I have seen the number of 90.000.000 million people are practicing
some form of karate around the world today. Now that number may not be correct,
but it makes a point about how widespread karate has become.
What is more
amazing when you go back to 1900, just a short while ago, the number man have
been a few hundred, I have seen no numbers to suggest any number is correct,
just conjecture on my part.
But 1900 ad, the practice of karate was a privilege
that might be extended only to members of the right class of people on Okinawa,
Shown at festivals, that would be about it.
It was not thought as something appropriate to teach to the young in
schools.
Then there are four pivot points that we can point
too, when things changed that made a difference.
(Ok, there are more that 4 things, but let’s keep
this simple to start)
1. Itosu wrote his letter to the Okinawan school board, and
they paid attention to his proposal.
As Okinawa was under Japanese control
since 1870, the Japanese certainly were controlling what education there was in
Okinawa. It is not hard to imagine they might have not paid any attention to
Itosu’s ideas and so the concept went no where. Karate was not introduced at
the teachers college, and karate programs were not supported to be developed in
the schools.
That would have meant many of that
generation would not have been exposed to karate and in time gone on to become
instructors.
2.
When Prince Hirohito toured Okinawa, perhaps he was not interested in seeing a
karate demonstration. And when one was proposed
for Japan, he also might not have been so inclined. In turn Professor
Kano might not have been interested, preferring what his own practice of judo
offered.
A result of
these events not having taken place, the opening door for Funakoshi, Mabuni,
Miyagi, Motobu and all the rest that followed might not have happened. Japan
was a country on a mission. They were conquering all of their world, their
University students being trained to become Administrators, Officers and the
like. There is every reason to believe they would have not had an interest in a
quaint Okinawan practice.
So no
preliminary foothold in Japan.
3. Then the winds of war
intervened. The outcome might have been the same, but though different choices,
the invasion of Okinawa could have been bypassed. The was might have gone in a
different direction. A decision to bypass Okinawa as too costly to the main
invasion of Japan could have been made.
The vast destruction might have not
taken place on Okinawa. The karate seniors might have survived the War.
They could have not agreed to the
changes those who were interested.
Then they might have seen no reason for
uniformity, organizations, adopting training uniforms as opposed to tradition.
Seeing no need to keeping track of students progress via rank.
Their art might have been retained only
for those of the right Okinawan rank, never to be shared with others. That had
been their traditional model.
4.
And the decision might have been made not to station troops on Okinawa. Then
going so far as granting Okinawa independence from everyone in 1972, not
returning them to Japan.
Leaving the
Okinawans in complete charge of this minor cultural heritage.
Of course it did not happen this way, but it is not
unreasonable to consider it might have been.
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