An excerpt from Murakami Book – translated by Mario McKenna

 History and Traditions of Okinawan Karate 

By Hokama Tetsuhiro

   Preface


In 1945, directly after the end of World War II, there were few books written about Karate.  Since then there are ten times as many books published by Karate enthusiasts to instruct and enlighten us. For some time I have planned to publish a book on Karate and its birthplace Okinawa. To speak of Okinawa is to speak of Karate, and to speak of Karate is to speak of Okinawa. In my heart I feel that Okinawa is like a second home, and the teachings that were bestowed upon me by the great teachers of Okinawa Karate are ever present in my mind. Now after many years, my humble resolve and long cherished hope of publishing a Karate book of the teachings of my teachers has been fulfilled with the return of Okinawa to Japan.


The Birth of Karate as a Path to Insight


Karate’s shift from combative technique to a path of spiritual insight began with its introduction to the Japanese mainland in 1925 by Gichin Tomanokoshi (also known as Funakoshi) and as a result many things were lost in the change. However, Tomanokoshi alone was not the only one who thought of Karate as a path to spiritual insight; many of his seniors had similar ideas. Nahate founder Kanryo Higaonna, along with Shuri’s Anko Itosu, were the restorers of Karatedo, the saints of Karatedo. My teacher Juhatsu Kyoda often talked about his teacher Kanryo Higaonna and I would like to share one of these stories.

“People who train in Karate must not harm another person. People who train in Karate do so for the benefit of society. Of course Karate must have a technical aspect as well as a spiritual one, but the most important thing is the training of the mind. People will try to avoid a fight when faced with a dangerous situation but you shouldn’t put yourself in a situation where you will have to fight.”

Kyoda also talked about what Higaonna had to say about new students.

“Higaonna would teach students who came to ask him to teach them right away. He told his own students to carefully look at anyone who came to them. Once he had determined that the student was not one to start fights, he would let them become a student”.

These stories show us that it is important for Karate to be both technical and a means of insight. Furthermore, my teacher Choshin Chibana said the following about how Anko Itosu taught.

“From his youth, Itosu single-mindedly pursued his training in Karate. He was a famous modern master of Karate who served as the King’s scribe and excelled in scholastics and calligraphy. He was truly a man who embodied military and literary skill. At the age of fifteen I went to Itosu’s house and asked him to teach me ‘ti’, but each time he sent me home. On my third try he agreed to teach me and I started learning Karate. But learning Karate was not easy and we practiced secretly at his house”.


 
Karate Changes its Name pp. 11 – 13


When Chibana first went to Itosu to ask him for instruction he said, “Please teach me ti (literally ‘hand’)”. At that time on Okinawa the term Karate was not used, and instead people simply used the word ti. We should make note of this. Shimabukuro stated that people did not use the term Karate (empty hand), but instead used the term Toudi (China hand). In 1929 Chibana rented the garden of Baron Naijin to teach Karate and the sign that he placed in front read Toudi Kenkyujo (China Hand Study Centre). Therefore during that time, the term Toudi was used.

My instructor Seitoku Ishikawa stated the following, “On Okinawa they first used the term ti. Following that, the terms Shurite (Suidi), Nahate (Nafadi) and Tomarite (Tumaidi) were used. In Anko Itosu’s and Kanryo Higaonna’s day, Shurite referred to Shorin-ryu Toudi, while Nahate referred to Shorei-ryu Toudi. However in 1933 the term Karate was used. In the same year, Choshin Chibana named Shurite Karate as Okinawa Shorin-ryu and Chojun Miyagi  named Nahate Karate as Goju-ryu.

The practitioners of Tomarite originally studied from the masters of Nahate and Shurite and were formidable fighters, but did pass on this system into the present. A saying passed down to us today from the Okinawans of the past says that the people of Tomari village were warriors even standing on one leg”.

Chibana said the following, “Karate was first referred to as ti. The kata of ti included Shurite, Nahate and Tomarite. Tomarite first included the teachings of Shurite masters and next the teachings of Nahate masters. Nahate was originally called Shorei-ryu in Higaonna’s time but was later renamed Goju-ryu by his best student Chojun Miyagi. About 34 or 35 years ago when I was 50 years old, I began to use the term Shorin-ryu, so I am the founder of Shorin-ryu. In Itosu’s time they first used the term ti and then the term Toudi, but by our generation we used the term Karatedo”.

As we can see from what is written above, Karatedo originated 500 to 600 years ago when the famous masters of Shuri created the first kata that became Shurite. These kata have a long and historic tradition.

In summary then, these teachers said that Karate was simply referred to as ti in the beginning. Then it was called Shurite, Nahate and Tomarite. After that it was called Toudi. Then by 1933 the term Karatedo was used and in the same year Nahate was renamed Goju-ryu by Chojun Miyagi and Shurite was called Shorin-ryu by Choshin Chibana.

When we look at the name changes we see that at first the term ti was used which indicates that this was the original method of combat used on Okinawa from ancient times. Next a new period emerged where we see the use of the terms Shurite, Nahate and Tomarite based on specific geographic areas and the influence of unique characteristics from Chinese boxing.   The northern style of Shaolin boxing probably had a strong influence on Shurite as both successive generations of the Ryukyu and Chinese dynasties held martial arts exchanges between military officials. The basic stance found in the Shurite Naihanchin kata is characteristic of northern Shaolin as found in the expression “Southern boat, northern horse”. Many other Shurite kata display this characteristic indicating a northern Shaolin influence.

Nahate on the other hand shows the influence of Canton in Southern China; especially that of Fujian Shaolin techniques.  Historically Nahate is not as old as Shurite, and was not part of Okinawa’s original combative system of ti. Tomarite not only had the influence of Shurite and Nahate but also Chinese northern Shaolin. However, this is not entirely clear and requires future study.

The naming of Karate as a characteristically weaponless martial art comes with the realization that it is not a form of Chinese boxing, but something unique to Okinawa (and Japanese) culture. If we look at the meaning of the kanji, we can see that the aim of those who train in Karatedo was spiritual and that its meaning was meant to symbolize this.


History and Traditions of Okinawan Karate

By Hokama Tetsuhiro

    “Tetsuhiro Hokama is one of the most prolific writers on the history of Okinawa martial arts. Unfortunately for most of us, the majority of his books are written in Japanese! This volume is a noteable exception […].

    The first section deals with the history of Okinawan Karate: Origins of Martial Arts, Martial Arts Pioneers, and The Evolution of Modern Martial Arts. All three sections deal exclusively with Okinawan fighting arts and teachers, and there are plenty of photographs throughout, many which have NOT been published in other books on Okinawa karate.

    The book includes a training guide section, including one kata demonstrated by Hokama sensei himself. The unique chapters cover things like ‘Ekkinkyogi’ – physical practice and internal power, ‘Kappo’ (rescusitation techniques), ‘Iron Hand’ hardening, ‘Kakie’ (pushing hands), 2-man body-hardening exercises, kata, bunkai and more.

Tetsuhiro Hokama Goju-Ryu Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZuhA2EgiyI