach to MA. There are quite a few in the D/FW area, but many appear and dissapear in a few years. Also the D/FW area runs over 80 miles end to end so depending on traffic you might not be able to get there from here.

Don't think the Chayon-Ryu will be the place, have to be weary of a school that has the instructors talent agency photo on the web.

I actually observed a class and didn't like it. The moves were too planned and you could see them coming a mile away. Just my two cents worth.

Brian PSD http://www.practicalselfdefense.com

Brian PSD

I think I've heard of it, but danged if i can remember where. There are 2 chayon ryu schools here in austin (according to the website), so maybe i went to visit one of them when i first moved here. That name John Blankenship looks familiar. Unless he's a poster here, i might have gone to visit him. His picture is bad quality, but it looks familiar too. Too bad i dont remember it.

Then there's the world HQ in houston, its also possible i ran into some of them there. Again, too bad i don't remember them.

Well, i read the FAQ where he answered the question 'What is ChayonRyu', and I think I wouldn't go there. Its one of those ecclectic styles, which is not always bad, but it means theres no history for it. Some ecclectic styles are good, many are just so much crapola. My guess is, if you asked him why they don't do well in competitions, eventually, he'd get around to the excuse that most of his techniques are too deadly for competition.

But, the only real problem i saw on the website is how he claims to be part karate. The things he says about karate show he doesn't know much about it. For instance he mentiones the okinawan colored belts, as if okinawans started that practice. He calls the pinan forms the 'okinawan colored belt Pyung-Ahn series'. I beleive that is what older TKD schools called them, for okinawans, they are pinans. And, i seriously doubt that his school is really 'one of the few systems to preserve the traditional forms as designed and practiced by the original Grandmasters.' Though, i would be interested in seeing how he does his forms.

Basically, it looks to me like this was started by a TKD guy who decided he could make more money if he was the grandmaster of his own style.

buck and quarter staff? I always wondered what the full staff was used for if they only used a quarter of one for fighting. Also, in Robin hood, men in tights, where they fought with quarterstaffs on the bridge, when the things kept breaking, were they then fighting with eighth staffs? And sixteenth staffs? And thirtysecond staffs? And then sixtyfourth staffs before they finally finished?

-jeff (FSG)

It is impossible to find a public bulletin board in Austin without Blankenship's picture on it, and an ad for CYR. I imagine that somewhere there's a desperately exhausted Xerox machine pumping out fliers 24 hours a day, and a small army of students determined to keep them posted.

Thanks for all the info. I had pretty much decided it was not worth the time, but I'm still looking for something better in the D/FW area. The problem with the D/FW area is it's really big with a lot to choose from.

I have a few places to look at, but no plans to make any commitment soon.

Dr3Wand

'Actually it's a buck and a quarter, quarter staff.'

Well, I guess I should post something here to try and defend our system. There is a lot going on in this thread and I really cannot answer and probably shouldn't answer some of your comments/concners.

Chayon-Ryu was developed by a Korean named Kim Soo. He has lineage posted on his site that verifies who his instructors are and where his training came from. Mostly (and I am not the best CYR expert) I would say that the majority of what is taught is a combination of Taekwon-Do as well as Okinawan based Karate. There is also a Chuan-Fa (Kung-Fu) influence as well as a Hapkido/Judo (which I would say is mostly applied to our self defence).

Grand Master Kim Soo is a 10th degree black belt (and I know what many of you might say about that because a lot of "Grand Masters" exist out there. However, Kim Soo has been instructing in Houston for over 40 years.

Mr McClain and Master Blankenship (as any good student would do) are just trying to promote the style that they have trained in and enjoy for many years. I count myself as one of them. I am a first dan myself. I know that Mr. McClain has traveled around the world and trained in many styles (I think) and I have as well (Taekwon do and Aikido in Japan besides CYR). Mr. McCain knows a lot about the history of CYR and his site probably can express that better than I can. If you have a question I am sure he would answer it if he can.

As for not being practical . . . I think that can be said for many styles but I think I see your concern. The UFC has sort of made everyone think that you have to be able to execute a triangle or you risk losing every confrontation. I think that, most self defence issues rarely result in that scenario (my opinion). If you are the kind of person that wants to have lots of fights in school then, probably, BJJ is the place for you. CYR was developed to be something that practitioners can do for their entire lives. GM Kim Soo tried to develop it so that the moves would be natural and not strain the body (one reason why you see mostly kids in classes is because they are the only ones who haven't blown out their knees or back executing some of the moves I see in bad schools).

There are a few movies on youtube that might help see what happens in sparring in our style as well as some historical footage. This IS a traditional martial art. The forms are passed down and not "changed" because some teacher could not remember the form and decided to "make it better".

I can try to answer any questions you might have but I think that you might give CYR another look.

Good luck in any event.

Michael

Michael, welcome to the forum I am happy you joined us and I am happy for your explanation. Thank you very much. I appreciate it

One of my students found this post and forwarded it to me. I'm surprised that my value as a martial artist and teacher was judged by a gaming web site or a photo on a web page. This is probably just par for the course in an age of keyboard warriors.

Chayon-Ryu is not a style, but a teaching method using natural body motions as the foundation of teaching the formal curriculums included in one comprehensive curriculum. The main curriculum (techniques) of Chayon-Ryu
are karate, chuan-fa, and hapkido. In addition to the forms (hyung, kata) of karate and chuan-fa, Chayon-Ryu adopted the Yudanja TKD forms (Koryo, Tae Baek, and Jee Tae) created in 1967 and the Palgue 1-8 forms, created in 1972.

To give an example of where the teaching methods fit, I will compare it with teaching or learning chess. In chess, many beginners start with learning how to move the pieces: pawn, knight, bishop, etc. But, if a beginner has no concept of what a square, straight line, corner, or 90 degree angle is? Learning basic piece moves will be difficult. These are often called pre-chess skills in education. Chayon-Ryu provides beginners (and even experienced students) with these pre-martial art skills) needed for martial art movements.

We do not offer something that everyone is looking for. It is not a full-contact program. But, it does teach effective self-defense. As many of you know, it is often up to the intensity and mindset of the defender.

Here's a link to a story about one of my students using his self-defense techniques. It was originally published in BB Magazine in 2001 and can be verified with the Arlington, Texas PD. It happened in 2001. http://www.defendu.com/newsletterjune2004.htm
You may have to scroll down to get it.

Please e-mail if you have any questions about my background or experience. I'm happy to discuss what I know, and will admit it when I don't know somthing. <email>

Robert McLain

Thank you Robert. That was very informative.

So I know of this system called Youn Wha that was founded by Grandmaster Han. I was told that GM Kim trained with GM Han when they were both in Korea. Can you provide dates/times/locations when GM Kim and GM Han trained together.

Thanks!