As opposed to 3 years on one kata, there are other possiblities

 

In 1934 Itoman Seijin (Morinobu’s) book Toudi-jutsu no Kenkyu was published. In it he presenged a description of Toudi Kempo, apparently the older Okinawan traditions which became karate. For such an early martial work when it was published, it is most amazing how few consider what it shared. Perhaps it was based solely on earlier traditions, perhaps it was influenced by the developing karate. Reading alone cannot answer that question.

 

But it presents enough material to be worth listening to.

 

In particular I find the section about kata interesting.

 

“That said there would be little point for a writer like myself to hope to convey the 600 techniques that comprise Toudi. Instead, I will try to explain the main techniques of the 600 and give a sense of their contents. Also, Toudi training is incomplete if it does not include the practice of kata. However, today there are approximately 60 kata in Toudi and if it takes about three minutes to perform one kata, then you would need three hours to practice them all.”

 

Kata Name Romanized	Kata Name Kana or Kanji
1. Sesan	十三歩
2. Iha-shi Sesan (Iha’s Sesan)	伊波氏十三歩
3. Kyan-shi Sesan (Kyan’s Sesan)	喜屋武氏十三歩
4. Sepai	十八歩
5. Niseshi (Nijushiho)	二十四歩
6. Sanseru	三十六歩
7. Kyan-shi Useshi (Gojushiho) (Kyan’s Useshi)	喜屋武氏五十四歩
8. Itosu-shi Useshi (Gojushiho) (Itosu’s Useshi)	糸洲氏五十四
9. Suparenpe dai & sho	一百零八歩　大　小
10. Toma-shi Ryuho (Toma’s Ryuho)	富間氏龍歩
11. Rokishu	六機手
12. Unshu dai & sho	雲手　大　小
13. Ryushu dai & sho	龍手　大　小
14. Nanshu dai & sho	南手　大　小
15. Pinan shodan, nidan, sandan, yondan, godan	平安　初段　二段　三段　四段　五段
16. Kusanku dai & sho	公相君　大　小
17. Wanshu	汪楫
18. Naifanchi shodan, nidan, sandan	ナイファンチ　初段　二段　三段
19. Passai dai & sho	パッサイ 大　小
20. Tawada-shi Passai (Tawada’s Passai)	多田氏パッサイ
21. Jitte	ジッテ
22. Chinto	チントウ
23. Tomari no Chinto	泊のチントウ
24. Chinte	チンテ
25. Niwon	二ーヲン
26. Unuibu	ウヌイブー
27. Nuichue	ヌイチエー
28. Jin	ジーン
29. Juumu	ジュウム
30. Kokan	コカン
31. Yoshimura-shi Channan (Yoshimura’s Channan)	吉村氏チャンナン
32. Seyanchin	セーヤンチン
34. Jion	ジオン
35. Wandau	ワンダウ
36. Rohai	ローハイ
37. Motobu-shi Sochin (Motobu’s Sochin)	本部氏ソーチン
38. Aragaki-shi Sochin (Aragaki’s Sochin)	新垣氏ソーチン
39. Pichurin	ピッチュウリン
40. Hanashiro-shi Kururunfa (Kururunfa)	花城氏クルルンファー
41. Wankuwan	ワンくワン
42. Seshun	セーシュン

 

Even more interesting is there is not a suggestion that only 3 kata should be studied.

 

From other books there they suggest that the older traditions were in 5 lines of service or Okinawan samurai traditions. I have found nothing about what exactly was studied for each of those traditions. But it does suggest things.

 

1. that the martial traditions were shaped by the familits obligation of service. Not all of which was for military purposes. I infer that meant the martial practices were an adjunct capability for the services to be rendered. Then in all cases the martial tradition was to be able to be used. It was not studied to teach the general population. It was not studied to become an instructor.

 

One might infer the families would want someone who survived a long time to be the one to train their family youth, in those traditions. First proven by their service and their experiences. Very different from what todays karate instructor often represents.

 

It just as the more we look toward the past, there is a different possibility that emerges.

 

I don’t doubt that Funakoshi Ginchin was taught that 3 years on one kata. And passed that concept forward. It’s just that I have no idea if that was the general standard of the Okinawan past. So many things changed when Toudi became karate, and karate was opened to the public and the young.

 

It is something to consider when attemping to know what the true past may have been.

 

 

Myquotes from  1934 Itoman Seijin (Morinobu’s) book Toudi-jutsu no Kenkyu came from the Mario McKenna translation of that work, It is available through Lulu press.