Anko Itosu is the most well known student's of Bushi Matsumura. He had an incredible influence on modern karate. Gichin Funakoshi is most often credited as being the main force behind the popularisation of Karate in modern times, but as Itosu’s student he was really just carrying on what had Itosu started.
Having lived from 1831 to 1915, he lived during a time of great change in Okinawa. He grew up during the last days of the old Ryukyu kingdom and in 1879 is saw his homeland annexed by Japan and reformed into ‘Okinawa Prefecture’. Okinawa suddenly became part of a larger modern world and the locals had to adapt to the modern Japanese way of life.
One of the only photo's of Itosu
The Budo that Itosu learned was somewhat ‘old-school’. It was a practical complete fighting method, intended for the practitioners to learn to be part of the warrior class of a relatively feudal society.
As times were changing, Itosu felt that his Budo needed to change also, if it was to have a place in the modern world.
With this in mind he created new Kata (based on already existing Kata) and also made many changes to existing Kata. The changes he made removed much of the complexity and some of the more violent techniques. The aim of this was to make the art form more ‘palatable’ to a wider demographic, specifically the intention was to make modern Karate suitable for children.
There is a theory that he had separated the ‘dumbed down’ version of Karate from the real ‘old-school’ Budo and intended to teach both, but the popularisation of the former overshadowed the latter.
Itosu campaigned to have Karate taught at schools, believing that the positive aspects of Karate training being spread to the greater population will be good for society as a whole. He himself taught at the Shuri Jinjo Elementary School in 1901, and then at the First Junior Prefectural High School and at the Okinawa’s Teachers College in 1905.
In 1908 he wrote a letter to both the Ministry or War and Ministry of Education regarding Karate and it's benefits.This letter is one of the few writings on Ryukyu Budo that survived the war and is a valuable part of Ryukyu Budo history.
The following is a translation of that letter:
Karate did not develop from Buddhism or Confucianism. In the past the Shorin-ryu school and the Shorei-ryu school were brought to Okinawa from China . Both of these schools have strong points and I therefore list them below just as they are without embellishment.
1. Karate is not merely practiced for your own benefit; it can be used to protect one's family or master. It is not intended to be used against a single assailant but instead as a way of avoiding injury by using the hands and feet should one by any chance be confronted by a villain or ruffian.
2. The purpose of karate is to make the muscles and bones hard as rock and to use the hands and legs as spears. If children were to begin training naturally in military prowess while in elementary school, then they would be well suited for military service. Remember the words attributed to the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon, "Today's battle was won on the playing fields of our schools".
3. Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand leagues. If one trains diligently for one or two hours every day, then in three or four years one will see a change in physique. Those who train in this fashion will discover the deeper principles of karate.
4. In karate, training of the hands and feet are important, so you should train thoroughly with a Makiwara. In order to do this, drop your shoulders, open your lungs, muster your strength, grip the floor with your feet, and concentrate your energy into your lower abdomen. Practice using each arm one to two hundred times each day.
5. When you practice the stances of karate, be sure to keep your back straight, lower your shoulders, put strength in your legs, stand firmly, and drop your energy into your lower abdomen.
6. Practice each of the techniques of karate repeatedly. Learn the explanations of every technique well, and decide when and in what manner to apply them when needed. Enter, counter, withdraw is the rule for torite.
7. You must decide if karate is for your health or to aid your duty.
8. When you train, do so as if on the battlefield. Your eyes should glare, shoulders drop, and body harden. You should always train with intensity and spirit as if actually facing the enemy, and in this way you will naturally be ready.
9. If you use up your strength to excess in karate training, this will cause you to lose the energy in your lower abdomen and will be harmful to your body. Your face and eyes will turn red. Be careful to control your training.
10. In the past, many masters of karate have enjoyed long lives. Karate aids in developing the bones and muscles. It helps the digestion as well as the circulation. If karate should be introduced, beginning in the elementary schools, then we will produce many men each capable of defeating ten assailants.
If the students at teacher training college learn karate in accordance with the above precepts and then, after graduation, disseminate this to elementary schools in all regions, within 10 years karate will spread all over Okinawa and to mainland Japan. Karate will therefore make a great contribution to our military. I hope you will seriously consider what I have written here - Anko Itosu, October 1908
The Original Letter
This particular translation was commissioned by Iain Abernethy, his comments on the translation are as follows:
The translation was taken from scans of Itosu's original handwritten letter. This translation was also done independently by a leading professional translator who is a specialist in this kind of work. The translator was not a martial artist and he therefore had no specific view to promote. I therefore have no reason to doubt its accuracy. That is not to say other translations are necessarily inaccurate - it is certainly similar to others; as you would expect - however, there is no denying that in parts the one I commissioned expresses very different sentiments to some other translations. I would encourage the reader to compare the existing translations and decide for themselves which make most sense and are likely to be the most accurate.
(link to full article below)
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
Seisan is the oldest and most widespread Karate Kata. It predates Karate and there is even a theory that it possibly predates eastern martial arts itself.
Seisan is the only Kata that is prevalent in Shuri-te, Tomari-te and Naha-te. It can be found in styles including: Shōrin-ryū, Gōjū-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Chitō-ryū, Wadō-ryū, Shitō-ryū, Uechi-ryū, Shotokan, Tang Soo Do, Meibukan, Moo Duk Kwan, Ryū-te, Ryūei-ryū, Seito, Matsumura-ryu, Seibukan, Shōrinji-ryū, Shinki-ryu, Ishimine-Ryu, Koshinkai and Yoshukai Karate. Almost all versions of this Kata that are now practiced in modern Karate can be traced back to Bushi Matsumura in some way or another.
Being that the Kata is so old, there are many theories regarding Kata’s name and origin. Many people say that the name translates as "13 Hands", "13 Fists", "13 Techniques", "13 Steps" or "13 positions". These are just not true. Seisan is the Okinawan pronunciation of the Chinese word “Shisan” which simply means "13".
The number 13 is a lucky number in Chinese culture. The reason being that digit 1 when positioned in tens sounds like the word 'definite' (shi) in Mandarin and dialects such as Cantonese; while the digit 3 sounds like life, living or birth.
As a result, the number 13, which is pronounced as shisan in Mandarin, can mean 'definitely vibrant' or 'assured growth'. Within the Kata there are 13 unique techniques and the most common bunkai is defending against 13 different attackers.
Gichin Funakoshi changed the name of most of the kata that he taught. He gave Seisan the name ‘Hangetsu’. There is a theory about this Kata that it possibly outdates martial arts practice itself. It's thought to have it's origins in having been a sort of a tribal dance relating to the lunar cycles, the tides and months. This theory might explain the reason for the meaning of the name ‘Hangetsu’ which is ‘Half Moon’. An interesting "coincidence" is that there was apparently a 13 day Luna cycle in their culture at the time. It's possible that this is the origins of the kata, but it's equally as possible that it simply had it origins like any other kata.
Gichin Funakoshi is well known for making changes to Kata techniques and even simplifying them. It's known that he didn’t like this Kata as much as others and so didn't make so many changes. It's possible that it could mean that the Shotokan version of Hangetsu has remained relatively unchanged since the days of Isosu and possibly Matsumura. If this is true, it means the Shotokan version would be one of the oldest versions of Seisan that is practiced today.
Last week's post was about what traditional Budo actually is in the modern world and that it can't be found in the style or the system itself, but in how you approach and think of the training. I talked about how Budo isn't just about fighting, it's also about being a person of virtue (Bunbu Ryodo - the two fold way of pen and sword).
Within the last 100 years or so Budo has slowly changed. It has become modernised so that it can fit in with the modern world and the mindset of a modern practitioner.
When we talk about the modernisation of budo today, there is an additional element that has been added into the mix that has become an integral part of martial arts for many practitioners.
The large majority of modern martial arts clubs are making their focus on the sport and competition aspects of training.
When sport and competition was added into the equation, it creates a problem. The problem being that the above venn diagram can't exist. There isn't a way to balance sport, fighting system & virtue at the same time.
I know that many would disagree with the above statement, but if you have a closer look you'll find that it's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole and for it to actually work you need to compromise something and that something is quite often the virtue part.
First we'll look at each aspect of the above diagram, I'll explain my reasoning. The three main elements of the diagram are:
The Fighting System
Virtue
Sport & Competition
The fighting system is the martial art. It's all the techniques and knowledge. Everything that makes up the physical part of martial arts, as well as everything you need to learn and know about the art form. The culmination of this being the skills, ability and understanding that can be used in order to deescalate a potentially violent confrontation.
Virtue is all about the character development stuff. Learning to be a better person and everything that entails. It's about setting high standards for who you are and having the strength & integrity to live by those standards in your daily life.
The Sport side of it (as far as I see it) can be divided up into two parts. The first part is taking the martial system and using it as you would any other sport. It simply becomes a physical activity with an emphasis on the fitness and ability. The second part of sport is about utilising the fitness and abilities you have gained from training in competition with others.
These 3 elements should be pretty obvious for any Karateka. The issues arise when you analyse the sections of the venn diagram that overlap.
The Fighting System & Virtue makes Budo
Sport & Fighting System make Glorified Violence (or something worse)
Virtue & Sport makes some other thing
Budo is the fusion of the fighting style and the way of virtue. As I mentioned in last weeks post, this is what I think 'traditional' martial arts were in pre-modern times.
The 'Glorified Violence' section of the diagram, which is the combination of fighting and sport, has become two basic types these days.
The first type of fighting sport is what we know as UFC (and things like cage fighting). It's the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Where people train to be at the peak of physical fitness and learn techniques and skill with the aim of entering a competition to see if their skill and training is better than the skill and training of other competitors. This is the epitome of the term 'Glorified Violence' when we analyse what this is. A person literally trains with the ultimate goal of being able to get in a ring and pound the crap out of someone before that person is able to do the same to them. Being a person of virtue can in no way be synonymous with this type of activity. For what reason would a virtuous person want to deliberately cause damage to another person?... None, there is no need to want to deliberately cause damage to another person (unless there is no other option, as is the case in a real self-defence situation) It seems to me that the whole point of this type of fighting sport is to prove that your skill is better than the skills of others. A virtuous person is secure enough to not have any need to prove to anyone that they're better than anyone else, especially when it's really about making money as a show for spectators.
What does a person get out of this type of fighting sport? Obviously someone who is successful gains money and the notoriety, two things that a virtuous person doesn't compromise their values for. These people do learn fighting skill, so they are capable of defending themselves and others, but what mindset does it perpetuate in people (both the practitioners and the spectators)? That violence is good? That being the best at hitting people is somehow worthwhile? I think that many people develop a subconscious attitude of "If I have a reason to get angry and someone stands up to me, then it's ok to physically beat them until they can no longer stand." Disagree with me? Look up the stats on domestic violence. Here you go. Clearly there are people out there that think their anger is a good thing and that they can solve problems with violence. I'm definitely not saying that UFC fighters and fans are all wife beaters, but when violence is glorified, idolised and sold as a good thing, people who lack self-control would be more likely to justify using it - even against loved ones... There is absolutely no virtue in this at all.
The second type of fighting sport is the tournaments. The average Karateka doesn't enter UFC type cage fights but can still compete in a relatively non-violent setting. Tournaments are more the "sport" part of the fighting sport, hence it's this type of competition that will be included in the Olympics. Tournaments can be fun but there are some serious flaws. The first flaw being that what is considered 'good technique' for a tournament is not the same 'good effective technique' in real world confrontation. Generally tournaments have kata and kumite competition, both of these promote ineffective technique. Tournament kata tends to ignore bunkai completely (bunkai is the practical application of techniques). The technique you see are all about looking good. In many cases techniques that have actually sacrificed something that might be strong, stable and effective just so that it can impress judges.
If there is ever any bunkai in tournaments it also has been rendered ineffectual so it can look fancy but will never work in reality.
The kumite part of karate tournaments is different but just as good at promoting and instilling techniques that are ineffective. In kumite there are many rules, primarily for safety (which is fair enough), but in real life there are no rules. I have seen practitioners taking part in tournaments that have rules about no contact to the head, that learn to not bother guarding their head. This is, of course, utterly ridiculous. What sort of martial artist doesn't worry about protecting the most vulnerable part of the body??? Changing the fighting techniques to suit tournament rules isn't the only issue with tournaments kumite. The other problem is with the way tournament kumite is performed in general. Put simply, it's not real fighting.
In this video you can see two practitioners jumping around and darting all over the place in an effort to disguise the telegraphing of offensive techniques. The techniques that are thrown are quite often over extended and lack any control.
Real martial arts have no time or room for such techniques. There's no jumping around and no big long extended punches.
Tournaments might have their origins in martial arts, but they have become purely sport.
What drives this need to change technique to become more and more ineffective over time? Why do people feel the need to prioritise tournaments over a fighting system that really works as a fighting style?
Beyond promoting bad technique, karate tournaments also inherently instil a bad attitude, a culture of competitive pettiness and immaturity. This is the opposite of virtue, it's these type of things that martial artists should be above, rather than perpetuate.
As far as I see it, people are driven to compete out of a subconscious sense of insecurity, which ultimately comes from immaturity. They feel that if they 'win' then it means something, if they 'win' it will prove their worth to everyone (including themselves). A secure person finds self-worth from within, they don't try to find it externally. Externally derived self-worth is shallow, temporary and fragile. I've seen people put a great deal of importance on how they do in a tournament, as if the entire world hinges on the tournament on that day. It's not just kids (who might be to young to understand), I've seen Dan grade adults lose it, even cry, when they fail to get the "gold medal". Being that one of the main purposes of Budo training is character development and becoming a better (well-adjusted) person, this sort of behaviour is obviously not a part of real budo and the clubs that foster the "importance of winning" mindset are not teaching martial arts, it's just sport.
You might say something like: "I do tournaments just as a test of my ability, I don't care if I win or lose." and you might think that this is virtuous. While it is indeed a more mature mindset than the 'sooky la la' I mentioned above. There is still no virtue in competition. Competition with others gives you no actual indication of your ability level. If you compete and win against 7 other people on a particular day but those 7 people are of a horribly crappy standard, then you might go home mistakenly thinking you're of a better standard than you actually are. The same it true the other way around too, if you lose against 7 amazing experts, then you'll go home mistakenly thinking you're worse than you actually are.
To compare to other practitioners is always arbitrary, there's no baseline or standard by which you can measure to give any idea of the standard level. It will give you false-positives 95% of the time.
You might say: "I just compete in tournaments for the fun of it." Well, you should always do what you enjoy and if you enjoy the tournaments and fighting competition then you should do it. Having said this, don't fool yourself into thinking that it's Budo or even martial arts. It's sport, just like any other, it's no more budo than swimming or football.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you do good or bad in tournaments that it means you're a good or bad Budoka.
Bushi Matsumura(the greatest Karateka who ever lived, the man who influenced pretty much every style of modern Karate, your master's master's master's master's master[give or take a master or two]) once wrote:
If we investigate the martial arts, we also see that there are three distinct divisions or elements in them: The first method, or division, is more like a game of psychology and tactics. It actually has no practical application in fighting, but it is more like pretty dancing. It is quite superficial. The second method is nothing more than physical exercises. Its only goal is to win. In this there is no virtue. The practitioners of this method are contentious. Many times they bring injury to others and to themselves. Very often they cause dishonour to come upon members of their family. The third method, in contrast, is always performed with conviction. The practitioners of this third method gain a solemn enlightenment, free of strife and depravity. It promotes loyalty among family, friends and country. It also promotes a natural demeanour, which develops a gallant character.
In my mind, both the UFC and tournaments are a mix of both the first and second methods that Matsumura mentions. As he says, there is no virtue in these methods. Hence why virtue and fighting competition are on the opposite side of the venn diagram.
This is also why fighting competition isn't Budo, as there is no virtue. in them.
The part of the diagram that is the combination of virtue and sport (opposite the fighting system) is 'Not Martial Arts'.
I'm not entirely sure that this section can exist, as I don't think there is any way to reconcile competitiveness and truly being a person of virtue.
If there is, it's not really relevant, as being that it's lacking the fighting system, it has nothing to do with budo anyway.
I'm fully aware that many people will disagree with some of the things in this post. I don't claim that any of this is absolute certainty, this is simply my opinion and my point of view (as is everything in this blog).
I don't imply that a person who disagrees with my views are wrong, they simply have different views to me and we are all free to believe what we like.
I believe that the popularisation of Budo in modern times has resulted in a change that is not for the better. That change being the introduction of the mainstream acceptance of a competitive mindset. In the process of making budo more 'sport like', we have sacrificed other important aspects of Budo, so much that I wouldn't describe what the majority do today as 'Budo'.
To my mind, real Budo is practiced by people who learn to train and perfect techniques that work (rather than look good) and they have no inclination to compare or compete in an attempt to disprove some subconscious feeling of insecurity.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J
Sakugawa was a master of old pre-modern Karate. He is from a time when the word 'Karate' wasn't thought of yet.
In his day there was the local Ryukyuan hand-to-hand fighting method called 'Te' or 'Di' 手 (meaning 'hand') and there was the variations on Kung Fu brought over from China that had mixed with the local Di, this was called 'Toudi'唐手 (meaning 'Chinese hand') Sakugawa has learnt primarily from a local Okinawan master (Takahara) and a Chinese envoy (Kusanku). He was also sent as an envoy to Beijing five times.
His nickname was 'Toudi Sakugawa', as the Beijing martial arts that he taught were different from the southern Fujian boxing that influenced other forms of Di that was already being practiced in Okinawa.
He became the epitome of the fusion between the local and Chinese forms. Sakugawa was famous for the introduction of Qigong (Ki development) and Qinna (grabbing vital points) into Ryukyu Budo.
His original surname was Teruya. The name Sakugawa comes from the island that he was awarded for his duties as an official scribe.
Today, Sakugawa is most well known for training the greatest Karateka who ever lived. When he was well into his late 70's and had all but retired, Sokon Matsumura became his last student.
It's believed that he died in Beijing and that Matsumura retrieved his remains and brought them back to Okinawa.
The following is a story about Sakugawa and his students, as told by Richard Kim in his book'The Weaponless Warriors':
Karate, as it is today, is indebted to a man known as Toudi Sakugawa for a great many things. Among them are the Kushanku (Kanku) kata, the Sakugawa-No-Kun bo kata and the dojo kun or gym precept.
He was born in Shuri, Okinawa, March 5, 1733, and died August 17, 1815. When he was 17, his father returned critically ill from a rousting by bullies who had forced him to drink beyond human capacity. Dying, his father said,"Son, take a good look at me. I want you to promise me one thing. Take up the martial arts and don't be like your father. Don't ever let yourself be a subject of ridicule and abuse from bullies and men of that ilk." After he buried his father, Sakugawa searched for a martial artist and finally heard about a monk named Takahara Peichin, who lived nearby in Akata village. He visited Takahara and explained his mission. Takahara listened to the boy and then said,"The martial arts are a lifetime study. It is not a matter of months or years. It is for life. The philosophical concept is centered around these principles: do, a road or way of life, ho, law, the performance of kata, and katsu, use of the kata in the actual fighting."Sakugawa went under the wing of Takahara, developed into one of his best students, and the years passed quickly. One day, when he was 23 years old, he decided to visit Nakashima-Yukaku, which was famous for its gay quarters. While crossing a bridge near the Izumizaki inlet, he noticed an elegantly dressed Chinese fellow standing by the edge of the river, watching the reflection of the moon on the water. A sudden mischievous impulse came over Sakugawa. He wanted to push the stranger into the river as a prank. He stealthily crept towards the stranger and suddenly gave a strong push.The Chinese stranger spoke the word, "Danger!" in strongly accented Okinawan, turned and grabbed Sakugawa by the hand in an iron grip."Now why did you do that?"the stranger asked. "Do you realize your prank could have resulted in some danger? What if I were some weakling unable to cope with this situation? You are very powerful and you should not play like this. The Okinawan people have been very kind to me and I will overlook this, but refrain from such pranks in the future." Sakugawa was so ashamed he did not know what to say. At this moment a young man approached them and gave a jug of sake to the Chinese stranger. Turning to Sakugawa, the young man asked, "Are you not Sakugawa? I was not sure whether I had recognized you. What are you doing here?" "Do you know him?"the Chinese gentleman asked the young man, pointing to Sakugawa. "Yes,"the young man said,"He is a well-known local karate student who shows great promise." The Chinese gentleman peered intently at Sakugawa. "If you ever come to Kume-mura, ask for Kusanku and I will teach you not only the how, but also the why, of the martial arts."And pointing to the young man who had brought him the jug, he said,"He is Kitani-Yara, a student of mine who is helping me during my stay in this country." Overwhelmed with emotion at this stroke of luck, Sakugawa could hardly wait to get back to his Sensei and tell him of this account. When he related his story, Takahara was also overjoyed and said, "Go to Kusanku and learn what you can. He is the most skillful of all the martial artists who have ever come from China. Fortune is smiling on you. When Kusanku returns to China, you are welcome to come back to this house. Now Hurry!" He followed his advice and stayed for six years with Kusanku.
At the age of 29, however, he received an urgent message from his sensei, Takahara, to come back to Shuri. He returned quickly and found his sensei seriously ill. The old man said, "The reason I called you back is because I want you to carry on karate the correct way. After my death, I want you to name yourself 'Toudi Sakugawa' and make the Okinawan people proud of you." Two days later Takahara passed away. When Kusanku returned to China, Sakugawa returned to Shuri and carried on from where Takahara had left off. Without reservation, we can say that Sakugawa was the first teacher and master of the style that is commonly called true Okinawan Karate.
The true karate master is a general practitioner well versed in all aspects of the art, and not a specialist in only one aspect. Specialists exist in all areas of the martial arts. The specialist thrives in his environment. He is a standout by virtue of his expertise in one particular aspect of his art. In judo, there is the seoi nage specialist, in karate, the side kicker, etc., and the list could go on ad infinitum. In sports competition, some martial artists become champions. However, sports is a far cry from desperate combat. The specialist often cannot distinguish the forest from the trees.
He has developed his particular technique, and it has worked for him. His perspective is shrouded by too much attention to a particular technique. He becomes a person who knows more and more about less and less.
Toudi Sakugawa had three students who were known as the 'Three Musketeers,' inseparable buddies named Okuda, Makabe and Matsumoto. They were his assistant instructors and were granted recognition by their admiring public.
Okuda was the specialist supreme. He was the 'one-punch' knockout artist and was aptly named "Iron Hand" Okuda. Villagers would say, "Okuda can kill a bull with one blow." Whenever Okuda would visit a village, people would say,"Okuda is coming!"and an admiring throng would quickly gather around him. Makabe was small. He was quick, clever and elusive in his movements. Legend has it that he moved as if borne on the wings of a bird. He was called "Bird Man"Makabe. People flocked around him also. Among the three, Matsumoto was the general practitioner. He did all things well, mastered all the basics and had no one specialty. When the 'Three Musketeers' walked into town, no one flocked around him. He was not a specialist. Sometimes someone would inquire and say, "Who is that? What is his specialty? What can he do?"And the answer would always be, "Oh, him. He is a good teacher. Nothing special"?
One day a ship from China dropped anchor in the harbor of Naha, Okinawa. On board was a ship's captain named Oshima-Kurytia who was a renowned fighter. Oshima-Kuryu, in all his travels, had never been beaten, and he reveled in his prowess. As his ship lay at anchor, Oshima-Kuryu was thinking to himself, "I wonder how I can get someone to fight me? The people here know me and will not accept a challenge. I must come up with something." One day an idea hit him. That night he went to the town tavern, picked a fight with a town tough and, after beating him, took his clothes as a sign of victory. Following his plan, he repeated the same procedure again and again. After a period of time, the people in Okinawa put in a strong complaint against a Chinese martial artist who took his victim's clothes after beating them. The news came to the town of Shuri, and finally to Toudi Sakugawa, who also acted as the peace magistrate, a function of most karate masters in those days.
One night Toudi Sakugawa's best students, the 'Three Musketeers,' were walking along a mountain path at the edge of town when a large shadow loomed across their path. They saw a huge person with clothes slung over his shoulder. Instinctively, they knew it was the man about whom they had heard. Okuda said, "Halt! You there - are you the one who has caused all the commotion in the vicinity of Naha? If you are, turn yourself in or we will force you to do so." Oshima-Kuryu slowly turned his head and said, "I'll turn myself in if I am beaten. Do you see these clothes? I have taken them from experts like yourselves." Okuda charged like a bull and threw his famous punch, but Kuryu side-stepped. As hard as Okuda tried, he could not land his punch and finally, after he was winded, Kuryu knocked him down. Kuryu said, "Tomorrow night I shall be here at the same time." The next night, Makabe the "Bird Man" was waiting. Kuryu appeared, and they fought. Makabe was quick and fast, clever and cunning. But it was not enough. Kuryu met his every maneuver and finally, after wearing Makabe down, Kuryu won the fight. The town people heard the news and were worried. They all beseeched Toudi Sakugawa to take care of Oshima-Kuryu himself. But Sakugawa said, "Do not worry. Our two specialists have failed. They failed to see very obvious things because they were too intent with their own specialties. Matsumoto has grown in breadth from specialist to general practitioner. He will prevail." Matsumoto faced Oshima-Kuryu on the third night. When they squared off, Oshima-Kuryu realised he was facing his most formidable opponent to date. They fought for a long time without a sound. Finally, Oshima-Kuryu attacked with his last ounce of strength. Matsumoto faded away, and before Oshima-Kuryu knew what had happened, Matsumoto came up from the side and knocked him down. "The time has come for me to retire,"Oshima-Kuryu later said. "I'm glad that I was beaten by a man who has mastered the basics. All my previous opponents were specialists. They all had a gimmick, but it was not enough." When Sakugawa retired, he passed on his menkyo-kaiden [teaching licence] to Matsumoto. However, his greatest achievement came when he was 78 years old. It was then that Sokon Matsumuracame to him for lessons.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. :)
Thanks for reading. Derm
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Information Sources: Books:
"Okinawan Karate Timeline & 100 Masters" By Dr Hokama Tetshiro "The Weaponless Warrior" by Richard Kim
This is some of the most influential old masters of Okinawa. The flowcharts represent the lineage of masters from when it was introduced to Okinawa (predominantly from China) leading to the masters that founded what would become the major Karate systems known today.
Masters of Shuri-Te
Masters of Tomari-Te
Masters of Naha-Te
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. :)
One of the most influential Masters of old Okinawa, Chatan Yara was a student of the famous Kusanku and heavily influenced Toudi Sakugawa (and his student Bushi Matsumura).
This is apparently Chatan Yara.
Chatan Yara's legacy is preserved today in the Karate Kata 'Chatanyara Kusanku', the Sai Kata Chatanyara-No-Sai and also in some less known Kata Chatanyara-No-Kun and Chatanyara-No-Tonfa.
The following is a recount of in incident between Chatan Yara and a Satsuma Samurai, as told by Richard Kim in his book'The Weaponless Warriors': During the rare moments when Yara had spare time, he would walk along the many beaches and over near the village. One day while he was occupied with one of these pleasant sojourns, he heard a high-pitched hysterical cry for help. He stopped in his tracks and listened intently. His ears disregarded the constant blowing of the sea breeze and the rhythmic pounding of the surf, and he held his breath. The screams made their way to his ears again, and in a flash, Yara was sprinting toward the distressful sounds. As he shot over a sand dune, he was astonished to see a samurai struggling with a young girl. The samurai looked upon him, still holding the girl, as Yara strode downhill toward them. "Why don't you leave the girl alone?" shouted Yara over the sounds of the surf and wind. "If you want a girl, there are plenty in the Aka-sen in Naha." Yara continued to approach the samurai as he spoke, showing no expression on his face. When he came face to face with the ruffian, he added, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself—a samurai attacking a helpless girl." The samurai blinked at what he thought was impudence from this stranger. He let go of the girl and turned his body to face Yara, saying, "If you know what is good for you, you will stay out of matters that do not concern you." The girl, suddenly free from the grasp of her attacker, fled to a nearby dune and turned to watch the two men from a distance. Yara calmly gazed at the samurai, noticing the crest of Satsuma on his kimono. He let his eyes wander to the weapon and noticed the sword was of good quality. The glance was not lost on the samurai, who grasped the sword by the hilt and shifted his body. Yara instinctively moved back one step and let his hands dangle loosely at his sides. He only realized the delicacy of his weaponless situation when the samurai suddenly drew his sword and advanced. Yara waited. For the first time in his life, at the age of 32, Yara found himself in a life or death situation. His training period was over now. It was the real thing. He began to tense as he watched the samurai's cautious approach, and the words of his teacher came back to him: "Unless the mind is calm, it cannot concentrate." He took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. He stepped backward one more time and exhaled, allowing his feelings drop down to his lower abdomen. All of the nervousness was gone now. He was ready to take on the matter at hand. The samurai slowly moved his sword to a lasso position and stopped. Time stood still for a flicker of a second and the samurai struck. The sword swung sideways in a classical do cut, but Yara leapt two strides backward, avoided the cut, and circled around until he stood knee-deep in the surf. The angered samurai raced after him, wading clumsily through the salty brine with his sword held high above his head. Yara chose his time carefully, and at the right moment, he retraced his steps back to the beach, further angering the samurai in hot pursuit. The girl watched Yara come near her with the samurai behind him, and felt helpless. She glanced quickly around her and caught sight of a small boat only a few yards away. Running frantically to the small craft, she grabbed an oar and quickly tossed it to Yara, who was now only a short distance away.
In a split second, Yara had the oar firmly gripped and spun around to face his enemy. The samurai, cursing to himself over having lost his tremendous advantage, stopped and assumed a jo-dan kamai. Yara countered this ploy by holding his oar in a dragon tail kamai, and for what appeared to be an eternity to the female spectator, the two men faced each other like statues. Only the sound of their throats and chests heaving for air disturbed the eery musical harmony of the wind and the surf. Suddenly, the samurai struck. Yara's reaction was instantaneous, striking the sword at the hilt with his oar. The blow was perfectly executed, sending the sword skyward, but at the moment of contact, Yara inexplicably jumped upward as though he had anticipated the samurai's next move. This was a dangerous gambit, but it worked. As soon as the Satsuma henchman felt his grip loosen on the hilt of his sword, he immediately squatted to one knee and pulled his short sword. Yara was in perfect position and took instinctive advantage, unleashing a frighteningly powerful side kick which connected with a sickening thud to the samurai's head. The kick sent him sprawling back-ward, at the very feet of the girl he had been molesting. Desperately, he tried to raise himself off the ground, but Yara was upon him in an instant, slashing his oar downward and crushing the samurai's skull. He died without a gasp. The girl looked around nervously to see if anyone had seen the battle. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she said, "Help me bury him. Don't ask any questions now. You are new here and I will explain later." Heeding her advice, Yara grasped the still-warm carcass and both of them dragged the body away from the beach and buried it in a clump of bushes.
"If the other samurai find his body with a crushed skull," said the girl breathlessly, "they will take it out on the native Okinawans." "What if his friends miss him when he does not show up?" queried Yara. "What then?" "They won't miss him. Most of the samurai who come here are plunderers and the others may think he has gone off to some other locale in search of loot." "Do you mean to tell me these things take place all of the time?" asked Yara, excited but still winded from his ordeal. "My brother and those of my village did not tell me of such happenings, and I have been back from China now for three months." The girl looked quizzically at Yara, thinking, "No wonder he is a skilled martial artist. He can probably hold his own against any samurai." This prompted her to compliment him: "You must have trained in the martial arts for a long time. No one I know can match a samurai, no less defeat him in the manner which you have just demonstrated." "I trained for 20 years in China," answered Yara, "but I did not train for this. I must admit to you, however, that philosophy is not an antidote against the behavior displayed by that samurai." The girl could no longer contain herself and spoke to Yara in a tone which was somewhere between commanding and beseeching. "Will you teach your art to our people?" she asked. "These are troubled times and we need to learn how to defend ourselves against outsiders." Yara, struck by the urgency in her voice, said he would think about it, then led her away from the hasty grave. In 15 minutes, they had come upon a small fishing village. "This is it," she said. "This is my village. We would be honored by your presence if you should pass this way again. I live at the village headmaster's home." With that, she ran off and left Yara standing alone.
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. :)
Naihanchi was most likely created by Bushi Matsumura. It is a unique Kata, with a linear embusen involving only stepping side to site.
Many have interpreted this as fighting against a wall or in a narrow space, with attackers coming from the sides. In reality, the Bunkai can be applied against opponents attacking from almost any direction and there is no need to be standing with you back against something. So the "against a wall" or "in a narrow space" is simply a misconception.
Where many Kata involve completing techniques or combinations in groups of three, this Kata only involves one technique and/or section at a time. The whole Kata is completed twice, the second time being a mirror of the first.
There are three versions of the Naihanchi Kata in total, but it is thought that Bushi Matsumura only created one. We don’t know whether Bushi Matsumura made all three as one long Kata and Anko Itosu (Matsumura’s student) just split it into three; or if Matsumura made Naihanchi Shodan and Itosu, or someone else, made Nidan and Sandan (based on Shodan).
The meaning of the Kata’s name (Iron horse) actually comes from an old Okinawan name for the Kata ‘Nifanchin’ which directly translates as ‘Iron horse’. ‘Naihanchi’ directly translates as “internal divided conflict”.
Choki Motobu's Naihanchi
Gichin Funakoshi renamed these Kata Tekki (Japanese for ‘Iron horse’).
One theory is that the name probably comes from the stance used, Kiba Dachi (horse stance).
Another theory is simply a description of powerful strong nature of the Kata itself. Both theories are equally possible and both could be true.
Choki Motobu has said that Naihanchi comes from an older Chinese Kata that is no longer practiced there, but there is not much evidence to support this. While Naihanchi isn’t an overly complex Kata, Motobu has said that it is “all that one needs to know to become a proficient fighter.” Motobu was famous for testing his karate abilities by engaging in brawls on the streets.
