Last year I found a new translation of Funakoshi
Ginchin's "Karate Jutsu" by Kodansha Press, translated by John
Teramoto.
One of the things that strikes me about Isshinryu is
in several senses much of its basic technique structure was published in Japan
by the mid 1930's:
1. Funakoshi's (kata
Sehshan<seisan>,
nihanchi sho-dan, wansu, chinto,
koshokun<kusanku>),
2. Mabuni (kata
Sanchin and Seiunchin)
and
3. Motobu's
(kata Nihanchi) works.
Maybe not exactly the same lineage as Shimabuku Sensei's instructors, but still were published in Japan. (in addition to a number of other very good books at the same time too). I've never heard whether those texts were ever available on Okinawa,
But as Funakoshi's (and then Mabuni's)
works included passages and sections from the Bubishi, its certainly not
impossible that those were sources that influenced others on Okinawa (besides
Itosu's and Miyagi's copies).
The most recent translation of Funakoshi's work
includes the Eight Phrases of Karate. See if you don't find them interesting.
1. The mind of Man is the same as Heaven
and Earth.
2. The circulatory system resembles the
sun and the moon.
3. The Law includes hardness and
softness, ingesting and expressing.
4. The body adapts to changes in time
and situation.
5. Techniques ocur whtn a void is
encountered.
6. 'Ma' involves advancing and
retreating, meeting and departing.
7. The eyes miss nothing.
8. The ears listen well in all
directions.
Then again these books were published in Japan, likely
to demonstrate that the Okinawan traditions were valuable to show to the
Japanese Martial establishments, not so much for Okinawan consumption. However who can say for sure?
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