Dan is the foreign Seibukan representative of Shimabuku Zenpo, an avid
researcher and Society award recipient. I hope you all will consider this
publication when shopping in the future.
Admin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chotoku Kyan: A ChronologicaI Look
The name of Chotoku Kyan is always included in historical reviews of Okinawan
karate. Kyan's contemporaries, such as Chojun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni, Gichin
Funakoshi and Choki Motobu, lives have been examined closely but little is ever
written about Kyan. There is and have been claims by many Okinawans to be the
inheritor of Kyan's system of karate. This article, which is an excerpt from a
forthcoming book " Kyan's Karate: A Unique Blend of Shuri and Tomari Te "by Dan Smith will share a brief look into the research that has taken many years to
provide an in depth look into Kyan's life.
1870 - Chotoku Kyan was born in the town of Shuri. His father, Chofli Kyan, was
an official of King Shotai, the last king of Okinawa. Kyan's father was highly
educated and an adrninistered over the king's business affairs. Chofli Kyan was
an experienced martial artist and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.
The young Kyan was a sickly child and his father gave his physical training
much affention.
1882 - Kyan accompanied his father at the age of twelve to Tokyo and stayed
there for four years while his father was representing the king. This was a
critical period in the history of Okinawa due to the fact that for hundreds of
years Okinawa had been in a unique position of being a Japanese possession but
being independent with a close alliance with China and this era was coming to a
close. Okinawa was soon to become a prefecture of Japan not just in name but in
governance from Tokyo. The change that Kyan's father was involved in would open
the doors for not only more influence from Tokyo but for Uchinandi to spread to
the mainland of Japan and the rest of the world. During his stay in Tokyo
Chotoku Kyan would study the Chinese classics and participate in wrestling to
strengthen his body that was weakened from asthma.
1886 - Kyan returned to Okinawa at the age of sixteen and continued his martial
arts training with his father
1890 - Kyan's father determined that his son, now at the age of twenty needed
more instruction than he could give him. Chofli Kyan knew that his son had
potential to become a great fighter and he knew that he could not give him the
severe training that was necessary. Due to his position with the king Kyan took
his son to Sokon Matsumura, the chief instructor to the king, for instruction.
Matsumura was at an advanced age at this time and shortly after Kyan began
training Matsumura retired from his position with the king.
1892 - Sokon Matsumura was eighty-one years old and held classes at his home
dojo in Shuri village. Due to Matsumura's age much of the teaching duties were
turned over to Anko Azato. Gichin Funakoshi was a student at this time also.
Many karate historians have reported that Kyan studied with Anko Itosu, who was
a contemporary of Anko Azato and student of Matsumura but this is not true.
Kyan studied only with Matsumura and Azato in the Shuri Te version of
Uchanandi. Kyan learned the kata Seisan, Gojushiho and Naifanchi from Matsumura and Azato. We cannot determine for sure how much instruction Kyan received directly from Matsumura because of his advanced age but when skeptics state that he could not have learned very much I reflect on the last two session I
had with Shoshin Nagamine in December of 1996.1 am still amazed at the vivid
detail he shared with me on the techniques of Chinto and his recollections of
my teacher Zenryo Shimabukuro.
The review of the Funakoshi kata Hangetsu and Kyan's Seisan reveals the
closeness of the kata and that the origin of this kata is from Matsumura and
Azato.
1896 - Kyan's father had arranged for his son to study with all of the top
instructors on Okinawa and after he had a strong foundation in Shuri Te he
began studying with Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari. He learned the Chinto kata from Matsumora. The Tomari version of the Chinto Kata does not have the one legged stances that are prevalent in the Matsumura version which would lead you to
believe that the Tomari version was an adaptation of the Matsumura Chinto, that
came from the White Crane style. The Tomari version also is on a forty-five
degree line of movement which is different from the Matsumura version.
1899 - Kyan continued his study with Tomari teachers and learned the kata
Passai fromKokan Oyadomari. I have found some historians that believe that
Oyadomari was the brother of Kosaku Matsumura. There is evidence that there was
a Kosaku and KokanOyadomari Tomari teachers but I cannot state with authority
that there is any connection. The Passal kata that Kyan learned became the
favorite kata of Kyan in his later years.
1901 - Kyan leamed the Tonarri kata Wansu from Maeda, a student of Matsumora.
1910 - Kyan traveled to Yaeyama Island to leam the Tokumine No Kun. Upon
arriving on the island Kyan found that Tokumine, who had been exiled to the
island for fighting the police with his Bo, had died. The land lord where
Tokumine had lived offered to teach the now famous Chotoku Kyan the Bo kata of
Tokumine.
1918 - Kyan was living in Shuri and became a member of the Tode Research Club
that most of the prominent instructors of the time belonged to. Kyan was not as
active as the other members due to his belief that Uchinandi should be kept as
it had been and should not be for the general public. Up until this time Kyan
had only taught a few deserving students. The students of record at this time
were Ankichi Arakaki and Taro Shimabukuro. The members of the research club
were actively demonstrating and sharing techniques with one another. Kyan
played and important role at this time in keeping the "Sukunaihayashi", small
forest way in the original form as it was taught to him. He did not change the
technique to make it more appealing to the general public. Kyan did not take
any new kata into his repertoire. He did not swap kata with the other members
and he did not remain an active member but for a short time.
1920 - Kyan suffered ecOnomic and domestic troubles during this period of time
in his life. He left his wife and family in Shun and moved to the Kadena area
on the Yomitan Peninsula ( all of the area from Kadena to Suikeran is referred
to as the Chatan district). Kyan lived on land owned by his mistress's f~rnily
by the Hija river. This domestic situation along with the change in the status
of his family brought about a great financial burden on Kyan. Ankichi Arakaki
followed Kyan to this area and continued training.
1922 - Kyan learned the kata Kusanku from a man by the name Yara. The kata is
often referred to as Chatan Yara Kusanku. This is to designate this particular
version of Kusanku. Peichin Yara had been a student of Sokon Matsumura at one
time before he moved to the rural area of Chatan during the change of the
political landscape of Okinawa. Even though Kyan was fifty-two years old at
this time it is said that he had lightening fast kicks in the Kusanku kata. He
performed the sidekicks that Yara specialized in his version of the kata in
deference to the Matsumura version with front kicks. Kyan may have learned the
Malsumura version of Kusanku before he learned from Yara but the kata that he
passed on to his studenis was the Yara version.
1927 - Shoshin Nagamine is stationed as a police officer to the Kadena police
station and receives instruction from Ankichi Arakaki. He was instructed in the
kata; Passal, Chinto, Gojushiho and Kusanlru. I asked Sensei Nagamine in 1996
why he did not learn the kata Seisan and he replied that he already had karate
experience and the Seisan kata was a basic kata. He told me that he did not
study directly with Kyan but did go to his house for kata corrections during
the six months that he was stationed at Kadena.
1928 - Ankichi Arakaki dies of a stomach illness at the age of twenty-eight.
The stories surrounding the death of Arakaki range from his being killed in a
fight by a very strong fighter from Nago to being shot in a barroom fight.
Shoshin Nagamine returned to the Kadena again for a short time and trained with
Arakaki before his death.
1929- Kyan along with Ryusei Kuwac and Siechi Kudaka go to Taiwan to attend a
martial arts event. The economy on Okinawa suffered after the Japanese
regulated the trade with China due to the political unrest and eventually war
with China. Many Okinawans relocated to Taiwan to find work. Kyan knew many
Okinawans that had moved to Taiwan and stayed there for approximately one year.
He is said to have studied the bo with Chinen Sanda of Yamane Ryu, who was also
living on Taiwan at this time. If this is true he did not pass on any kata of
this style although there are some similarities in the Tokumine No Kun Kata. On
his return Kyan created the kata Anaku, which means light from the south, to
commemorate his tripto Taiwan.
1938 -Zenryo Shiinabukuro becomes a student of Kyan. Sliiinabukuro lived in the
Jagaru village of Chatan Son. He was a baker by trade and had just recently
moved from Shuri. Upon finding Kyan living in this area he becarne his student.
Zenryo Shimabukuro remained a constant student until Kyan's death. He learned
the kata; Seisan, Anaku, Wansu, Passai, Gojushiho, Chinto, Kusanku, Naifanchi
and Tokumine No Kun.
1931- Kyan began teaching karate publicly at the Kadena Agricultural High
School. Kyan had come to the realization that he needed to teach karate so that
he could supplement his financial needs. He taught the kata as he had learned
them. One change in his teaching was a flill twisting punch versus the
three-quarter twist punch that allows the punch to penetrate into vital area.
He did not teach the Pinan Kata that was developed for the school systems but
he did teach.
1932 - The approximate date that Tatsuo Shimabuku began his study with Kyan is
not verified by reliable sources. This date is as close as can be determined.
It is known that Tatsuo Shimabuku did study kata with Kyan for about three
years before going on to Chojun Miyagi. He learned the kata Seisan, Wansu,
Chinto, Kusanku and Tokumine No Kun.
1933 - Joen Nakazato arrived at the Kadena Agriculture School at the age of
thirteen from Chinen village. He began his training at the school but after he
graduated from high school and began in the teachers college he trained with
Kyan at his home. Nakazato trained with Kyan until he was drafted into military
service in 1940. He was stationed in Manchuria during the war. He was captured
at the end of the war and was delayed in his return to Okinawa by staying in
mainland Japan until 1947. Kyan had been deceased by two years at this point.
Nakazato learned all the kata that Kyan taught and specialized in the Tokumine
No Kun.
1943- Kyan and Zenryo Shimabukuro demonstrated kata at the opening of Shoshin
Nagamine first dojo in Naha. This was the last public demonstration of karate
by Kyan. The occupation of the Japanese army on Okinawa had taken a severe toll
on Okinawa. Many of it's young men had been drafted into the Japanese army to
fight in Indochina and the Pacific.
1945- Kyan died after the battle of Okinawa. He is said to have died from
starvation and a weak physical condition. He had suffered from Asthma most of
his life. He had to flee to the northern end of the island when Okinawa was
attacked and lived in caves along with other war refugees. The landing of the
U.S. troops was in the general area where Kyan lived along with most of his
students in the Chatan area. The Okinawan people suffered greatly not only
during the invasion but for the three years previous due to the Japanese army's
occupation.
Kyan only taught four students his complete system of karate. Two of the four
Taro Shimabukuro and Ankichi Arakaki died at early ages. Zenryo Shimabukuro
taught until 1969 when he died at the age of sixty-one and Joen Nakazato
continues to teach in Chinen village, where he has taught since 1947 to a small
group of students. The impact of having so few qualified students to carry on
his teachings resulted in Kyan not having a distinct style or school of karate
that is remembered by the minority of the karate world.
Kyan was remembered by many of the Shuri and Naha karate men as practicing a
rough, rural style of karate. The karate in Shuri and Naha developed during the
years he was living in Kadena to be a more stylized, physical improvement
activity. He did not move forward with his karate into the twentieth century
and for this I am grateflil. We practice this unique style of Uchanandi to have
a firm hold on the old so we can reflect on the past and leam how a culture
created this fighting form that has stood not only the test of time but the
test of modernization.
Kyan only referred to his karate as" Sukunaihayashi" which is the Okinawan term
that refers to the Shaolin temple. Nakazato's school still refers to the style
as Shorinji ryu. Zenryo Shimabukuro also used the Shorinji ryu for a number of
years but later chose Shorin Ryu. Sukunal, means small or few, and hayashi,
means forest The reference could mean a small forest or a few forest. It could
be interpeted to be a few forest temple ways or the small forest temple way.
Regardless it is a reference to the Chinese influence that was included in
Kyan's karate.
Anyone reading this article may wonder why there some obvious names missing
from Kyan's lineage or perhaps their roles in Kyan's karate have been
minimized. I also wondered while I was doing the research. By knowing when
someone was born and by doing simple arithmetic you can determine that some
were not old enough to have trained with Kyan or that they simply did not stay
with hint long enough to learn his karate.
Chotoku Kyan was one of the last great Okinawan karate men that came from an
age of where karate was what it was supposed to be, not what it could be.
No comments:
Post a Comment