One of the things not having students to occupy my time,
I have much time to think about what Karate was before it became karate. Use
the names Ti or Toudi or some other, matters not. I admit freely this is
speculation, there is almost no documentation I have access to establish my
theories correctness, but a questing I go.
We shall begin our speculation back before 1882 when
Japan established control over Okinawa. Back when the art(s) had a definite
purpose. The best description of those groups comes from this book.
Using the book “Ryuku Oke Hiden Bujutsu:
Karate, Bukijutsu” that time when Toudi was focused on the
groups involved the use of Toudi for each group had a particular practice.
“ The
martial artists (bushi) of the Ryukyu can be divided into five distinct groups.
Next, the Tomari bushi, who were in charge of domestic law enforcement.
Third ,the Naha bushi, who were in chages of protecting the Chineese envoys (Suppushi) as well as the tribute ships sent from Ryukyu to China.
Next were the Udun bushi, who were involved in the politics of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Ti
or Toudi what was the purpose of the
training in nothing like what Karate became to be known as.
We
can confidently establish that none of us were ever qualified to study these
arts. They were for working members of those bushi groups, enabling them to
perform their bushi group duties.
In
a way you might consider the training basic training to enable the young men to
be prepared (in part) to perform their bushi group rules. Those arts were
working arts, adjunct perhaps to their actual bushi group functions. I am sure their
training involved much more that karate. Most likely those things were taught
by their father, uncle, cousin as to what would be expected of them when they
assumed their bushi group rule.
Their
training would have begun when their family sent them to the instructor,
knowing what they were in for because they underwent the same study themselves.
I am unsure how long they would train in their Ti or Toudi before they were ready to assume their bushi
group role. Perhaps 10 years,
Someone
had to be in charge, surely they talked
with the instructor, having served together in the past. They would inform the
instructor of losses of personnel, of retirements, etc. to give some idea when
the new trainee would be needed. Their father also would have discussed their
progress privately with the instructor, they
certainly had an interest in the son’s preparation for adult responsibilities.
Other working members of the bushi group would have also discussed what they
were experiencing perhaps also suggesting changes to the training that might
make sense.
Of
course the student(s) would not be privy to those discussions.
The
instructor’s role then was integral in developing trained members of the bushi
group.
They
knew what the student graduate would be expected to do. In most of the roles
they were being trained to perform in a group with other members. Surely
whatever training they mastered would have been supplemented when they joined
their group. They were being trained for a specific purpose, and the group could
have had more than one instructor. Without specific information we can’t be
sure.
The
training would have had a specific end point, when they had enough training to
function as a new member in their role. I can think it would be akin to modern
military training, perhaps there were additional layers of study, or perhaps
the group had their own maintenance program only part of which would be karate.
We
cannot exactly say what the training consisted of. Certainly the basics we have
today, some of the current kata and drills. I believe we can safely assume it
was not as a modern dojo, a place to spend a lifetime training, or a place to
search for new meaning with kata techniques. The art(s) were most likely very
basic and fuctional, or perhaps trained to functionality. Further development
might have been the instructors own study or from sharing with other long time
friends who also were trained the same way.
Some
of the Bushi were being prepared to work within a group of their fellows to
perform their missions, whether as castle guards or working on ship protection
and or other missions. Their use of their karate would have been as much as
working with others of their group effectively and well as in individual
combat. No doubt others had different responsibilities.
As
I see it each bushi group was developed within different standards, some of
their training must have covered the same basics, other aspects of their
training would have been very different.
The
thing to keep in mind was, there art was not for school education. It was not
specifically for self defense. Technique potential was not something to be
discovered for themselves. They were not training to spend their lives in a
dojo, if anything it was to be able to leave the dojo and get to work. They did
not have training clothes, surely their eventual uniforms were standard for
their profession.
What
karate would become in future generations was something very different.
Up
to 1872 they were performing their bushi function. Between 1872 and 1915 it was
a different time and the training use changed. Then post 1915 karate began to
take over and became something else.
When
we reflect on our arts origins, this represents some things to consider.
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