The
other side of the Isshinryu picture is speculation but seems reasonable.
Whether in his role as Sumuchi,
Shimabuku Tatsuo ever consulted his oracles (books like the I Ching)
regarding Isshinryu.
This
likely originated in China, where his uncle had studied the arts involved. It
seems he learned these arts while young Jeff
Perkins Sensei shared videos of the books including the I Ching
that Shimabuku Sensei did consult in
his role as Sumuchi.
During different periods of his lifetime, he was a farmer, tax
collector, bodyguard, horse and cart teamster, karate instructor and sumuchi (fortune teller).
Prior to his death on
May 30, 1975, Tatsuo was still doing fortune telling. Sumuchi is from the
Uchinaguchi (Okinawan language) or dialect hogen but fortune tellers are also
called sanjinso in Japanese. Sanzinso literally means “three phases of life” or
“Three social trends,” which are the past, the present and the future.
Long before Tatsuo studied karate, he was learning to be a sumuchi from his uncle Ganeku Shinko who
later would teach the young Shimabuku Shaolin-zi (Shorinji) style of karate
that he learned in Fukushu (Foochow) China.
Shimabuku learned to be a sumuchi from his uncle on his
mother’s side who lived in Agena village which was near Chan village. Ganeku
was a school principle for a school at Isshikawa, a town located in central
Okinawa. Years earlier Ganeku had traveled to China and learned to be a fortune
teller. In the main Okinawan Shuri and Naha dialect, a fortune teller is called
sumuchikuya or sumuchi/shimuchi for short. ‘Su” means book and ‘muchi’ means
person so sumuchi is a ‘Book person’ a term used in Okinawa for a
fortuneteller.
The
reason these fortunetellers are called sumuchi is because they use books such
as the I Ching, Chinese Almanac, Chinese books on Astrology and Feng shui.
http://www.free-definition.com/I-Ching.html
A sumuchi is well versed
these ancient books and the "I Ching" (The Book of Changes), a
classic Chinese book of divination, is used to consult to advise their clients
in the proper course of action to take in certain phases of their lives.
Okinawan Sumuchi are held in high esteem and are respected for their knowledge
of old customs, history, traditions and events. This knowledge is passed from
Sumuchi to apprentice and Tatsuo learned from Ganeku.
Sumuchi are also called
sanjinso or sanzinso which literally means “Three phases of life” or “Three
social trends,” which are the past, the present and the future. Sumuchikuya/
sumuchi/shimuchi and Sanjinso are all in reference to fortunetelling. Another
subject Sumuchi perform is Feng shui.
http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/004-e/index.html
http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/004-e/index.html
Fungshi (literally "wind" and "water") in
Okinawan hogen and Feng Shui in Chinese is the ancient art of placement which
addresses environmental energy imbalances of yin and yang. Fungshi which
originated in China aims to promote balance and harmony between one’s living
and one’s working environments. It can be described as the study of the
relationship between humanity and earth and Fungshi is still deeply rooted in
Okinawan life. The ancient Shuri Castle layout was based on Fungshi .
http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/004-e/002_01.html
http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/004-e/002_01.html
The interview continued and focused on Tatsuo
Shimabuku’s first martial arts teacher, his Mother’s bother, Ganeku. Ganeku
taught Tatsuo Shimabuku to be a sanjinsoo or sumuchi (fortune teller).
“Sumuchi” is the term used in Uchinaguchi (Okinawan dialect). Cisco unvealed the
Sumuchi books used in his Father’s practice as he did for us in 1994. As
explained in 1994, Cisco stated that the books were over 100 years old and are
written in kanji (Chinese characters), which few today on Okinawa can read. He
made reference that a “college boy” could not read these books but that he
could, as taught by his Father. He explained how these books are very rare and
even in his Father’s day, only a few could understand them.
Ciso stated that his Great Uncle Ganeku spent two years in
China where he was taught Sumuchi and Shorinji (Shaolin Temple Boxing) by two
individuals “Kushi” and “Mushi” (Okinawan hogen pronunciation, “Koshi” and
“Moshi” in Japanese). He says Ganiku was a High School principal by profession
in Ishikawa Village but lived in Agena. Ciso produced sticks and a compass that
are used in the Sumuchi process. He explains that the compass is used for the
planning of tombs and houses (the direction of the entrances of houses and
tombs are very important. A Sumuchi was usually consulted before construction).
We left Cisco early, not wanting to push his health, to return on another day
before we left the Island.
he asked Cisco about Tatsuo Sensei's sumuchi books. Cisco talked to
us about learning fortune telling from his father and his father learning from Ganeku
who was Tatsuo's uncle on his mother's side
Shimabuku Cisco demonstrating how his
father would meditate.
Of course this does not explain
much of what the sumuchi role involved.
So I first began by searching
for ‘Sumuchi’ on the internet, however all I found was the role associated with
Shimabuku sensei, and no other explanations. So the perhaps the term ‘sumuchi’
was Okinawan and as everyone uses Japanese on Okinawa today I thought to try
the Japanese term ‘Sanjinso’ combined with Okinawa. I did find this.
http://okinawa.com/research/religion/religion
Playing a lesser role than the kaminchu and yuta in
Okinawan shamanism, the sanjinso is a
fortuneteller or diviner who determines personal fortunes. Men have exclusively
held this profession. Unlike the yuta who
possesses supernatural powers, the sanjinso makes
his prognosis from the lunar almanac, I Ching, and
other books on Chinese occult lore. The sanjinso is
consulted when selecting auspicious days for engagements, marriages, funerals,
buying and selling houses, moving, and traveling.
Which does not offer much more
information.
Nor do we have any writings from
Shimabuku Sensei about his role as ‘Sumuchi’.
Perhaps a clue can be found in
his use of the I Ching. It is a famous long lived Chinese tradition, as a means
to interpret change as it occurs. I studied it a bit as a hobby in University,
as it interested me.
The I Ching Hexagrams
The I Ching does not tell the future. It is a collection of
observations made over a very long
time about change, using various means to gather information on change as it
happens. It’s roots go back as far as 1,000 B C. Very old indeed. It represents
long term observations on Change.
The individual interpreting
those changes, uses a large text with possible interpretations of the changes
made. It is then from their observations on those interpretations in the I
Ching that they offer opinions about what they find. So change, recorded
observations of change, interpretation about what those interpretations offer.
This is what happens when the I Ching is used.
I speculate whatever other
texts are used might be in a similar
fashion to answer the questions posed. Skill understanding change, that
increases with time.
If his observations prove
successful to others, then his reputation increases. Apparently people found
his answers most useful.
Of course this opens thought on
whether he did the same about the changes he participated in with his karate
too.
Unfortunately this can only be
speculation.
However it was not magic, IMO.
Rather gained skill at understanding that the nature of change is the reality
of the universe.
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