Almost since I began training I wondered what the earliest karate training included. More a perplexing question than one I expected to find answered. With karate’s reputation explaining the transmission was through live experience and mostly non-documented, I began to make a logical case what it might have been.
But logic is not proof.
Today I’m most excited to suggest I’ve found a very interesting way to peer past the veil of time. This happened as a result of my study on Itosu’s letter from 1908, cross referencing details found in many of the books I’ve read.
Books on karate are a funny thing. For decades I tried to acquire everything I could find, perhaps thinking I might learn from them and I have, but as a rule it takes me about 5 years before I can begin to bridge the gap between a good book and actual practice. Not a bad rule because I very much believe in my own practice and that takes precedence every time.
But we’re in a special time, those original works on karate, written in the 1920’s and 1930’s, the first explanations of karate to a non-Okinawan public were doing much more than just providing a slight glimpse into karate’s studies.
Especially in the past 10 years the efforts of Goodin Charles, McCarthy Patrick, McKenna Mario, Oshima Tsutoma, Sells John, Swift Charles Joseph and Teramoto John have begun to make some of those works available to us in English, breaking down the barriers of time. They represent the writings of Funakoshi Ginchin, Motobu Choki, Mabuni Kenwa, and Nakasone Genwa whose 1938 ‘Karate-Do Taikan’ included (Funakoshi Ginchin, Ohtsuka Hironori, Hanashiro Chomo, Shiroma Shinpan, Chibana Choshin, Miyagi Chojun and Taira Shinken) .
Now any one of those works by themselves are open to being declared only a basic look at karate to an uninformed Japanese public. There is validity in that statement but consider in the 1920’s those authors all had been trained in the style of the 1800’s karate and though they might move what karate was to become in Japan in new directions (perhaps inspired by Itosu’s dream) the basis behind their explanations came from their own years of training.
Okinawa is a small place, only 45 miles long. Ideas just like kata were likely in play between friends even in different systesm.
1. When you take a long view of the older Okinawan systems (I’m partially not considering Uechi as it was a recent Okinawa import in 1948) all the systems share a core of the same tools.
2. We know in the early 20’s many Senior Okinawan instructors tried to train together for a time. In Japan many of the instructors also drew upon each other.
3. Then the kicker, Funakoshi, Mabuni, Hanashiro, Shimpan, Chosin were all students of Itosu.
If you begin to look at all of their works as reflections of Itosu’s training, you start to find common themes and that one ties into the other.
Again logic does not equate to truth, but if you see common themes developing between their works, themes that support each other, and especially if you can do more than put the book on the shelf but instead step on the floor and work them, I believe you get to feel a part of the older approach to karate.
When I started looking at this I thought I could sum it all up in one article, but the more I study the more I realize this is a larger effort than I can complete.
Let me start then with training Itosu used.
I remember reading John Sells’ original version of ‘Unante’. He described a kicking drill on page 50:
“Itosu did not personally favor high kicking or techniques, he is known for a unique exercise called the “8-point kick”. This is called for the trainee to practice kicking at targets representing the floating ribs, solar plexus, junction of the legs and torso, groin and inner thighs in rapid succession.”
Finding that interesting, that evening I started to set up a two person kicking drill following those sequences. What I discovered is some of the most advanced principles of kicking targeting I’ve ever seen. IMO perhaps as valuable as the study of Tam Tui or studies from my time with the late Harrill Sherman. [Note I based my drills using the kicking techniques from Lewis Tom’s study with Shimabuku Tatsuo – generic photo to follow.] Unfortunately I’m not going to share my drill at this time, feel free to work it out yourself. Sweat equity is the best knowledge.
I have no idea whether Itosu used this as a singular kicking drill or a two person exercise, but my karate has been more complete since I’ve done this. [Note – The Itosu dril is not the same as a drill Swift Charles Joseph once shared with me, a 7 point kicking drill from Mabuni Kenwa. Solely so my students don’t’ get confused]
In my opinion this knowledge must be taken down from the shelf, dusted off facing an attacker on the dojo floor and considered.
My next installment will directly deal with some of these themes.
Pleasantly,
Smith Victor
For more information about please read:
“Tales of Okinawa’s Great Masters” by Nagamine Shoshin – translated by Patrick McCarthy – Tuttle Publishing 2002
“An Overview of Karate-Do” – the translation by Mario McKenna of Nakasone Genwa’s “Karate-Do Taikan” originally published 1938 – Lulu Press 2009
“Karate-Do My Way of Life” by Funakoshi Ginchin – Kodansha International Ltd 1975
“Tanpenshu” by Funakoshi Ginchin – translated by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy – IRKRS 2005
“Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts – Koryu Uchinadi” translated by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy - Tuttle Publishing 1999
“Shotokan Karate – A Precise History” 1st edition – Harry Cook 2001
“Unante – the Secrets of Karate – 2nd edition” John Sells – Hawley 2000
“Timeline of Karate History” by Hikama Tetsuhiro – translated by Charles (Joe) Swift
Notes on Chosen Chiniba’s Karate – ‘A Karate Odessey’
an interview with Sensei Pat Nakata in ‘Classical Fighting Arts’ vol 2 No 14 Issue #37.
Futher discussion with Sensei Pat Nakata found on Charles Goodin’s blog
http://karatejutsu.blogspot.com/
From the Hawai Karate Museum Collection Digital Archives
http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/okinawa/digital_archives/karate_museum.html
Funakoshi Ginchin – Karate-do Kyohon 1935
http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/okinawa/digital_archives/pdfs/funakoshi-kyohon1935.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment