KARATE'S CONNECTION TO CHINA
On the other hand, Karate itself, was still a very
secret and unknown art on the islands of the Ryukyo Archipelago. This group of islands is located just south
of Japan stretching towards China.
Today we know these islands as the prefecture
of Okinawa. At the time of the Second World War, Okinawa
was part of the Japanese empire and it was these islands that the United States first invaded during their final
conquest of Japan.
Therefore, it wasn't until the defeat of the Japanese forces in 1945 that
American servicemen became knowledgeable in the Art of Karate.
What was unusual though was that karate was actually
known and practiced on the island
of Hawaii as early as
1920. It never really made the jump to
the mainland as one might have expected. This was due to the diverse population
of the islands and especially its large Japanese/Okinawan population. Organizations and athletic clubs would
sponsor karate masters from Okinawa and Japan.
One of the earliest to demonstrate and lecture was a
Shuri-Te master named Yabu Kentsu. He
demonstrated at a small YMCA in the Japanese community of Honolulu which was attended by local Japanese
and Okinawan spectators only.
These special interest groups were a very tight knit
group of individuals and even though they sponsored many karate masters to come
and lecture in Hawaii,
they allowed only a select few to watch.
Between 1920 and 1935 many great karate instructors came to Hawaii and demonstrated
their art.
Amongst these were the aforementioned Yabu Kentsu, who
returned to an extended visit in 1927.
Also included were Zuiho Matsu, Kamesuke Higaonna, and the famed founder
of the Gojo-Ryu Karate, Miyagi Chojun whose demonstration was one of the first
to be witnessed by occidentals as well as Orientals.
Even though the Japanese population still had some
contempt for those things Okinawan, Karate was not one of them. Karate was
introduced to the Japan
as recently as 1922 and since this time has become extremely popular. This
introduction of karate was due mainly to a successful demonstration led by
Gichin Funakoshi.
When Funakoshi began to lecture in Japan in the 1920's, the art of
karate finally took off in popularity until the Japanese couldn't get enough of
it. Gichin Funakoshi, (of whom we will
discuss in detail in a later chapter), was one of the foremost experts of the
empty-hand self-defense art of Okinawa. He
decided at a certain point in his life to stay in Japan proper. Again this decision
was at the urging of his wife and his students.
Funakoshi took it as his mission to pass on the art of
Karate to the Japanese people. With him
from Okinawa came many other masters of
karate. Some of the first who came to Japan were also some of the
greatest instructors who have existed.
They were:
* Gichin Funakoshi 1922 (* surname shown here last )
Choki
Motobu 1922
Kanbun
Vechi 1924
Kenwa
Mabuni 1927
Chojun
Miyabi 1928
It wasn't long until there were well over 200 schools
proliferating the art throughout Japan. Karate was introduced
previously to the Japanese in 1917. This was at a private demonstration
performed at a famous martial arts hall called the Butokuden.
This great building was the Japanese military arts
school in Kyoto.
The organization that ran the Butokuden was called the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
(Great Japan Martial Arts Virtues Association).
This organization could trace their roots to the
eighteenth century (A.D.) and had their headquarters built near the emperor's
palace in 1899. Unfortunately, at this
point in history the Japanese still looked down on everything Okinawan and so
karate remained virtually unknown to the Japanese people.
This was all to change in 1922 when Gichin Funakoshi put
on his demonstration at the National Athletic Exhibition that was being held in
Tokyo.
Funakoshi, as previously mentioned, along with many of
the karate masters were from Okinawa, the
largest of the Ryukyo islands. The style
of "Shotokan Karate" was a name given to Funakoshi's art by his
students. The style which Funakoshi
taught was actually a combination of two main styles that he had learned. These
two, quite dramatically different styles were called Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu.
As can be seen in the following chart even these two
styles were developed from an art simply known as 'Te'. Te was the indigenous
unarmed combat techniques that were taught on Okinawa.
It was the various rulers of Okinawa
that actually helped the development of karate.
Initially it was the family which unified Okinawa
and eventually the conquering Japanese both forbade the possession of any
weapons by the general population. The
decree was one of the main reasons for the suppressed inhabitants to learn this
form of unarmed combat training.
The island of Okinawa is midway between Japan
proper and the great civilization of China. Many seagoing merchants stopped in the port
cities of Okinawa, mainly to rest and
re-supply. Naturally some of these
sailors eventually stayed in this friendly land.
When the original King of Okinawa pledged allegiance to
the emperor of China,
many cultural exchanges took place. It
was around 1350 AD that Okinawa became a tributary of China. King Satto of Okinawa was
more or less forced to once again acknowledge the Emperor in Peking
in 1372.
It was at this historical point that formal trade routes
were set up along with an official exchange of envoys. It was through these
exchanges that the introduction of a systematized form of fighting called
Chaun-Fa was presented to the Okinawans.
The Chuan-Fa that came from China were of various styles but
the majority of these had their origins in the same location. It was from the
Buddhist Temple of Shaolin where most chuan-fa styles initially developed. This temple, located in the central province of Honan was eventually destroyed and it
was the survivors of this temple that secretly taught their art. These survivors formed organizations (or
benevolent societies) which were brought
together for the
sole purposes of overthrowing the tyrannical government, which incidentally
caused the destruction of the Shaolin temple.
The originator of this martial art form is thought to be
a simple monk named Bodhidharma.
Bodhidharma, who was the 26th patriarch of the Dhyana Sect of Buddhism,
traveled from India to China,
originally to simply spread the word of Buddha.
In the next chapter we will detail the beginning of the art that
eventually developed into Karate.
BODHIDHARMA
In the early part of the Sixth Century, the head of a certain
Buddhist faith in India
died and left the Patriarch position to his foremost disciple, a monk named
Bodhitara. It was at this time that the
now 26th Patriarch of the Dhyana Sect of Buddhism changed his name to
Bodhidharma and made a decision that would alter history for millions of
people, in many different ways.
Even though much has been written of Bodhidharma, this
great priest is still thought of as part legend and part myth. This unusual,
yet brilliant monk is actually considered the Founder of Shaolin Style Kung-Fu
(Chuan-fa). Bodhidharma is also acknowledged as a pioneer in the teachings of
Zen Buddhism. Though he is considered a Patron Saint of most martial artistry,
Bodhidharma, nevertheless was a very mysterious individual.
There is evidence that exists that supports the fact an
Indian Monk traveled to China,
had an audience with the emperor, and then traveled to a monastery, where he
spent long periods of time in meditation. It is generally believed that this
person was Bodhidharma. He was known to the Chinese as Ta Mo and
later to the Japanese as Dharma Taishi.
Bodhidharma is believed to have been born in the city of
Kanchipuram, which is located near Madras on the East Coast
of India. It was throughout his
childhood in this area of India,
that Bodhidharma learnt some fighting techniques. The fighting art which was
learnt by Bodhidharma was known as southern-style "Kalaripayit".
Kalaripayit roughly translates as "Battlefield Training" and still
exists today in some parts of India.
Once Bodhidharma turned to his religious calling, his
use of this art diminished considerably.
Bodhidharma devoted himself entirely to the Buddhist Faith and became
the Patriarch without any known opposition.
Even though at this point in history Buddhism had spread almost entirely
throughout India,
Bodhidharma's religious zeal forced him to work at spreading the word of Buddha
even further.
It was after he became Patriarch that Bodhidharma
decided to travel China,
the most populated and the most civilized nation of its time. With his decision
made, Bodhidharma started his slow journey to China, walking the entire
distance. For most of the journey he
walked alone with only his thoughts to accompany him. Buddhism had entered China
several hundred years prior to the arrival of Bodhidharma but it was still
struggling to become fully entrenched as an accepted religion.
There is record of the existence of Buddhism in China
around 65 A.D. Unfortunately as its popularity grew, just like most religions
around the world, it had to struggle (and at most time violently) to survive.
There are records of several power struggles that ensued over the years between
Buddhist communities in China
and the older religion of Taoism.
When Bodhidharma entered China
he traveled to the City of Kuang
(Modern Canton) and went directly to the Court of the Emperor. Here Bodhidharma was granted an audience with
Emperor Wu Ti, of the Liang Dynasty. He
wished only to get permission to spread the word of Buddha throughout the land.
Although the word of Buddha was fresh in China
at this point in history, it was still quite popular and even the Emperor was
an avid supporter of this "new" Religion. It was for this reason that
the new Patriarch was given such a quick audience by the Emperor. Wishing to impress Bodhidharma, the Emperor
started to list all the Temples
he had built for Buddhism and all the other donations he had made to this
righteous religion.
However, Bodhidharma was not impressed and bluntly said
so. Surprised by this reaction, the Emperor started to question Bodhidharma and
when he asked Bodhidharma what he considered was the first law of Buddhism and
was answered by a single word:
"Nothing".
The Emperor became angry.At this point, he demanded to
know who Bodhidharma thought he was.
Again, the reply he received from Bodhidharma was a one word
answer: "Nobody".
Frustrated but still respecting Bodhidharma's spirit and
devotion, the Emperor asked the Patriarch to stay at his court and to teach him
the true ways. He wished to learn the
reasons to Bodhidharma'a puzzling replies.
To his dismay, it turned out that Bodhidharma wished only to be left
alone and indicated that he had come to the court only to seek permission to
wander throughout China.
The Emperor granted Bodhidharma's request to spread the
word of Buddha. Therefore, this solitary
monk left the court and proceeded to wander throughout the vast Chinese
countryside.
It was through these wanderings that many legends were
told of Bodhidharma, some real and some that were just a little larger than
life. One small story was concerning Bodhidharma's arrival at the Yangzi River. Being one of the largest Rivers in China,
it had many ferrymen willing to take Bodhidharma across, for a small cost. Surprisingly, Bodhidharma declined all offers
and proceeded to cross the mighty river upon a single reed.
There were purportedly many astonished witnesses,
including a government envoy who claimed that Bodhidharma stood upright on this
reed as he crossed. At the end of his wanderings, Bodhidharma came upon a Temple located in the
Honan Province of Central China. This established Temple
was known as "Songshan Shaolin Szu" or "Central Mountain
Small Forest
Temple". Bodhidharma
asked the Abbott of this Temple
for permission to stay and rest for a short time.
The Shaolin
Temple itself was built
in 495 A.D. at the foot of a mountain, which was situated at the mid point of a
number of major mountain ranges, hence its name. It was because of the topographical
geography of this area, that this particular location was considered
auspicious.
A second and more important reason for the Temple being
constructed was due to the then Emperor of China wanting to built a place for a
great Buddhist monk from India to live and spread the `word'. This great priest
was named Batuo and soon turned this modest temple into one of the most
important in all of China
and so when Bodhidharma arrived around 520 A.D. the temple already had many
disciples.
It should be noted here that a second "Shaolin Temple
was built in the Chinese province
of Fukien, but our
interest and that which relates to the development of Karate lies in the
original structure, as previously described.
It was at this temple that Bodhidharma was to stay for
the rest of his life and in addition create a set of exercises that would
eventually evolve into Karate.
Bodhidharma did not simply introduce some techniques that were for the
purpose of self-defense, but rather these techniques were initially to be
utilized as some exercises for his followers.
It seems that when Bodhidharma first came to the Shaolin
Szu (Temple) he
was left alone by the other Monks. He
actually avoided all contact with them.
He would simply sit near a wall and meditate all day. It is said that at
one point, his meditations continued uninterrupted for nine years.
When asked for what purpose was Bodhidharma meditating
while facing the walls, he replied that he was simply "listening to the
ants scream." One of the other monks
was so impressed that he actually cut off one of his hands as a symbolic
gesture of sympathy.
Whether or not this or any of the other legends were
true, Bodhidharma soon had a substantial following. It was through this form of
meditation that eventually formed the basis of a new method of Religious
Study. This dramatically different type
of worshipping was known as Chan or Zen Buddhism.
Zen Buddhism became a religion in which the novice seeks
inner peace or self-enlightenment through the simple method of meditation. (Of
course this is a simplistic way of looking at Zen Buddhism, yet many volumes
are required to justifiably explain the true purpose of this religion).
Unfortunately for the Monks, this constant meditation was
a little too strenuous for them. The
long hours of meditation caused a major portion of the monks to fall
asleep. Bodhidharma quickly noticed that
most of the monks were very frail and did almost no exercise other than walking
to and from the meditation halls. It
was here where Bodhidharma decided that the use of the art he had learned as a
youth back in India,
would be beneficial.
In order to get the monks physically fit, Bodhidharma
taught them some Kalaripayit techniques.
Along with these martial art exercises, he also worked the monks hard in
the fields. Eventually, the monks became excellent farmers and surprisingly
fine martial artists. The techniques
taught to the novice monks, over the years became known as the "Eighteen
Movements." These movements were of a military nature and stressed a high
mental, as well as physical performance.
Living in the time of the Liang Dynasty was hazardous at
the best of times. The central government was only strong around the major
cities and as such, there were many thieves and highway robbers who picked on
any innocent traveler or peasant.
The exercises that Bodhidharma taught allowed the monks
to complete their meditations, to become physically fit, and had actually
enabled them to defend themselves against those individuals trying to enrich
themselves by attacking Temples
and monks. Eventually the criminals, who were able to escape with their lives,
spread the fame and prestige of the Shaolin Priests.
While there is still much speculation to the existence
of Bodhidharma, there does exist a literary work by a citizen of Lo-yang
(modern Honan) who describes an encounter he
had with a monk named Bodhidharma.
There are some distortions involved with his
conversations with Bodhidharma, which in turns raises some question to its
authenticity or at the very least its accuracy.
Unfortunately there is almost no mention of Bodhidharma
for over four hundred years after this one record. There is some speculation to
why there was no mention of this priest and it involves an age old
confrontation of new religion versus old religion.
Zen, when initially introduced was dramatically
different from what was the major philosophies of the day, as such those few
who adhered to its concepts would have, no doubt been persecuted. It would have
been a few hundred years before this radical philosophy could attain the
following to become accepted.
It must be remember that most of the religions of the
time of Bodhidharma had elaborate ceremonies and devoted much of their time to
the reading of complicated scriptures. Zen, on the other hand was a simple
philosophy to be enjoyed by all and would have alienated a few intellectuals at
first.
We will describe Zen in more detail in a later chapter,
but we can at least see that even if there is very little written of
Bodhidharma at the time of his stay at the Shaolin Temple, this does not
necessarily prove that he did not exist.
We must again reiterate that any records of Bodhidharma
if they did exist were destroyed either in the first destruction of the temple
in the mid seventeenth Century or in the last great fire within the temple in
1928. This unfortunately eliminates any real proof to which we can turn to for
securing the true position of Bodhidharma as the Patriarch of Zen.
While the existence of martial arts prior to the Shaolin Temple is not argued, it is believed
that it was Bodhidharma that initially promoted this form of fighting as a
spiritual development. Prior to this radical philosophy, most who learned any
form of martial art did so for fighting purposes only and were fond of fighting
any one, for any reason.
It is also believed that as well as introducing the
concept of Zen and spiritual development (through martial arts training) to the
Shaolin Temple, Bodhidharma had introduced one
of the earliest uses of the individual inner force. This internal energy became known as Chi (Ki
in Japanese).
This Ki was useful to the trainee both in their martial
training as well as to help the monks discipline themselves to the point of
ascertaining the true meaning of Zen.
The Shaolin
Temple prospered for many
more years as did the exercises that Bodhidharma introduced. Even after the death of Bodhidharma, the art matured
and continued to grow and many new disciples entered this monastery to learn
both the Art and the teachings of Zen.
It was from these simple roots that Karate-do eventually
evolved. Bodhidharma taught the monks of
Shaolin two methods of training that also can be found in today’s Karate
Training.
The first method was called Yi Jing Jin (or
"Ekkinkyo" in Japanese) which stresses a series of exercises and
breathing techniques which evolved into the eighteen movements.
The second method was called Yi Shui Jin (or
"Senzuikyo in Japanese) which was an exercise for the monks to help them
develop their mental and spiritual strengths.
Both methods were taught for the sole purpose of
enabling the monks to accomplish the long periods of meditation and other
duties assigned to them by Bodhidharma.
Karate-do that is taught today has the same influences
that were initially taught to the monks of the Shaolin Temple
over 1500 years ago. Even though many
other great individuals improved and developed the Art of Karate to what it has
become today, it was the genius of Bodhidharma that initially provided the
Spirit of the Art.
Bodhidharma was part myth, part legend, part fact, but
the spirit of this priest still lives in every martial art school that stresses
the total development of an individual.
Bodhidharma is just one more individual that has become part of the time
honored tradition of today's Karate Training.
Our personal striving for perfection in Karate-do is an
ideal that was originally put forth by Bodhidharma, and recognition of this
fact is now slowly being acknowledged by Martial Artists everywhere. We can see
now that no matter what the style of Karate that an individual trains at, his
or her efforts have over 15 centuries of tradition behind them.
On the previous page we see a sample collection of
various karate styles and how they evolved.
To show the detailed connections between each style and its predecessor,
would in reality cause lines to be crisscrossing all over the chart. This would be due mainly to the close
proximity of the three main cities on Okinawa, namely Shuri, Tomari and Naha. It was these particular three cities that
evolved into the main centres of early karate development and therefore there
was much traveling between each of these cities over the years, including many
martial artist.
Each of the styles listed had one or two major
contributors who were the motivating factors in the new style being
founded. Without going into great detail,
we will describe the route of the development of each system. We will do this by introducing those
individuals who have had the greatest impact in the formation of each
style.
SHAOLIN TRADITION:
Bodhidharma, the legendary monk who traveled from India to China and ended up in a Buddhist
temple called Shaolin. It was at this temple that Bodhidharma supposedly
introduced both the philosophy of Zen (Chan in Chinese) as well as calisthenics
that evolved over the years into karate.
The estimated a date for Bodhidharma's arrival at Shaolin Temple
is believed to be around 520 A.D.
Another major contributor to the development of the
Shaolin fighting system was a monk named Cheuh Yan who entered the temple
simply to learn this now famous fighting style.
This was many years after the arrival of Bodhidharma, and yet the art
had not changed very much over the years.
It was Yuan who expanded the "exercise' sets that were used to
train the monks and truly developed the Shaolin style onto a new level.
After the destruction of the temple in 1674, only five
monks survived and it was these five individuals and their secret societies
that continued to spread that Shaolin tradition.
INDIGENOUS:
It is thought that any fighting style that was developed
on the island of Okinawa had always been influenced by
outside sources. This may be true but
evidence has been found that there was a form of fighting that was practiced on
Okinawa, prior to any outside contact.
When trading ships did start to sail into the ports of
Okinawa from throughout Asia, there was an
obvious exchange of traditions, ideas and merchandise. It was when arguments began between the
sailors and other traders that the native population of Okinawa
quickly absorbed any system of fighting that was obviously effective.
OTHER CHINESE INFLUENCES:
Some styles that exist today, which claim to be karate,
have origins in China, but which have had no direct link to the Shaolin style
or systems that evolved from the Shaolin tradition. Some of these styles can trace their origins
to individuals that existed prior to Bodhidharma arriving in China.
Te
One of the first
recognized fighting systems on Okinawa was a
martial art known simple as Te, meaning “hand.” Te originated in the 16th
century and was formed primarily because of the prohibition of weapons imposed
on the Okinawan population by their Japanese rules in the late 1500s. Te is
considered indigenous to Okinawa, but it is generally accepted that there was a
great influence from other Asian nations, especially China.
One of the first
acknowledged masters of this empty-handed fighting form was Shungo Sakugawa
(1733-1815), who received a great deal of his martial art training from a monk
named Peichin Takahara. Sakugawa eventually taught the style to Soken
Matsumura, one of the greatest martial artists who ever lived. While the
Sakugawa-Matsumura connection was the root of the majority of karate styles
developed on Okinawa (and later in Japan), many other systems were
created without any influence from Matsumura or Sakugawa.
Three main training
centers developed on Okinawa around the 18th
century. One was the ancient capital of Shuri, where the royalty and other
nobles lived. A second center formed in Naha,
the island’s main port. The third was in Tomari. Each of these cities
eventually developed its own distinct style.
Shuri-Te
Even though Sakugawa was
one of the first Te masters, because he taught in the capital city of Shuri, he is also
considered one of the first masters of Shuri-te as well. Sakugawa was almost 70
years old when a young boy named Soken Matsumura started training with him.
Matsumura became the best student Sakugawa ever produced, and after Sakugawa’s
death, Matsumura became one of the most prominent instructors of shuri-te. It
was his influence that spawned the majority of different karate styles
practiced today.
Tomari-Te
Tomari was located near
the small village of Kumemura (Kume
City), which was
inhabited by a number of military men with a variety of martial arts skills.
Included among these skills were “external” arts descended from the Shaolin Temple, as well as “internal” systems
that had their origins elsewhere.
While shuri-te was
influenced almost exclusively by the harder Shaolin external style, Tomari-te
included a mixture of both external and internal systems. One of the first
recognized tamari-te masters was Kosaku Matsumora, who taught the style in the
utmost secrecy. Thus, only a few of Matsumora’s students ever became prominent
enough to pass on his style.
Another important
Tomari-te instructor was Kokan Oyadomari, whose claim to fame is that he was
the first instructor of the great Chotoku Kyan.
Naha-Te
Of the three major Okinawan
styles of the time, Naha-te had the greatest influence from the internal
systems of China,
as well as the least contact with the external Shaolin tradition. The greatest
Naha-te master was Kanryo Higashionna. There is evidence that Higashionna took
some lessons from Matsumura of the Shuri-te style, but only for a short period.
Higashionna was still quite young when he left for China where he stayed for many
years. When he returned to Naha,
he opened a school which emphasized breathing patterns prominent in the
internal Chinese styles. Higashionna had many great students who went on to
become famous in their own right, Chojun Miyagi and Kenwa Mabuni among them.
Shorin-Ryu
Shuri-te and Tomari-te
eventually evolved into one style called Shorin-ryu, which recognizes the
influence of the shaolin
Temple, “Shorin” is the
Japanese word for “Shaolin.” It was around the Matsumura era that the two art
forms blended into one style. One of the biggest exponents of this newly named
style was Yatsutsume (Anko) Itosu, who was one of Matsumura’s finest students.
Shorei-Ryu
Naha-te eventually became
know as Shorei-ryu at the height of Higashionna’s popularity. It was also at
this time that the style started to change its direction slightly from being
purely an internal fighting system. This was due mainly to the influence of
Choki Motobu.
Even thought Motobu’s
style was considered Naha-te, he actually had no real connection with
Hagashionna. When Motobu became the leader of Shorei-ryu, he started to develop
it in a new direction, primarily because of the extensive training he received
from Anko Itosu of Shuri-te, as well as Matsumora of Tomari-te. Motobu
developed quite a reputation as a tough street fighter, as well as a great
instructor.
Shotokan
Shotokan karate founder
Gichin Funakoshi was a student of both Yasutsune Itosu and Itosu’s good friend,
Yasutsune Azato. Itosu learned his style of karate from Soken Matsumura, and
Azato was trained by Tomari-te’s Kosaku Matsumora. Funakoshi therefore had
extensive Shorin-ryu (or Shuri-te) training, as well as a taste of Shorei-te
karate. It was because of this association with these great instructors that
Funakoshi was able to train under a variety of other masters as well.
It wasn’t until Funakoshi
was living in Tokyo
in the 1930’s that he founded Shotokan. “Shotokan” translates as “Shoto’s
School.” Shoto was Funakoshi’s pen name.
Funakoshi was at the
forefront of an era when the diversity of karate styles became prevalent. While
not a great supporter of “specialized” karate styles, his influence helped
cause this divergence.
Shito-Ryu
When Funakoshi was
training with Itosu, one of this friends and classmates was Kenwa Mabuni.
Mabuni eventually decided to train in a different style and traveled to Naha to train with
Higashionna. Mabuni stayed with Hagashionna for many years and even was able to
train, for a short period with Chojun Miyagi. Miyagi had just returned from a
training session in China,
and Mabuni wanted to pick up any new techniques Miyagi might have learned.
Like Funakoshi before
him, Mabuni moved to Japan
and founded Shito-ryu. “Shito” was a combination of the first character of each
of Mabuni’s two main instructor’s names – Higashionna and Itosu. Mabuni taught
a combination of the hard, linear style of Itosu’s Shuri-te and the softer,
circular style of Naha-te. His Shito-ryu system is considered one of the major
styles in Japan
today.
Goju-Ryu
The Naha-te Higashionna
taught eventually evolved into Shorei-ryu and started to resemble styles whose
origins developed from the Shaolin
Temple. Higashionna’s
original style was influenced by the fighting system that existed in China
prior to the Shaolin tradition, and was on a softer plane than Shorin-ryu.
Higashionna’s student Chojun Miyagi wanted tot teach a style similar to the one
taught by his instructor, so at Higashionna’s suggestion, Miyagi traveled to China
to complete his training, concentrating on the breathing techniques of the
various internal systems.
Miyagi later returned to Naha and, after a few years, traveled to Japan to teach in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Miyagi’s art
evolved from the Naha-te of Higashionna to what , in 1929, Miyagi called
Goju-ryu (go meaning “hard,” ju meaning “soft”). It was the hard/soft
combination that has made Goju-ryu one of today’s most popular karate styles.
One of Miyagi’s greatest students was the late Gogen Yamaguchi.
Wado-Ryu
When Gichin Funakoshi
performed his various demonstrations, he usually had several of these best
students accompany him. The student who assisted Funakoshi most often was
Hirornori Otsuka, who began training with Funakoshi in 1926. By the early
1930’s,
Otsuka was considered one
of the finest karate practitioners in Japan.
What was so unusual was
that when Otsuka joined Funakoshi’s school, he was already a master of shindo
Yoshin-ryu Jujitsu, but forsook that style to train with Funakoshi. After
training with Funakoshi for over ten years. Otsuka suddenly left and studied
several other karate styles for a short time. There is evidence that he even
trained with Choki Motobu before going out on his own.
In 1939, Otsuka founded
Wado-ryu karate (wa meaning “harmony” and do meaning “way”). Otsuka combined
the karate he learned from Funakoshi with his own expertize in shindo
Yoshin-ryu Jujitsu to develop a system much softer than most. He stressed the
perfection of the mind over the perfection of technique. Wado-ryu has gone on
to become a popular style all over the world.
Kyokushinkai
Kyokushinkai is one of
the toughest karate styles that exists today. Its founder, Masutatsu Oyama,
began his training in Shotokan karate at a military school at age 14. Oyama was
actually a Korean named Yee Hyung (I Yong), but changed his name when he came
to Japan.
Oyama was drafted into
the Imperial Army in 1941, after only a couple of years of training with Gichin
Funakoshi. After the war, Oyama began training with Chojun Miyagi, but later
decided to go into seclusion, travelling to Mt. Kiyosumi,
where he remained isolated for over a year and a half. When he finally returned
to civilization, Oyama attempted to start his own karate school, but met with
only moderate success.
It was Oyama’s attempts
at killing bulls with a single blow that won him enough fame to open a few
doors. In 1952, Oyama toured the United States in attempt to
popularize his karate style. He took on all corners and never lost a match,
ending most with a knockout. When Oyama returned to Japan, he founded Kyokushinkai, a
hard-nosed karate style.
Kyokushinkai translates
as “Ultimate Truth” and stresses heavy body contact to help students overcome
fear. Competitors wore no protective equipment at kyokushinkai tournaments and
most of the matches were won by knockout. Another major emphasis in
Kyokushinkai karate is Tameshiwari (breaking skills). Students are required to
break a number of tiles prior to receiving a black belt.
Oyama lived out his days
in Tokyo,
heading up a large international Kyokushinkai organization, known as the
International Karate Organization. Sosai Masutatsu Oyama dies of lung cancer on
April 26, 1994 at the age of 70.
Isshin-Ryu
Isshin-ryu founder Tatsuo
Shimabuku learned karate from a variety of instructors skilled in many
different styles. He studied with Goju-ryu’s Chojun Miyagi, then with Shorin-ryu’s
Chotoku Kyan, and finally with Shorei-ryu master Choki Motobu.
It was during World War
II that Shimabuku gained his reputation as a fine instructor. The Japanese
officers were so impressed with his teaching that they were able to keep
Shimabuku from being conscripted into the military so they could continue
training with him.
After the defeat of the
Japanese, the American forces stationed in Okinawa
took great interest in Shimabuku’s karate and trained at his school. Some of
Shimabuku’s finest pupils were Americans Steve Armstrong, Harold Mitchum and
Don Nagel.
Armstrong was so
impressed by Shimabuku that he was able to convince the American military to
pay $5 a month to the school for every soldier who trained there. In 1954,
Shimabuku founded the Isshin-ryu system, meaning “one-heart style.”
Motobu-Ryu
The Motobu family were
noble Okinawans who practiced a martial art considered so effective that it was
kept very secret. Only the eldest son, was allowed to learn the family art.
Choki Motobu was the third oldest son and wished desperately to learn the
family style, but was not permitted. No matter how often he spied on his older
brother and father, Choki never learned enough to make him effective in any
real fighting situation. This is the main reason Choki eventually sought
training elsewhere.
It was Choke’s oldest
brother Choyu who was the actual master of this style. Choyu Motobu broke
tradition and taught the family art to an outsider named Seikichi Uehara around
1940. Uehara eventually founded Motobu-ryu karate in 1961. Even though this
style is named after Choyu Motobu, it is not identical to the Motobu family
art.
Although Motobu-ryu is
not well known, it does have substantial following in Okinawa.
Uechi-ryu
Surprisingly, Uechi-ryu
karate received no influence from either Shungo Sakugawa, Soken Matsumura, or
Kanryo Higashionna. The style is still considered an offshoot of Naha-te due to
their similar influences and origins.
The style’s founder was
Kanbum Uechi, and Okinawan who traveled to China, where he befriended a priest
named Chou-Tzu Ho, who taught a style similar to that Higashionna learned. This
style was called pangai-noon, which translates as “half hard/half soft.”
After almost 15 years in China, Uechi finally returned to Okinawa, although not for the purpose of teaching martial
arts. Even though many knew of his talents as an instructor, it took over 17
years before anyone could convince Uechi to start teaching. Uechi first called
his style Pangai-noon but eventually changed the name to Uechi-ryu to reflect
his own innovations.
Unfortunately, they style
never really became popular until after Uechi’s death. His son Kanei continues
to teach the art, and today it is one of the major styles on Okinawa.
Shorinji-Ryu
Shorinji-ryu karate was
founded after the Second World War by Kori Hisataka and his son Masayuki.
“Shorinji” is the Japanese translation of the Shaolin Temple
and was the inspiration for this style. Kori Hisataka developed the system for
the sole purpose of initiating an in-depth study of the art that originated
from the Shaolin Temple. He was also influenced by
Shorin-ji Kempo, a style said to have originated with Shaolin priests.
The most notable
Shorinji-ryu instructor at present is Richard Kim of San Francisco.
GICHIN FUNAKOSHI
Gichin Funakoshi's name takes up a large portion of the
Karate heritage. Funakoshi learned his
art directly from one of the original master of this unarmed self-defense. It was this man who developed the techniques
of Karate into a "way" (or "Path"). What Funakoshi did was to bring Karate up to
a new level while at the same time return the art to its origins.
The Karate that was being taught now became
Karate-do. This term translates as
"The Way of Karate" and has a deeper meaning than most of today's
Karate students realize. The man who
brought this fact to light to most of the modern world was in fact a very
humble school teacher.
When Funakoshi was very young, he was a very fragile
child who was always sick. Finally, his
doctor put him on a prescription of herbs and told him to join a Karate
school. One of his classmates had a
father who was well known as a Karate instructor and so Funakoshi asked his
friend if he would be allowed to join.
Therefore, Master Yasutsune Asato began to train Funakoshi and develop
him into a healthy, even strong individual.
Funakoshi loved to learn Karate and was able to train under many
different instructors including "Bushi" Matsumura himself!
Azato had a good friend named Itosu
"Anko". Itsou was frequently
visiting his friend Azato and noticed Funakoshi immediately. Itosu then started to teach Funakoshi as
well.
Itosu's style was quite different from the style that
Master Azato taught yet it was Itosu "Anko" who was responsible for
teaching Karate in its truest form to Funakoshi. Itosu was greatly impressed and instantly
recognized Funakoshi's talents and decided to introduce him to his own Sensei -
Bushi Matsumura. Matsumura also recognized the spirit in Funakoshi and taught
him many things.
Funakoshi learned karate throughout his high school
career but it was always late at night and usually at the home of the Karate
instructor. Once Funakoshi started
working for a living he decided to go into teaching and was a high school
teacher for most of his life. However,
while he was teaching school during the day, he was also teaching his form of
Karate at night. Due to the vast
knowledge that Funakoshi had in the martial arts, he soon became a very popular
instructor.
In his mid-thirties, Funakoshi tried to convince his
employers of the health benefits of Karate and get it put into the public
school curriculum. Unfortunately, it
wasn't until Funakoshi was fifty years old that Karate was thoroughly ingrained
in the Okinawan public schools physical education programs.
Funakoshi taught a style of Karate that was a blend of
the many influences he had learned throughout his training years. As an intellectual, he tried to instill a
philosophy about the true meaning of Karate and he enjoyed reading, writing,
and creating poems. He would sign his
own poetry with a pen name "Shoto".
Shoto translates "Pine-waves" and refers to
the wind blowing through the pine trees in the forests around his home. Therefore, in respect for Funakoshi, his
students decided to call the style he taught them "Shotokan" or
Shoto's school (Kan
in this case translates as school).
Throughout his regular teaching career in the public
school system, Funakoshi had a strong following of students at his night time
school. However, it was not until
Funakoshi was fifty-three years old before his students convinced him to quit
his daytime career and put all his efforts into the spreading of the art of
Karate.
Within a year of totally dedicating himself to Karate,
Funakoshi was asked to perform a demonstration for the Crown Prince who was
traveling through Okinawa. This was a great honor for Funakoshi. It was recognized that there were many other
Karateka around who were much more technically proficient but there were none
that were more committed. Sensei
Funakoshi had an honest, sincere dedication to the spirit of Karate and this
was the reason the community of Karate asked him to organize a demonstration.
The demonstration for the future Emperor was so
successful that in 1922, Fuankoshi was asked to demonstrate once again. This time it was at the National Athletic
Exhibition to be held in Tokyo. This event was presented by the Ministry of
Education and was the first public demonstration of Karate in Japan. Immediately after this exhibition, Funakoshi
was asked to tour throughout Japan
in order to give lectures and further demonstrations.
Even the founder of Judo, Master Kano Jigoro asked
Funakoshi to demonstrate for him. Master
Kano convinced Funakoshi to stay and teach him some of the basic of
Karate. It was also at this time that
Funakoshi was persuaded to move to Tokyo
and continue his teaching of their art.
After only a few months, the local university adopted
Karate as part of its physical education program. It was here, at the University of Tokyo,
that Funakoshi started his first real Japanese school.
While teaching the Karate that Funakoshi had learned
from his Okinawan master, the art took on a distinctly Japanese flavor. It was this absorption of Karate into the
Japanese society that influenced Funakoshi to make a few changes that would
effect Karate for all time. These
changes could be described more as discoveries and in turn demonitrated the
enlightenment of Master Funakoshi.
CHANGES IN KARATE
Karate, even when it was first being developed in the Shaolin Temple, was always considered an art
form. But it was Funakoshi who continued
that evolution to a brand new level.
Funakoshi started to teach Karate-do instead of
Karate-jutsu. The difference between the
two is that "jutsu" translates as techniques or movements while
"do" means "way" or "path". The Chinese introduced a philosophy of Tao to
the world and "do" is the Japanese translation of this Chinese
word. To Funakoshi the art had developed
to the stage that Karate could become a true way of life. Thus, the practicing of Karate techniques can
become a way of life for some; or at least an enjoyable portion of their lives
to others.
Being a successful high school teacher as well,
Funakoshi was very literate and always tried to improve Karate so that anyone
could learn it. Being well read,
Funakoshi was also an intellect and produced a book which introduced the
re-translation of the word Karate.
Funakoshi suggested that kara-te should translate as
"empty-hand" rather than its previous translation of
"China-hands". This use of the characters was initially introduced in
a book by Chomo Hanashiro in 1905.
In the Japanese language the word "Kara" has
two meanings. Most of the original
Okinawan masters translated Karate as "China-hands" because they were
paying respect to the origin of the art.
Now, with the influence of these new dedicated Japanese
students, the art was once again reunited with Zen, which was its initial reason for being
developed (thus the art is considered to have gone ‘full circle’ in its
evolutionary development).
To further explain this concept we must examine,
briefly, the development of martial arts in Japan proper. The Japanese had gone via the sword and bow
as their self-defense and personal protection art. The warriors had developed the study of both
the sword and the bow to almost
religious proportions. This in-depth
study of these two deadly weapons included much meditation by their
practitioners. It was this same zeal
with that Japanese student began to learn Karate. Therefore, Funakoshi developed the art to Karate-do,
the way of the empty-hand.
Funakoshi also taught that the students had to repeat a
single kata hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of times before he could say
that he had mastered that kata. He said
that "the purpose of learning kata is not just for the sake of learning
them but for the tempering and disciplining of oneself so it was not necessary
to study indiscriminately large numbers of them." Funakoshi taught kata seriously and stressed
five elements for thought when training kata.
- Kata
teaches practical self-defense and technique combinations.
- Kata
teaches balance and co-ordination of techniques.
- Kata
aids in character development.
- Kata
can develop a spiritual element.
- Kata
will build stamina, determination, concentration, and patience and can
lead to a unity of mind and body.
Kata - a series of defensive and offensive techniques,
pre-arranged into combinations which follow certain definite patterns. Kata, which literally translates as `forms'
is an exercise that is unique to the Martial Arts.
Kata is also one of the most controversial aspects of
Karate Training. There exists today many
schools which claim very traditional training methods and therefore practice
exclusively with Kata. There also exist a number of schools which espouse the
philosophy that Kata training is useless.
These schools train only at free-sparring and other techniques that are
successful in Sport (sparring) Competitions and other similar Tournaments. To round out their training, these schools
will sometimes teach one-on-one combat-type training, but again are usually
limited in their scope.
Karate-do, or the Way of Karate, encompasses three main
phases of training. Learning the basics
is one of the first stages. Then comes
kata training and finally the Novice learns how to free fight
(Jiyu-Kumite). Of these three training
methods, Kata practice is the most
important, as well as, the most difficult.
When training in a school that neglects Kata practice
and only trains in free-fighting, it must be remembered that there are strict
rules in sport competition. This
includes sparring sessions or even kick-boxing matches. Therefore, practicing Kata is essential to
learning self-defense techniques in a way that tournament-type of training can
not.
If an individual wishes to learn Karate as a complete
self-defense art, then mastery of the Kata is "all important" to
accomplish this. There are techniques in
the Kata that would never be permitted in Tournament Sparring or in Kick-boxing
Matches. Kata is also a Tournament
sport. Unfortunately, due to the
entertainment requirements in tournaments today, most Katas that are performed
are not the well-known traditional ones.
Even though these Kata's are not identical to the forms which were
passed down through the generations of Karate-Ka, they are never-the-less,
still very exciting to watch.
Training a Kata for tournament purpose is excellent
practice, although the student of Karate should appreciate the origins of the
traditional Kata. Practicing traditional
Kata is far more fulfilling with the knowledge of how the Kata came to be. It allows the student to relate to the Kata
on a new awareness level.
When practicing traditional Katas, the student will discover
an enormous amount of valuable information from these Katas. The Masters of the past developed their Kata
after years of training and studying a particular style of Martial Art. It was only after the individual actually
mastered the style, that the Master would conceive of creating a Kata. The mastery of a style of Karate-do would
bring the individual to a new level of awareness. It was this new-found insight that allowed
the student to become a Master. Only
then were they able to share their knowledge through the Kata.
This step-by-step transition of student to Master, and
then to the creator of a Kata, is based on a philosophy called:
"SHU-HA-RI".
Shu-Ha-Ri can be translated as: "Compliance,
Divergence, and Transcendence".
Shu-Ha-Ri is the three level transition period in the development of the
Martial Artist. This is also the
foundation of a Karate student's Kata Training.
SHU
The first stage, or level, is where the student first
learns the traditional Katas. The novice
learns the basics of the particular style.
The individual must learn the Kata AS IS, without any deviation.
This is "Shu" or "Compliance"
level. The student must listen and
learn. To be able to master one's
patience is to be free of many stress factors.
Repetition of the Kata is done again and again, without too much concern
on anything other than getting the techniques and combinations is the correct
order.
HA
The second level is where the novice stops being a
novice and now becomes a serious student.
Here is where the student learns the meaning of the Kata and each
technique in that particular Kata (what is known as “Bunkai”). This is the level of "ha" or where
the serious student strives to get better.
At first compared only to themselves, then ultimately the student
strives to become better than the instructor, which in actuality is a
compliment to the teaching abilities of the instructor.
In training with the Kata, the student begins to absorb
the Kata into their own unique body. Even when we train in large groups, we are
all unique individuals with our own special qualities and abilities. This is
the level where the Kata will bring out the best of an individual's physical
attributes. The student is at the peak of their ability to learn and is continuing
to expand his/her knowledge. The student starts to create a fighting style
uniquely their own.
RI
The final level is the apex of the student's
training. This is the "Ri"
level, the final transition where the student becomes a true Master. The student has surpassed the teacher. He has trained to the point that he has
passed beyond mere technique.
Very few can attain this level due to the amount of
dedication required. Everything is
understood, form technique to philosophy.
After many years at this level, the Master may wish to share all of his
acquired knowledge. Unfortunately, this is sometimes impossible due to vast
knowledge acquired over the years.
One of the finest ways is in the creation of the
Kata. In this medium, the Master can
transmit all of the information, experience, and discoveries absorbed over many
years.
For this reason, practicing traditional Kata does have
its advantages. It must be remembered
that one of the most difficult level is the first. When learning the first Kata the novice soon
realizes the many complexities in practicing these uniques forms.
The instructor is always correcting and looks for many
things when teaching a Kata. Some of the
most important aspects of correct Kata training are also the same points looked
for when judging the Kata at any tournament.
Proper
Sequencing
If the Kata is traditional then the movements (or steps)
must be followed precisely. It will be
judged favorably if a traditional Kata is adjusted as so to please the individual's
physique. In newly created Katas
(tournament katas), this same flow must still be evident.
The individual must perform the combinations in a
orderly manner as to be able to accomplish the realism of a proper Kata. Each opponent must be dealt with completely
and in turn, the techniques must be effective and believable.
Complete
Understanding
Whether traditional or unorthodox, the performer must
understand each technique and why it is being performed (Oyo Bunkai). This is the preliminary step to the
application of each technique. There can
be more than one interpretation of a combination. The performer of the Kata must show the
realistic meaning of each technique. The
casual observer must be made aware of why the performer has executed each
technique. If the uninitiated can
readily see the imaginary opponents, then the Kata performer (or competitor)
has accomplished the task of "complete understanding".
Correct
Positioning
to acquire the meaning of traditional Kata, the student
must execute the required techniques in their correct form. This is the physical side of the Art. The legs and arms must be positioned
correctly, along with other parts of the anatomy. Even in Modern Tournament Kata, it is this
element that gets that gets the majority of all criticism.
Breathing
Along with correct physical positioning of each movement
in a Kata, breathing is also considered one of the basics of proper
performance. As each pattern is
performed, the variety of techniques and
combinations require different tensions
of breathing. The individual has to show
knowledge of the correct usage of inhaling and exhaling patterns. This includes one of the hardest breathing
exercises: The KIAI.
Rhythm
One of the most important aspects of Kata practice, is
the rhythm (or timing) of each technique or combination in the Kata. Each Kata is to be performed as though the
individual is in an actual fighting situation.
The rhythm of each Kata is different.
To master the Kata is to master the rhythm of the Kata. Sometimes the rhythm is fast, sometimes it's
slow, and sometimes it's a combination of both.
Each is a lesson, that will enable the student learn the techniques of
the Kata, in its most correct form. It is this rhythm of each combination,
which will allow the spectator at a tournament to visualize the combat
situation of the Kata.
It is the mastery of these basic requirements of Kata
training that will bring the student up to the final level of the SHU-HA-RI
philosophy. It is obvious, that there
are many years of practice and many experiences before the student of Karate-do
can reach this final level. Those who
have reached this level are few and far between. Fortunately, for us, the legacies they have
left behind will always keep the tradition and the honour of Karate alive for
others to follow.
KATA
HISTORY
SHOTOKAN NAME
Japanese Names # Original Names Origin
Style
1. Taikyoku (3) Taikyoku Shorin-Ryu
2. Heian (5) Pinan Shorin-Ryu
3. Tekki (3) Naifanchi Shorei-Ryu
4. Empi (1) Wansu Shorin-Ryu
5. Bassai-Dai (1) Passai Shorin-Ryu
6. Kanku-Dai (1) Kushanku Shorin-Ryu
7. Sochih (1) Sochin Shorei-Ryu
8. Jion (1) Jion Shorei-Ryu
9. Gankaku (1) Chinto Shorin-Ryu
10. Hangetsu (1) Sesan Shorei-Ryu
11. Gojushiho (1) Useshi Shorin-Ryu
A Compendium of Traditional Karate Kata
Their Origin, History and Characteristics
Kata (choreographed fighting forms)
are an integral part of karate training and have a history as full and as rich
as karate itself. There are many different kata, as there are many different
styles of karate. Some styles list as many as 60 different kata, some no more
than 15. In the Shotokan karate
style, for example, there are well over two dozen kata, yet Shotokan founder
Gichin Funakoshi espoused the philosophy that 15 kata are a lifetime’s worth of
practice.
Most of the kata taught and
practiced in modern karate dojo (schools) are considered “traditional” meaning
they embody the spirit and teachings of the original karate masters. A number
of the kata practiced in today have their origins in China around the 16th
century. Others were developed in Okinawa or Japan proper only a few decades
ago. The majority of the kata taught today, however, are on average 75 -100
years old.
To examine all the kata practiced
today, as well as their histories, would be a mammoth undertaking. Instead,
this article will attempt to trace the origin of a few sample kata. Although
the forms detailed here are practiced by Shotokan stylists, they are by no
means exclusive to Shotokan. Many styles in fact, use one or a combination of
the kata featured here.
Most of these sample kata originated
from two major Okinawan styles - Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu - which in turn were
developed from a type of empty-hand combat training indigenous to Okinawa known simply as “Te”. The Shorin-ryu kata were
designed to utilize quick, short techniques delivered with rapid, light
movements. The kata developed from Shorei-ryu are generally strong forms with
very “hard” techniques, performed out of powerful stances.
Following is a short history of 11
traditional kata.
Taikyoku
Taikyoku, meaning “first cause,” is
a series of kata developed by Gichin Funakoshi after years of practice and
study. He wanted to put together a set of forms that would enable the beginner
to learn Shotokan basics - sort of a beginner’s “first look” at the style.
The Taikyoku kata are actually based
on the Heian forms, but with a number of small modifications. Although taikyoku
are know as Shotokan kata, they are found in many other styles and are
considered simple to learn.
Heian
Known originally by the Okinawan
name Pinan, Funakoshi is credited by many with being the first to refer to this
kata series by the Japanese word Heian, meaning “peace of mind” or “peace and
tranquility.” The name change was likely due to the growing national spirit in Japan
at the time, causing Funakoshi and others to change Pinan to a Japanese word.
The word Heian was chosen by
Funakoshi to demonstrate a philosophy of being confident in one’s kata
abilities. The thought was that , if you mastered each of the five kata in the
series, you could enjoy the peace of mind (mastering) the kata techniques
afforded. Funakoshi also reversed the order of the first two kata in the
original series.
The Pinan forms were developed by
Okinawan master Yatsutsune Itsosu (better know as Anko Itosu) for the Okinawan
public school system. Itosu was one of Funakoshi’s instructors and ultimately
influenced him a great deal. Because Itosu considered most kata too difficult
for the public school curriculum, he developed five new forms he called Pinan,
and introduced them to students at the rate of one per year.
Itosu developed the Pinan series
from a pair of uniquely different kata called Kusanku and Channan. While
Kusanku still practiced today in one form or another, the Channan form has been
lost to history.
Tekki
Tekki (iron horse) was originally
referred to as the Naifanchi kata. As the name implies, this series of kata is
performed exclusively out of a straddle or horse-riding stance (kiba-dachi).
Naifanchi was originally the basic kata for the Shuri-te style.
The originator of the first Tekki
kata is unknown, but is believed that Anko Itosu developed the second and third
forms. It is because of the perceived difficulty of the Tekki kata that Itosu
decided to develop the Pinan series as the initial forms taught to Okinawan
public school students.
Empi
Originally named Wansu, the Empi
kata translates to “flying swallow” and is one of the only forms left from
Okinawan Tomari-te. Tomari-te along with most of its kata and techniques were
lost to history due to the secrecy of its practitioners.
Wansu, the original name of the
kata, was actually a Chinese official who arrived in Tomari around 1683 during
the reign of King Shoo Tei. Wansu was highly adept at the martial arts, and
this knowledge soon became know to the local population.
Little is know about Wansu, however,
other than the fact he only taught a few student at a time.
After only a few years in Okinawa,
Wansu returned to China,
leaving his students to fend for themselves. He did however, leave behind a
kata that eventually became known as Wansu (and later Empi).
The Wansu kata was therefore
practiced exclusively in Tomari until after 1865, when it spread to both Shuri
and Naha.
Funakoshi altered the original name to the Japanese word “Empi” in order to
describe the upward and downward movements of the kata. These movements, along
with the quick shifting of stances, are similar to the movement of a flying
swallow, thus its namesake.
Bassai-Dai
There are actually two forms of the
Bassai kata: Dassai-Dai (Bassai major) and Bassai-Sho (Bassai minor).
Bassai-dai was originally known as Passai-Dai, but was more commonly referred
to as Matsumura-no-Passai. The original Passai form was developed by Bushi
(Sokon) Matsmura, and was one of the first kata taught to Anko Itosu. After
years of practicing the kata, Itosu developed the Passai-Sho form, which is
seldom practiced today.
Even though the most common
interpretation of Bassai is “to
penetrate a fortress,” another translation gives amore descriptive definition
of the intention of the kata. Because of the variety of techniques in the kata,
one of the best interpretations of Bassai is “to break through the enemy’s
defenses by shifting and finding the weak points.: Although obviously this is
not a literal translation, it does ultimately reflect the true meaning of the
kata.
Kanku-Dai
Kanku-dai is one of the oldest forms
practiced today. The original name for this kata was Kunsanku (sometimes
pronounced Ku-shanku). Kusanku was a Chinese official and martial artist
stationed in Okinawa. It is not known if he
was sent to Okinawa by his government to
spread martial arts, or was simply on a diplomatic assignment.
Nevertheless, he eventually stayed
in Okinawa for at least five years and taught
karate to many individuals, the greatest of whom may have been Tode Sakugawa.
When Kasanku was transferred back to
China,
he left behind many students but only one official kata, which eventually was
named after him. From this form, Sakugawa developed many others as he
disseminated this early style of karate.
It was, however, Anko Itosu, and not
Sakugawa, who probably discovered the most from his practice of Kusanku. Around
1900, Itosu was asked to teach karate in the Okinawan school system. As Itosu
felt that Kusanku kata was too difficult for elementary school children, he
developed from Kusanku the Pinan kata series over a five year span.
Kusanku ultimately became known as
Kanku-dai when Funakoshi introduced this kata to his Japanese students. Kanku
means “to view the heavens,” which describes the opening move in the kata
whereby the practitioner literally views the sky through his hands.
Shochin
Shochin, meaning “to keep the
peace,’ evolved from Naha-te, but its actual origin is in China. Naha-te master Ankichi
Aragaki left Naha to introduce his style to
martial arts in the capital city of Shuri.
By the time he returned, Goju-ryu karate had become the most popular style in Naha. This is a reason
that Sochin was more popular in Shuri than it was in Naha.
The version of Sochin that was later
introduced to Japan
was developed by Funakoshi and his son.
Jion
Jion is the name of both a Buddhist
temple and a patron saint of Buddhism. The kata by the same name is thought to
have developed from a Chinese monk who learned his art in a temple. The Jion
form was very popular in Tomari and is one of the few kata that remain from the
Tomari-te karate style.
Gankaku
Originally know as Chinto, this kata
was eventually called Gankaku (crane on a rock) because of the one-legged
stance which is predominant throughout the form. Because of its complexity,
Gankaku is one of the most advanced kata in Shotokan as well as other karate
styles.
Gankaku was developed by Anko Itosu,
and it is his version which is practiced in most Shotokan schools today.
Hangetsu
The Hangetsu kata, originally known
as Sesan, has many crescent-shaped techniques, stances and stepping routines, which
is why it was later named “half moon” (han-getsu).
Hangetsu has Chinese origins, and a
similar version of the kata is practiced by Naha-te stylists. Although the
Shotokan version of the kata has the same origins as the form practiced by
Naha-te stylists, the applications of the techniques is very different,
primarily due to the advent of Goju-ryu in Naha.
Gojushiho
Gojushiho, originally known as
Useshi, is considered the most advance kata in Shotokan karate. It
originated in China,
but was developed fully by the great Bushi Matsumura.
Some sources contend that Gojushiho
is actually a modified form of an ancient royal dance. There may be some truth
to this belief, considering that many Okinawan karate experts used to disguise
their kata by incorporating them into dances to avoid detection by the ruling
forces of the day.
Some styles have two versions of
Gojushiho: the original is known as Gojushiho-dai, while the second version,
introduced by Itosu, is Gojushiho-sho.
The preceding are but a few of the
kata being practiced today by traditional karate practitioners. There are,
however, many many more, with equally rich histories.
Kata practice is still considered an
excellent training method for traditionalists and modernists alike. For the
karate masters of old, kata was the primary method of practice, the foundation
upon which other skills were built, and these men spent their entire lives
developing and honing their kata. The next time you begin to practice a particular
kata, remember and appreciate the fact that you are learning a set of
self-defense movements that someone spent a lifetime to perfect.
THE DOJO KUN
·
Seek perfection of character...
·
Be faithful...
·
Endeavor...
·
Respect others...
·
Refrain from violent behavior...
These five short sentences shown above basically
encompass the entire philosophy of Karate training. Karate was not just a physical endeavor but
rather a total absorption of an individual's spirit into the mastery of an art.
When a novice begins Karate, the level at which they
begin is almost entirely on a physical plane.
This physical training will bring the novice to levels of discoveries
and realizations that will cause them to make important decisions with regard
to their Karate training methods.
Each one of these maxims can be regarded as a stage in
the Karateka's development in this traditional martial art. To master each would be ideal for all
students but the dedication and time involved makes this nearly impossible for
every student to try and attain. This
does not mean that because one's particular reason for training in Karate
doesn't include this much devotion to the art; it allows one to simply neglect
these maxims. It is still very important
for each student to be at least aware of these sayings and the meanings behind
them.
Karate is the discovery of self-awareness through the
process of attaining physical excellence. When the original Sensei began to
develop Karate, they saw its lethal potential. The knew that it could be used
by those with only violent intentions and so stressed that those learning the
art should think of themselves as an extension of justice.
It was for this very reason that Karate was taught only
to a select few and in the utmost secrecy.
Fortunately, through the development of the Dojo Kun and the dedication
of the many original Sensei, Karate and most of it's practitioners were and are
respected members of the community. They
have upheld the honor and traditions of the original masters, and always to the
benefit of the practitioners.
The Dojo Kun is thought to have been originally
developed by one of the earliest known Karate practitioners, the famous
Sakugawa. Sakugawa learned his martial
art, first from a monk named Takahara and then from one of the Chinese attaches
that was sent to the Island
of Okinawa by the Emperor
of China.
The court in Peking wished to show just how developed
their culture was in respect to that of the islanders; therefore they sent a
large contingent of artisans and their families to Okinawa.
This group of professionals came to be know as the
"Thirty-six Families" and did much to enrich the life-styles of the
community in which they lived. These artisans
were a versatile group whose variety of skills included poetry, pottery, and
carpentry, as well as a myriad of other artistic, professional and military
skills.
Included in these families were the military attachés
who were also quite proficient in the Chinese martial arts. It was through one of these attaches that
Sakugawa began to train and eventually find himself in China to continue his training.
When Sakugawa returned to Okinawa,
he settled in his hometown of Shuri and opened a small dojo where he began to
teach his style of martial arts to a select few. It should be noted here that even though
Sakugawa had learned a soft form of chuan-fa (kung-fu) from his Chinese
instructors, the style that he taught was actually quite different. In Okinawa
they still had their own form of fighting skills which were nowhere near as
developed or organized like those of the Chinese. It is obvious that Sakugawa was proficient in
this method and was the probable reason for his interest in learning the Chinese
forms.
When Sakugawa opened his school, his teaching style
combined both the Chinese influence as well as the original method he had
learned in his childhood. In as much as
the style that he taught was not similar to the style he had learned in China,
the art and even Sakugawa himself became known as "Karate" which at
that time translated as "China-hands". This is the reason why he is known today as
Karate Sakugawa. In actual fact the name
used was "Tode" which meant the same.
While teaching the art, Karate Sakugawa noted that he
soon became a prominent figure in the community and all sorts of officials and
other important people came to his dojo to seek his advice. They would ask him to settle disputes in the
community and he soon realized that due to his knowledge in the art of Karate,
a lot of people looked up to him.
Even though the religions of Buddhism and Shintoism were
known on Okinawa, they never really caught on
and only a small number of practitioners of these religions could be found. The Okinawans did, however, have a highly
developed standard of morality in their society. It was this morality that set the standard of
those few that were allowed to learn Karate from Sakugawa.
Eventually Sakugawa developed the Dojo Kun (or a form of
it ) to stress to his students that once you learned Karate and became quite
proficient at it, a lot of members in the community began to look up to you and
it was your responsibility to set the standards for yourself.
The Dojo Kun are just five short sentences which have
both a simple definition as well as an extensive philosophical meaning. From a quick reading of any of these
sentences the student will discover an instant understanding of them (even
though a simple one). Though these
simple interpretations can be of use to the novice, it should be remembered
that it was through a myriad of thought and spirit that these phrases were
conceived.
Going over these five phrases quickly, one will see why
they are part of the main philosophy of all the Okinawan Karate styles.
SEEK PERFECTION OF
CHARACTER:
With this sentence, it is perceived that Karate is more
than just physical. Once someone has
perfected a Karate technique, he realizes just how lethal the human body can
be. It is with this awareness that the student must now perfect his whole
character to become a better all around person.
When facing an opponent the object of the confrontation is to subdue
him...but when facing oneself, one must now try and subdue one's own mind.
When training in Karate, you soon discover that there
are many levels that one must attain throughout their Karate career. In striving for these levels, the student is
using both his mind and body which gives him little time to worry about egos
and arrogance. Therefore, when training
with one's mind, always remember to perfect one's spirit, and when training
with one's body, always remember that the heart is part of the body.
BE FAITHFUL:
This phrase actually goes back to the ancient Asian
philosophy of being faithful to one's lord or master but has developed into a
philosophy useful even today. In the
early stage of Karate development, the art was always taught to a select few
and in total secrecy so the student was always faithful to his instructor or he
was asked to leave.
Today it is stressed that one must be faithful to
oneself and try not to deceive others.
It must be remembered that only if one is dedicated and truly believes
in themselves and their instructor will they ever reach those levels of
accomplishment that Karate can provide.
ENDEAVOR:
A very obvious statement. Karate is not an easy art and takes as great
deal of effort. It is not glamorous;
there are no secrets, just a lot of practice, hard work and sweat. Therefore, if you really wish to attain those
levels of proficiency you must stick to it...you must endeavor.
RESPECT OTHERS:
One of the first things that one learns in Karate is to
respect others, especially the instructor.
In most cases, the instructor has been practicing this art form for a
very long time and you should respect them for giving of themselves to pass
this art on to you. What is so amazing
from learning to respect others is that one quickly learns to respect
oneself. In the end you will quickly
discover that by respecting others soon those around you will respond to you in
a similar fashion.
REFRAIN FROM
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR:
One of the most important lessons one can learn from
Karate is not to use it. The greatest
skills of a master of Karate is the ability of never having to use it on a
fellow human being. One must realize how deadly a human body can become from
dedciated Karate training so for those who learn karate techiniques simply to
inflict pain or injury on others are not true representatives of a Karateka.
If you can remember these simple sayings while training
at (whatever style) of Karate you will have a successful and fruitful life in
Karate.
Common Karate Sayings
The Meaning Behind the
Maxim
As karate evolved through
the years into something more than simply a fighting art, it started to gain a
great deal of insight into human nature. Those individuals who imparted this
effective form of combat had to acknowledge the aggressive nature of man. The
more effective karate practitioners became, the more aware they became as well.
This increased awareness
brought about a philosophy that actually shunned violence, unless absolutely
necessary. When this new philosophy became prominent throughout karate training,
a variety of sayings also became popular.
Most popular karate
sayings have their origins in Zen philosophy. Originally connected with
Buddhism, this philosophy eventually became a doctrine that trained the
individual to examine the inner workings of his own mind. Its connection with
any religion became less important than the attitude it tried to instill in the
practitioner. When karate was introduced to Japan proper in the early part of
this century, this Zen-influenced philosophy was slowly absorbed into training
routines.
Even though many karate
sayings have this Zen influence, many others were popular before the Japanese
introduction of karate. It must be remembered that, in Okinawa,
karate had little real Zen traditions. However, a philosophy based on common
sense was deeply rooted in the teaching of karate on Okinawa.
This philosophy instilled an attitude of nonviolence, the main concern being
the preservation of peace. It was this simplistic outlook that allowed karate
to quickly accept the philosophy that was considered the mainstream in all the
Japanese budo (military ways).
Following are a few
examples of popular karate sayings, with a short explanation of each. These are
not necessarily the only interpretations, but simply versions that are widely
accepted. Most karate sayings are meant to have more than just one explanation.
Nana korobi ya oki (if you fall down seven
times, get up eight times).
This is one of the oldest
sayings used by karate instructors. It is also one of the most popular sayings
in Zen. Originally attributed to the great Zen monk, Boddhidharma, this saying
recognizes the imperfections in each of us, and that to err is simply human.
Karate training, like
life itself, is a constant struggle where many mistakes are made. As this maxim
infers, we will all make mistakes, and even though we might stumble, we should
consider it nothing more than a lesson and simply pick ourselves up and try
again. Each time we get up after falling, we do so a little wiser, and
hopefully we will not repeat the mistake.
To try and strive through
life with the constant fear of mistakes is not the message of this saying. You
should not be afraid to take chances. Life is full of risks, and not all of our
decisions will be correct. We should be able to humbly accept our mistakes and
continue to grow.
When relating this maxim
to karate training, it can be taken both figuratively as well as literally.
Trying to understand the true meaning of the philosophy behind karate can be
just as difficult as the workouts themselves. To try and guess is not the right
way; rather, you should simply allow the training to give you true insight. If
the training becomes physically difficult and you find yourself on the floor
after a sparring session, remember this maxim and simply get off the floor,
dust yourself off, and continue. As the saying implores, never give up.
Karate ni sente nashi (there is no first
attack in karate).
This is one of the more
famous of all karate maxims. It is acknowledged to be one of the finest
examples of what true karate stands for.
There are many
interpretations of the meaning of “karate ni sente nashi”. One of the most widely accepted notions is that there is
no real advantage to the person who makes the first attack; if you are prepared
for it, a defensive posture is equally as strong.
Most people, however,
adhere to the most logical interpretation of the phrase: karate is a defensive
art and should only be used in this context. Shotokan karate founder Gichin
Funakoshi had this maxim written on his headstone at the Zen temple where he
was buried. Funakoshi believed karate training changed a person’s attitude,
injecting awareness, calmness and humility.
There have been many
differences of opinion as to what constitutes a first attack. When a adversary
throws a punch without provocation, it is an obvious first attack. In this
light, karate can be used.
But there are other, more
subtle definitions of what a first attack really is. If you are in a situation
where it is obvious your adversary is going to strike you, some karateka
believe it is acceptable to make the first physical movement. In such
circumstances, the karate expert might throw the first actual technique, but
the opponent has already announced his declaration of combat.
Shu
ha ri (compliance,
divergence, transcendence).
This is a philosophy of
how an individual is to train in karate and consists of three levels of ability.
It is common to use this multi-level learning process with the study of kata
(forms), but it can be used in overall karate training as well. Students first
learn the basics of their style, then its history and other aspects.
In the first stage of training,
Shu (compliance), the student learns the style’s basics and the first forms.
Kata can be one of the most difficult training exercises, which is why many
instructors use it to drill the novice. The students have no real choice in how
the technique should be performed; they must simply listen to the instructor
and learn. They must master patience as they repeatedly practice their basics.
The second level is ha
(divergence), in which the novice stops being a novice and becomes a serious
student. This level is usually attained at the brown and black belt ranks. It
is at this level that the student learns the meaning of the kata and each
technique. The student strives to become better and begins to absorb the
movements both physically and mentally. The student is at the peak of his
ability to learn and strives to expand his martial knowledge. At this level,
the student starts to create a fighting style uniquely his own.
Transcendence (ri) is the
final level and the apex of the student’s training, the final transition to
becoming a master. The student has surpassed the teacher and has passed beyond
mere technique. Everything is understood, from technique to philosophy.
Mushin no shin (mind of no mind).
Sometimes know as
“detached mind” (mushin
no kokoro), this is a philosophy that has its roots deep in Zen. It is a state
of mind in which the individual tries to eliminate all unnecessary thoughts and
reacts to any outside stimuli naturally.
It was through the
samurai that Zen had its first influence on Japan’s military arts. Zen helped
samurai warriors control their emotions enough to become improved fighting men.
They soon began to notice that if they meditated and tried to clear their
minds, it improved their fighting arts. Zen also taught the samurai to ignore
his fear of death, because if you concentrate on death or being defeated, your
mind is clouded with unnecessary and undesirable thoughts. Zen helped control
these emotions and allowed the warrior to shatter any barriers between himself
and his weapon.
It was the brutal ways of
the samurai that caused them seek a path to peace and enlightenment. Zen
offered a simple doctrine that these mostly illiterate warriors could practice
and attempt to master. The main discipline of Zen was to meditate, and while
meditating, the practitioner attempted to clear the mind.
Once this was achieved,
the individual would see a path that showed how the world was related to
everything in it. When the mind was cleared of all unnecessary thoughts. It was
capable of indescribable possibilities.
A 17th –
century monk named Takuan taught that the mind of the beginner was identical to
the mind of the master. When the beginner reacted to an attack, he did not
think, for he knew no techniques. Similarly, the master had trained to a point
beyond mere technique and was able to clear his mind completely when performing
techniques, reacting to any attack without thinking.
The legendary swordsman
Miyamoto Musashi also credited mushin
no shin as the true answer to everything. Masashi believed that “To attain the
way…accumulated practice day by day and hour by hour. Polish the two-fold
spirit (heart and mind) and sharpen the two-fold gaze (perception and sight).
When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment
clear away, there is the true void.”
Musashi saw the world as
a cluttered mass of doctrines that hindered the spirit from finding the true
path. He thought that the answer was the void, or nothingness, which enabled
the masters to become so great. Therefore, when the swordsman trained, he did
so with his mind completely empty of all thoughts. This allowed him to perform
techniques without any hindrance; the body alone executed the techniques
reflexively. By eliminating the ego and disciplining both the mind and body,
the practitioner could perform techniques naturally.
Gichin Funakoshi perhaps
said it best when he tried to describe the Zen influence in karate: “As a
mirror’s polished surface reflects whatever stands before it, and as a quiet
valley carries even the smallest sounds, so must the student of karate-do
render his mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in and effort to react
appropriately toward anything he might encounter.”
