HISTORCIAL OVERVIEW

After a year of intensive training and contact with top-ranking officials in the world of shitoryu, Union Shito Ryu Palestine was established in 2003 as the first shitoryu union in the Middle East. Sensei Osama Al-Sharif, founder and president of the union and 30-year veteran of shotokan, embraced the style of shitoryu and received written authorization from Sensei Kenei Mabuni, the highest karate authority in the world, and recognition from Sensei Nakahashi, Europe's master, to found the union.

Since its establishment, USRP has made some commendable achievements thanks to the efforts of Sensei Sharif. In addition to a new class of black belt karatekas in 2004, the union has organized training courses with Sensei Nakahashi, Sensei Kamel Grairia, instructor of the Algerian national team, and several local instructors, in addition to a week-long training camp in August 2005 for 110 students in Cairo with the kumite and kata instructors of the Egyptian national squad.

As part of his effort to introduce and spread the art of shitoryu in Palestine, Sensei Sharif attended a training course in Corsica in 2004 with the giants of karate, including Sensei Mabuni.

Currently, USRP serves close to 600 students through several dojos in Jerusalem and affiliates in the West Bank.  

USRP is now in the process of joining the leading shitoryu organizations—the World Shito Ryu Federation and the Asia-Pacific Shitoryu Federation—with the express purpose of serving karatekas, the art of karate in general, and shitoryu in particular. Joining the WSKF and the APSKF would be the first step toward participating in the 2006 WSKF Championships in Tokyo.