Before 1989, Karate had carried on illegally for a long period of time. That is the reason why this disturbance wasn't united. It is difficult to establish the veracity of these events, as there are no official documents which can give us the exact chronology of the evolution of Karate in Romania. There is a possibility that the circulated information from a generation to another, to be true or not. In the totalitarian regime, this discipline took place only in a few powerful centres, in the country. Nowadays this is spread almost in every district. From the beginning, Karate met the harsh opposition of the police, security and even of public opinion. The last one considered that Karate meant street fight and hooliganism.

   In 1982, The National Council of Sportive Education forbade, by law, the practice of Karate in Romania.

   The ones who were devoted to this disturbance continued their trainings and found methods by which they "fooled" the law, or they were continually changing their training places, or they even pretended that they were doing gymnastic, self-defence, judo, or modern dance.

   Nevertheless, this discipline managed to obtain spectacular performances, by taking part in national and international seminars, and even International Coups.

   At the beginning of 1990, Karate started to be legal in Romania and the first national ruling structures were organized.  The Romanian Martial Arts Federation (FRAM) was organized, federation in which all disciplines with "martial" character found their place. A Karate department was created too, with sections for each style.

   In the next years, the first official tournaments, the first national competitions took place. Training and judging camps were organized, where prestigious masters were invited, and later appeared the results in international competitions.

   Upon these positives aspects, there had existed many negative aspects such as rivalry between certain groups and aspects connected to the promotion and according the grades to certain people which were not so competent, in the other's disadvantage.

   Convenient to Romanian Shorin Ryu history, the first steps regarding the introduction of this style in the country, were made by Sensei Florin Patrascu, in 1980, being helped by the possibility of traveling in Europe and taking contact directly with foreign Shorin Ryu people.

   The friendship between Sensei Florin Patrascu and Sensei Dumitru Alexandru, determined the last one to start practicing this style since 1981. The Romanian Shorin Ryu Karate Do Association was founded in 1987, working in two dojos, The Army House in Targoviste and Primary School no.4 in Pucioasa with Sensei Alexandru Dumitru instructor.

   Sensei Dumitru Alexandru ( 7th Dan ) is training in martial arts since he was 14.

   His initiation in Martial Arts was made by Sensei Kamiloo, who was a student at a university in Ploiesti and with whom he studied jiu-jitsu and nunchaku. In the same time he had another mentor, Sensei Constantinescu from Campina, Prahova till 1977.

   In 1977, Dumitru Sensei has chosen to become a military. In 1978 he studied Sankukai Karate with Sensei Kawada, a Japanese engineer , who worked in industrial area, in Targoviste.

   Since 1979 till 1981, Alexandru continued to train in jiu-jitsu and karate alike with Sensei Lazaroiu, who was an officer in the army. After Lazaroiu's death Alexandru started to study Karate Shorin Ryu with Sensei Florin Patrascu.

   Sensei Alexandru Dumitru is a found member of Romanian Martial Arts Federation (FRAM), which was created in 1990 and which organized the first legal karate competition, in 1992, where participated many other styles such as: Shotokan, Goju Ryu, Shito Ryu, etc.

   The next 10 years, Alexandru continued as a FMK (Karate World Federation) member and he taught many students (military also), who participated in national, European and world tournaments, where they won many trophies.

   

   In 1998, after many years of practicying and pasion for Nunchaku, he created two Kata-s named: Alex Dai Ichi ,Alex Dai Ni.

   In 2000, Sensei Dumitru started to exchange letters by Internet with Sensei Patrick Beaumont from Ireland. Sensei Beaumont invited Alexandru to take part along with his Shorin Ryu national team in USKK European Championship. Here he met Sensei Phillip Koeppel, 10th Dan, director of USKK International.

   Sensei Dumitru Alexandru is the president of Romanian Shorin Ryu Karate Do Association and USKK director in Romania.

   

   Since 1990 till now he has been participating to several Karate Okinawan  and Kobudo seminars with masters such as:

   • Sensei Bob Yarnall (Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu ,9 Dan, USA)

   • Sensei Eihachi Ota (Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, 10 Dan, Okinawa)

   • Sensei Doug Perry (Kobayashi Shorin Ryu , 9 Dan , USA)

   • Sensei Patrick Beaumont (Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, 8 Dan, Irlanda)

   • Sensei Dave Schielein ( Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu , 8 Dan , USA)

   • Sensei Dan Smith  (Seibukan Shorin Ryu, 9 Dan, U.S.A., Okinawa )

   • Sensei Jerry Figgiani( Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, 8 Dan, USA)

   • Soke Takaioshi Nagamine (  Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu, 10 Dan, Okinawa)

   • Sensei Giacomo Bertoletti (Jiu-jitsu , 9 Dan, Italia)

   • Sensei Vince Morris (Kissaki-kai ,8 Dan , Anglia)

       

   Shorin Ryu Okinawa distinguishes itself from other Karate styles through the fact that in this style there are studied traditional forms and self-defence, and less competition forms. It can be said that this type of Martial Arts is not just a sport, but a way of life which helps people to discover themselves.