Translated by Andreas Quast
·
Other than within this
[Tōgō] family, I will
not show or tell anything to other persons about the superb techniques handed
down
The phrase that
you do "not show to or tell to others"
also often appears in the written vows (kishōmon 起請文) of other schools. The same thing is written in the written vow of
Nodachi (Yakumaru) Jigen-ryū, which derived from Jigen-ryū, but it is even more
strict:
·
The techniques, the handling of the body,
etc. of Jigen-ryū as handed down within this [Yakumaru] family, and as regards
the contents I’am taught, I will not reveal these to
others, even not to my own parents, brothers, or children
·
As regards the oral teachings, I will not
write them down.
This
was submitted by Suzuki Yūemon and adressed to Yakumaru Hanzaemon
(Kaneyoshi) and [his younger brother] Yakumaru Shinzō
(Kaneshige). The quotes were cited from the following book:
|
|
The Secret Sword of Satsuma –
Nodachi Jigen-ryū (Shinchō Shinsho) 薩摩の秘剣―野太刀自顕流 (新潮新書) Amazon |
I did not
understand the meaning of the expression "躰持" well, but I translated it as
"handling of the body." Its meaning is most probably that
of how to use your body and maintain your posture.
In Nodachi
Jigen-ryū, entering the school begins with a written vow that the techniques
learned are kept secret even from one's own parents, siblings and children, and
that oral teachings will not be written down.
When modern
persons read such a strict content there may be people who think lightly that
"It is at best a formal written pledge on a
document", but I do not think so.
Satsuma was a
place where secretiveism was so thorough that it was said that spies of the
shogunate may be dispatched and entered the domain, but could not return alive.
In addition, in
the famous Gojū Kyōiku (the
education method for young members of the warrior class of the Satsuma feudal
domain), the feudal domain was divided into districts called hōgiri
(district), and in each district, based on a close human relationship, the
elders educated the youngsters and taught them to never betray a comrade
(member of the same group).
With
such a local character, if someone would infringe the contents of the written
vow and leak secrets, one can easily imagine that the person would be
ostracized from the village community, and would probably suffer more
sanctions.
Well, in case a
Ryukyuan Shizoku member officially studying Jigen-ryū (including its
branches or factions), of course the person should have submitted a written vow
as described above. If Matsumura Sōkon Sensei attained the secret techniques
(Okugi) of the Jigen-ryū, he would have submitted a written vow, too.
Naturally, such
secretiveism also reached Ryūkyū. Motobu Chōki’s personal disciple Marukawa
Kenji recalled that, "Having studied under the
master for ten years, it was only after the last year that I finally learned
the secret techniques". This teaching method was continued among
the Karateka who respected the old-fashioned methods even in the Shōwa era
(1926-1989).
Motobu
Udundī was only handed down to the eldest son, while the second and third son
could not even see it. Some people ridicule this as “This is such a
stupid thing”. But if you read the written vow from the Nodachi Jigen-ryū shown
above, that “I will not reveal these [techniques etc.] to others, even not to
my own parents, brothers, or children“, you will understand that it is by no
means a strange thing.
As I wrote in a previous article, in case of the Kata
of Kassin-dī that Uehara Seikichi Sensei created, he made three kinds of them and changed the behaviors
little by little depending on whether he taught general pupils, instructors
class, or the Sōke successor, respectivley.
It might have
been an extreme secretiveness in the case of the Motobu-ryū, but as it is
commonly formulated by the expression "Teach the
Kata, but don’ t teach the Ti", such secretiveism appears to have
been common in Okinawa until a certain period of time.
According to
Sweden's Ulf Karlson Shihan, whom I met in Osaka last month, Kishimoto Sokō
Sensei of the Kishimoto-dī also said "Teach the
Kata, but don’ t teach the Ti".
I think that,
probably since the time when Karate became publicly taught at the 1st Middle
School and the Normal School of Okinawa, a divergence occurred in the method of
instruction. Naturally those who learned Karate at school thought "there can be no such things as secrets". On the other hand, those who were taught the
old-fashioned way, which was disconnected from the mainstream, knew that
secrets existed.
And so it seems
that each side came to a distinct perception of the matter.
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