The history of Karate's beginning is somewhat obscure due to the lack of written records, and therefore much of
the information we do have is based on oral transmission of the facts. The true beginning of Karate was based on
the blending of Chinese Chuan Fa or Kempo and the Okinawan art of Te. "Tode" Sakugawa (1733-1815) is considered
to be the first teacher of true (Seito) Okinawan Karate.
In 1756, Sakugawa
became the student of a Chinese Military Envoy by the name of Kushanku, a highly skilled Kempo Master. Kushanku
is credited with development of both the "Hikite" or pulling hand and for the develpment of Kumiai Jutsu (Kumite),
or fighting techniques. In most all styles of Karate, even today there exists a Kata by the name of Kushanku, or
it's derivative, ie. Kusanku, Kanku, Kosokun, Kongsangun.
Sakugawa then begins
to teach the new art of "Tode" and teaches many distinguished martial artists, among them Bushi Ukuda, Macabe
Chokun, Bushi Matsumoto, and Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura. "Bushi" Matsumura (1797-1889) was by all accounts one of
the top martial artists of his time. His style of Shuri-te (Tode) certainly formulated the beginning of Shorin
Ryu, although his student Anko Itosu (1830-1915) is generally credited with the founding of "Karate".
Itosu introduced Karate (Tode) to the Okinawan Board of Education, and was asked to develop a program suitable
for inclusion in the Physical Education curriculum. This Karate was to be distinguished by a different Kanji,
being read as "Kute" or as "Empty Hand", instead of "Tode" or "China Hand", however both are pronounced as
"Karate".
In 1904, Itosu introduced the "Pinan" Kata 1-5. He also designated a
total of fourteen kata for his PE karate program. The kata's named were Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan,
Pinan Yondan, Pinan Godan, Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, Naihanchi Sandan, Bassai Dai, Bassai Sho, Kosokun
Dai, Kosokun Sho, Chinto, and Gojushiho. In 1908, Itosu presented his "Toudi Jakkajo" (Karate Report) to outline
his less lethal form of Te by way of his famous "Ten Teachings".
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10 precepts from
Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu |
| ° |
Tode did not develop from the way of Buddhism or
Confucianism. In the recent past Shorin-ryu and
Shorei-ryu were brought over from China. They both have
similar strong points, so, before there are too many
changes, I should like to write these down. |
| ° |
Tode is primarily for the benefit of health. In order to
protect one's parents or one's master, it is proper to
attack a foe regardless of one's own life. Never attack
a lone adversary. If one meets a villain or a ruffian
one should not use tode but simply parry and step aside. |
| ° |
The purpose of tode is to make the body hard like stones
and iron; hands and feet should be used like the points
of arrows; hearts should be strong and brave. If
children were to practice tode from their
elementary-school days, they would be well prepared for
military service. When Wellington and Napoleon met they
discussed that 'tomorrow's victory will come from
today's playground'. |
| ° |
Tode cannot be learned quickly. Like a slow moving bull,
that eventually walks a thousand miles, if one studies
seriously every day, in three or four years one will
understand what tode is about. The very shape of one's
bones will change. Those who study as follows will
discover the essence of tode: |
| ° |
In tode the hands and feet are important so they should
be trained thoroughly on the makiwara. In so doing drop
your shoulders, open your lungs, take hold of your
strength, grip the floor with your feet and sink your
intrinsic energy to your lower abdomen. Practice with
each arm one or two hundred times. |
| ° |
When practicing tode forms (kata) make sure your back is
straight, drop your shoulders, take your strength and
put it in your legs, stand firmly and put the intrinsic
energy in your lower abdomen, the top and bottom of
which must be held together tightly. |
| ° |
The bunkai (application of kata techniques) should be
carefully practiced, one by one, many times. Because
these techniques are passed on by word of mouth, take
the trouble to learn the explanations and decide when
and in what context it would be possible to use them.
Observe principles of torite(grappling) and applications
will be more easily understand. |
| ° |
You must decide whether tode is for cultivating a
healthy body or for defense. |
| ° |
During practice you should imagine you are on the battle
field. When blocking and striking make the eyes glare,
drop the shoulders and harden the body. Now block the
enemy's punch and strike! Always practice with this
spirit so that, when on the real battlefield, you will
naturally be prepared. |
| ° |
Do not overexert yourself during practice because the
intrinsic energy will rise up your face and eyes will
turn red and your body will be harmed. Be careful. |
| ° |
In the past many of those who have mastered tode have
lived to an old age. This is because tode aids the
development of the bones and sinews, it helps the
digestive organs and is good for the circulation of the
blood. Therefore, from now on tode should become the
foundation of all sports lessons from elementary schools
onward. If this is put into practice there will, I
think, be many men who can win against ten aggressors.
The reason for stating all this is that it is my
opinion that all students at the Okinawa Prefectural
Teachers' Training College should practice tode, so that
when they graduate from here they can teach the children
in the schools exactly as I have taught them. Within ten
years tode will spread all over Okinawa and to the
Japanese mainland. This will be a great asset to our
militaristic society. I hope you will carefully study
the words I have written. |
Two other Shurite experts assisited Itosu in
developing the School PE Karate Program. They were Chomo Hanashiro and Kentsu Yabu. Although Hanashiro was
the first to publish the Kanji for Karate as "Kute", it is Funakoshi Gichin (1868-1957), the student of Itosu
who was responsible for promoting the "Empty Hand" term on mainland Japan. Funakoshi was one of the school
teachers with some training in Shuri-te and was therefore sought out by Itosu and his assistants to promote
and teach the new system of Karate.
In 1917 Funakoshi went to Japan to
introduce the PE Karate Program. He returned to Japan in 1922 and was to remain there for the remainder of
his life.
Gichin Funakoshi is known as the "Father of Modern Karate". His
style became known as "Shotokan" with the founding of his Dojo between 1936 and 1938. The art of Shotokan
Karate has taken on many changes throughout it's history, with many of those changes being implemented by the
JKA, or the Japan Karate Association after Funakoshi's death. We know for certain that it is not the same as
it was when Funakoshi brought the Original Karate Syllabus to Japan.
In
recent times we have began to realize the truth of what Karate was and what it has become. Karate is the
product of Anko Itosu's desires to spread the art of Karate. He then developed a program for the youth of
Okinawa, to be taught within the school systems. Although this program was elementary in it's design, the
true master of Karate is also aware of how to convert the techniques of Karate back to the art of Shuri-te,
one of the original systems of Okinawa-te. Kazuya Mitani is the student of Hiroshi Kinjo. Hiroshi Kinjo was
the student of Chosin Chibana and of Chomo Hanashiro, who was both a student of and an assistant to Anko Itosu. Through Mitani
Sensei we were able to realize the truth of our roots. Karate had no styles in the beginning. It was simply
Karate.
Shoto-Shinkai Karate began as a seed, planted by the minds of all
the great masters of the past. This seed is planted in each and every Karate-ka who is driven to add his or
her small offering to the greatness of Karate as a whole. Master Funakoshi, in the middle of our last
century, was known to have written the following poem and calligraphy: "To search for the Old is to
understand the New. The Old, The New, this is a matter of time. In all things man must have a clear mind. The
Way: Who will pass it on straight and well?" This is what we thought of when we began the Shoto-Shinkai.
Shoto-Shinkai began as the result of studying JKA Style Shotokan Karate, older styles of Korean Karate (Shotokan
based), and a desire to understand the origins of our chosen art. With the passing of time and studying the
earlier methods of Karate, we came to realize that the "Original Karate" of Funakoshi (via Itosu) is quite
different from JKA Shotokan Karate. The older systems of Karate or Te of Okinawa were different as well. With
time it became obvious to us that we liked studying the "older" methods more than the "new", and the seed
then became a seedling. As this planted seed develops into a "Branch" it is ever changing, just as it should
be. Karate has always been in a state of change and it always will be. Shoto-Shinkai Karate is not Shotokan.
It is merely a pathway through the gate, seeking the knowledge of Seito (true) Karate-do. We hope that we can
continue to learn the truth via the Kuden, or oral transmission from Mitani Sensei, and others like him who
are determined to share the truth about Karate. |
