tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128378722057166293.post6479752534077444213..comments2024-03-19T13:16:20.521-04:00Comments on Isshin - Concentration the Art: Thoughts on Old Style KarateVictor Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09633221599323204720noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128378722057166293.post-87301425675121417252015-08-22T05:50:35.802-04:002015-08-22T05:50:35.802-04:00While this was written in 2010 and I understand ka...While this was written in 2010 and I understand karate events somewhat differently today. I believe is is essentially accurate. As time passes, more information becomes available, But this was written to help my students reflect on what was karate long ago.<br /><br />1.For one thing, prior to Itosu proposing the practice of karate for school youth, Karate would not have been considered something to be discussed with anyone outside of the ‘class’ that studied karate. They, such and you and I were not worthy, we were not the right class, the Bushi of Okinawa. What they actually did is speculation. There is almost no documentation that explains their practices.<br /><br />2. You have to be careful comparing different time periods as having implications for earlier time periods. For example karate-ka taking trips in the 1930’s would not be the same as 1890. Where the travels were for very different reasons, such as avoiding conscription into the Japanese military, or those happening as Okinawa experienced migrations for survival of families to new lands. As things changed those changes do not necessarily reflect prior conditions.<br /><br />3. While Okinawa was within the Japanese sphere of influence since the 1500’s at least, it was about 1870 that influence became more fixed.Many Bushi lost their incomes and were reduced to poverty. Okinawa’s king was removed from the island, and while he retained guards, there was no longer need of the Bushi class. Karate might have assumed a different role at that time, to preserve a Bushi tradition.<br /><br />5. As Era’s pass, things change. At some point of time there was a train on the island, making travel easier. I may have facilitated some training. But I think it safe to say more was local in earlier years.<br /><br />6. So far as I know it falls into speclation what ‘names’ were used in that most private training. When karate was introduced to the Japanese martial establishment (the focus of those books written in the 20s and 30s, not the general public, terminology was developed from Japanese, terminology that had different meanings to the general public. The term ‘bunkai’ to the public meant something like you would have the mechanic bunkai the car, or take it apart to fix it. It assumed a different context when used in karate discussions. Obviously karate was practiced with application studies. It just is an assumption what the term was prior to Mabuni’s use of bunkai in 1932.<br /><br />7. What those prior practices were in a life time of training is speculation. Perhaps taking training as we see it and retro-fitting it on to the past. That might be true or it equally may not describe things then. As it was after a class thing, what time they devoted to training, was their own thing. There is no documentation to explain their practices in any case. One can speculate. We know many did less kata than today. Karate maintenance might have been different then too, once the skills were acquired. (which suggests a study on the difference of karate maintenance versus karate skill acquisition, as different from karate mastery which most did not seem to do.<br /><br />8. It is difficult to mix different training regimes and times. The Naha karate with Hiagonna brought back that later became Goju was what an import around 1880, where Uechi was an import to Okinawa about 1948. (Certainly not to disparage those systems) Just that they might not describe what was Okinawan practices of earlier era’s.<br /><br />The lack of documentation makes all of this disparaging at times, oral histories represent most of what we have to go on.<br />Victor Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09633221599323204720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128378722057166293.post-21570868288453205322015-08-21T10:51:18.205-04:002015-08-21T10:51:18.205-04:00This article was written as to how I understood Ok...This article was written as to how I understood Okinawa prior practices in 2010. <br /><br />As time progresses and we learn more, our understanding changes. For example I do not think No. 6 is accurate today, and the vocabulary that was used was not the same as developed in Japan.<br /><br />This exercise is to assist you to understand the roots of Okinawa. Not for a history test.<br />Victor Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09633221599323204720noreply@blogger.com