Missing Link is the Method. Gendai Koryu Karate is the Style.
After nearly 15 years of Missing Link Martial Arts, we have decided that the Karate we practice deserves its own name.
For a long time, we had good reasons to stay away from specific lineages, style names, or large official organisations. We wanted the freedom to actually develop our concepts without being told "that isn't how it's done in this style." But over the last few years, we noticed that this lack of a label sometimes stands in the way of understanding. When we talk with other martial artists, or when new students walk through the door, they inevitably ask for our frame of reference: "Yes, but what style is it?"
"Missing Link" describes how we train—connecting the dots between tradition and application. But it doesn't fully describe what we train. To provide that clarity, we are formally adopting a name for the art we practice: Gendai Koryu Karate (現代古流唐手).
This is not a rebrand, and it is not a revolution. It is simply a precise label for what we have been doing all along.
If you look closely at our logo, the kanji for Koryu (old style) and Karate (Chinese Hand) have been there from the beginning. By putting them together with Gendai (modern), we create a map of our practice.
1. Gendai (現代) — Modern & Applied This is the bridge to reality. We believe ancient knowledge must be useful for life today. It isn't enough to preserve ash from the past; we must carry the fire. Gendai represents our commitment to modern health, conflict management, and realistic self-defence. It is the antidote to the "debodification" of modern life, ensuring our training serves the person training in 2025, not just the ghosts of 1925.
2. Koryu (古流) — Old Style This signals our respect for the deep traditions of the art. We are not interested in the simplified, stripped-down version of Karate often found in modern sport. We look back to the "old stream"—the deep knowledge passed down in Kata. We treat forms as living textbooks, not static dances, exploring the chaotic, effective roots of the art.
3. Karate (唐手) — Chinese Hand We deliberately use the original kanji for "Chinese Hand" (Tō-de) rather than the modern "Empty Hand." This is our identity: Japanese Karate, Chinese Roots, Modern Application. This character reminds us that our art was born from the synthesis of Okinawan culture and Chinese Kung Fu. It encourages us to look beyond the manicured "Japanese Garden" of Shotokan and back into the "Chinese Jungle" of close-range fighting, grappling, and fluid movement.
In the dojo? Nothing.
We will continue to train with a Shoshin (beginner's mind). We will continue to use the Missing Link methodology to analyse Kihon, Kata, and Kumite. We will still rely on Renzoku Waza (flow drills), the Five Elements and the Five Animals to build adaptable skill.
This update is already being rolled out in our dojos in Scotland and will be reflected in the upcoming third edition of our book, Missing Links of Martial Arts.
We didn't change the art. We just put the correct name on the door.
Missing Link is the Method. Gendai Koryu Karate is the Style. After nearly 15 years of Missing Link Martial Arts, we have decided that the Karate we practice deserves its own name. For a long time, we had good reasons to stay away from specific lineages, style names, or large official organisations. We wanted the […]
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