Old Style in Chinese / Japanese...

The meaning of 復古 can vary depending on the context. It used to mean a return to the old ways.

It can also mean “to turn back the clock,” “retro” (fashion style based on nostalgia, esp. for the 1960s), “revival,” or “restoration.”

The return to “the old ways” was also an aspiration of Confucius about 2500 years ago. This proves that “going retro” or “old school” has been cool since at least 500 B.C.

千唐流 (Chitō-Ryū, Chito-Ryu, or Chitoryu) is a style of karate founded by Tsuyoshi Chitose.

Here's the meaning of each character of the title:
千 = 1000
唐 = China (literally Tang, as in Tang Dynasty).
流 = Style or School.

Together, Chito-Ryu means “1,000 [year old] Chinese style.”

I will leave it up to you whether this is of Japanese or Okinawan style. The title certainly suggests roots traced back to China.

Want a giclee print Chito-Ryu logo?
Chito-Ryu on Dragon Cloud Paper
Chito-Ryu on Grass Fiber Paper

Or how about a ready-to-frame print? Chito-Ryu Fine Art Giclee Print

風 means wind in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

風 can also mean air, breeze, or draft. Used as a metaphor, it can mean style or manner.

See Also:  Kamikaze

無雙直傳英信流 is the traditional or old way to write the Japanese martial arts title, Musō Jikiden Eishin-Ryū (iaido style).

In modern Japanese, the second and fourth Kanji are different making them 無双直伝英信流.

In Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and old Japanese Kanji, 禮儀 means “etiquette” or “courtesy.”

You'll also find a Japanese entry on our website, which uses a modern/simplified first Kanji. The characters shown here compose the best choice if your audience is Chinese or Korean - but also acceptable if you want an ancient-style Japanese scroll (in modern Japanese, it has the same pronunciation, but is written 礼儀).

Note: This can also be translated as propriety, decorum, or formality.

松濤会 is the martial arts style Shotokai or Shōtōkai in Japanese Kanji.

Sometimes written in the old form, 松濤會 or even 鬆濤會. Let me know if you want one of these versions instead of 松濤会 when you place your order.

古武館 is the martial arts style Kobukan or Kobu-Kan.

The meaning is “ancient warrior hall.”

古 = Old, ancient, antique, or paleo-
武 = Martial, warrior, or military.
館 = Hall, building, school room, or an alternate word for a dojo.

形意拳 is the title for the Xingyiquan style/form of Chinese martial arts involving explosive linear movements.

Some translate this as “shape-of-the-mind fist.”

While pronunciation has never changed in Chinese, the old romanization was “Hsing I Chuan.” This romanization for 形意拳 is still used in Taiwan.

This term is used in some Japanese martial arts circles where it's romanized from Japanese as keīken, keiiken, or keiken.

草 means grass or straw in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on the context, this can also mean a manuscript, draft (of a document), or rough copy. In the botany context, it can also refer to weeds, herbs, thatch, or plants.

草 is also the first character of caoshu or sōsho, the Chinese and Japanese wild cursive script style of calligraphy.

Sometimes written in variant form 艸.

This can be the surname Sou/Sō, or the given name Kusa in Japanese (there are also other romanizations for this Kanji).

功夫散手 is a martial arts title.

Oddly, there are multiple ways two spell/romanize this in English, but in Chinese, it's written exactly the same.

Technically, the Mandarin romanizes as “gong fu san shou,” for which you'll sometimes see it written “kung fu san shou” (k'ung is an old romanization for a word that sounds like gong with a vowel sound like “oh”).

There is another martial arts style that spells this “Kung Fu San Soo.” I guess this was supposed to approximate Cantonese pronunciation for which the scholarly romanization is generally agreed to be “gung fu saan sau.”

柔術 has been somewhat incorrectly spelled and pronounced “Jujitsu” for some time in the English-speaking world. The correct Japanese Romaji is Jujutsu or Juujutsu.

A little background on the word: By combining the Kanji pronounced “Ju” (which means flexible, pliable, gentle, yielding) with the Kanji pronounced “Jutsu” (which means art or technique), we get a meaning that can be translated as “flexible technique,” “gentle art” or “yielding technique.”
柔術 does make sense in Chinese as well, although pronounced “rou shu” in China.

The Jujutsu system has a history in Japan that started well before the 1600s. Some see this style as a variation of the “Empty Hand Method” (Karate-do). Even the samurai of old used some Jujutsu methods in defending themselves with their unarmed hands against weapons that could pierce their heavy armor.

There are convoluted relationships between various schools and systems of martial arts, but it's generally accepted that Jujutsu led to the development of Judo and a few other variations.