Enthusiasm in the mold

 https://note.com/motoburyu/n/nd6515bad529a

Motobu Ryu February 13, 2024 3:23 AM

 

When I hold seminars overseas, I sometimes get questions about my enthusiasm. The spirit here refers to the spirit that emanates in the show in the mold.

Historically, it seems that there was no enthusiasm in the form in the first place. In the old days of Okinawa, we practiced in hiding so that people wouldn't find us. Of course, making noise is strictly forbidden.

For example, Motobu Asaki said the following in a roundtable discussion article in the Ryukyu Shimpo before the war.

In the past, the goal of martial artists was to secretly go to the teacher's house to learn their hands in secret so that no one would see them, and that too in the dark before dawn, and to practice the straw without making any noise. Sticks were also practiced by wrapping straw around them so that they would not make a clicking sound.

"Ryukyu Shimpo" November 10, Showa 11

According to the above, in the old days, we were careful not to make noise when practicing straw shoving and sticks. The word "stick" probably refers to interpersonal practice such as kumiba, or practice of hitting a target with a stick, such as a standing tree. In such a case, if the stick clicked, the practice would be known to others, so straw was wrapped around the stick to prevent it from making noise.

The kata of karate is not mentioned here, but it is easy to imagine that the kata did not show any enthusiasm from the way they practiced at the time without making a sound.

In the case of "Demonstration", how was it? In the first place, there was almost no practice of performing karate kata in front of a large number of people during the Ryukyu Kingdom. He sometimes performed in front of the king after the sealing ceremony, but that was a once-in-a-decade event. Therefore, it is difficult to know whether or not there is enthusiasm from historical documents. From the point of view of etiquette, it does not seem desirable to speak loudly to the king.

The enthusiasm in the mold probably began after the war. Especially since the Showa 40s, when the competition began in earnest, it seems to have spread to appeal strongly to referees and spectators. If it was done before, it was on a personal level, not as a tradition.

Source:

"Kiai" (Ameblo, August 12, 2018).