Old Style Ryukyu Karate Atemi-Jutsu

September 3, 2023   unfortunately most of that text remained unseen.

 
Old Style Ryukyu Karate Atemi-Jutsu

By Hirakami Nobuyuki Sofue Toshihisa

(Shiraishi-ha Shitoryu 7-dan)
 

Old Style Atemi-jutsu is for Close In Attack and Defense


HIRAKAMI (H)
Thank you very much for showing me some rather rare old-style Ryukyu kata and their corresponding Hen-di (old-style kumite). I was deeply impressed by the unique features of this ancient martial art. I would like to ask you many questions today about atemi in the old Ryukyu Karate traditions.

First of all, how are the atemi techniques different between modern Japanese karate and old style Ryukyu Karate?

SOFUE (S)
Hrmmm... Well, even in the so-called traditional karate styles, they have been changed in the direction of physical education, or competetive sports, so I think that it is true that the techniques also differ a bit from the old-style Ryukyu Karate. The image of modern sports karate is that the competetitors jump in at each other with punches and kicks from a long range. The techniques of  Ryukyu Karate, however, are centered on attack and defensefrom a close range.

(H)
In other words, close-in fighting means not to merely kick and punch at each other from afar, but it also includes grabbing, joint locks and the like from more of a grappling range?

... Of course the kata appications you showed me today were not unlike Japanese jujutsu, wrapping up theopponent's arms or legs, grabbing, trapping the hand in the armpit, etc, before moving the center of gravity in to strike. Also, the defenses were not against merely punching and kicking, but also contained escapes from various grabs, as well as throws and joint locks...

(S)
The kata applications of Ryukyu Karate contain many jujutsu-like techniques. One thing that surprised me was the fact that many techniques indetical to the Aiki-jujutsu arts are hidden in the kata. Techniques such as Ippon-dori, Nikajo (Nikyo), Kote-gaeshi, Shiho-nage, etc. Although they don't often end with the opponent actually flying through the air, techniques such as Kaiten-nage and Irimi-nage are also present.

(H)
These jujutsu-like techniques seem to be especially prevalent in thr Nafadi traditions. The tora-guchi so prevalant in the kata can be applied as the Juji-garami from Daitoryu. The appliactions for Kururunfa that you showed me also include escapes from rear grabs, as well as throws. I also noticed many escapes and traps into strikes in the crane kata Nipaipo. In the Sui-di kata, there are also many Jujutsu-like striking techniques as well. I also saw many of the principles of old-style atemi-jutsu as well, such as subtle weight shifts to add power to the strikes, or opening the body to increase power, or subtle torque to add power, as well.

(S)
There are also many techniques that make use of the Aiki as well. Especially in the crane kata, the hand escapes are akin to the so-called "aiki-age."

(H)
I think that if we go in search of martial effectiveness, we all probably end up at the same kinds of techniques in the end. However, I believe that the Ryukyu Karate tradition also transmits several unique aspects of atemi that are not seen in Jujutsu.

(S)
Yes, the twisting punch is probably not found that often in Jujutsu, is it. This is a high-level technique that allows one to re-direct the opponent's attack while countering simultaneously. The Ryukyu karate tradition has developed this unique fist form that is not found in Jujutsu.

(H)
There are similar fist forms in Jujutsu, but the area with which you make impact is different. In karate, the impact is made mainly with the big knuckles of the index and middle fingers. On top of that, the fist is twisted upon impact, sending a unique kind of shock wave through the target. The makiwara-tsuki is the unique method of conditioning the fist to be able to withstand making such blows. This kind of conditioning is not commonly found in Jujutsu, and can be called a kind of unique "atemi culture." However, this seiken-centered atemi method seems a bit stiff when compared to Jujutsu's methods... Actually, the spiraling motion is a very skillful method of striking, but it seems very linear on the surface. But the fact that many try and violently portray karate's "ikken-hissatsu" in their kata performance, they end up looking stiff.

However, the kata that you performed for me today were not only hard and linear, but also expressed the pliable aspects of the art as well. I was a bit surprised, actually... They were a perfect combination of GO and JU. This is something that seems to be missing from modern karate.

"Secret" Kata of Ryukyu Karate

(S)
I performed some pretty rare White Crane kata along with old style ('Nkashi-di) Ryukyu kata. There are actually many different kinds of kata in Ryukyu karate. Compared with Chinese traditions such as Taijiquan they may seem a bit hard and linear, but I believe this is because the mainland Japanese styles have been greatly modified into a kind of physical education. Most of the old-style Shuri-ti kata are performed from natural stances, and can be easily performed even when one gets older. This can be seen in the kata  performance of not only the elders in Okinawa, but also those elder practitioners in mainland Japan who have studied deeply. For example, Inoue Kazutoshi of Tani-ha Shitoryu, Tomoyose Ryuichiro of Kenyuryu, Zaha Ninkichi of Shindoryu, Shiraishi Kokei of Shitoryu Kenkyukai, Yamaguchi Goshi of Gojuryu, etc., all have beautifully pliable kata performances. The sharp, snappy movements of the young kata atheletes are also wonderful, but when the elders perform the same kata the quality is so much different. They can take a "stiff linear" kata and express it in a soft and pliable way.

(H)
Hrmmm... So there are different ways to perform the same kata, GO and JU. There is even a level in Gojuryu that stresses the JU aspect, something that seems to have been lost in the transmission to mainland Japan. There are said to be three levels of performance in kata such as Suparinpei and Tensho. In other words, if one delves deep enough into Gojuryu, which is said to be the epitome of GO, then one will find the secrets of JU. The White Crane kata you performed also were very beautiful and flowing, the JU within the GO, no, make that the GO within the JU...

(S)
The various White Crane kata I performed are said to have been introduced into Okinawa by Go Kenki, a Crane boxing master who immigrated to Ryukyu before WWII, and are very rare. Crane kata such as Nipaipo and Yantsu are found throughout mainland Japanese styles as well, but there are about three others that are not very well known, and can be considered "secret" kata of sorts. These express the advanced levels of the martial arts through the movements of the crane.

Ryukyu Martial Arts and Chinese Martial Arts

(H)
The Nipaipo you showed me was not the commonly known version, but the rare old-style version of Nipaipo <*>.Nipaipo is said to be from the Chinese white crane tradition, but what I saw today looked a lot like Ryukyu karate. The other crane kata you performed for me today also contain characteristics of Ryukyu karate. I felt as if they were not actually the same as the Fujian White Crane boxing systems as practiced in China.


(S)
Ummmmmm, this is a very difficult issue indeed. The southern Chinese systems have changed greatly over the generations, and even in the Northern systems such as Taijiquan, the original versions are not very clear, so comparative analysis with the old style Ryukyu Karate kata is difficult. So, even though these kata are said to be from the Chinese White Crane systems, they were probably modified to fit the Ryukyuan way of doing things.

(H)
Even the Nafadi kata are said to be direct imports from  China, but it is not as if the exact same kata can be found in China today. They are more in line with the characteristics of Ryukyu Kenpo. While each individual movement has its own "kime," the minute movements and breathing patterns combine to make strong, heavy kata.

Isn't it true that kata as heavy in feeling as these are very rarely seen in China these days...? And the biggest difference is that in the Southern Chinese boxing systems, each movement has a specific name, whereas in Ryukyu Kenpo, the only real names are for the entire kata themselves. I believe that this is the biggest inconsistency in the commonly accepted idea that Karate, especially Nafadi, was created by those who learned directly in China.

(S)
It is rahter mysterious, isn't it. Many of the Nafadi kata existed in Okinawa before the mid-Meiji era whenHigashionna Kanryo traveled to Fuzhou, and historical documents show that they were actually publically demonstrated at the end of the Edo era at the Uchaya-Udun (Ochaya-Goten) in Shuri's Sakiyama. I believe this to been excellent cultural heritage developed over a long period of time by the boxers of Ryukyu,

(H)
Besides karate, there are also rare weapons traditions such as the Sai, Tonfa, Suruchin, Nunchaku, Rochin, etc., that have been passed down from days gone by, and their use is classical, as illustrated in the "Kiko Shinsho, "enough to make my think that ancient Chinese martial arts may actually be alive and well in Ryukyu in their original form. I believe that the martial arts of Ryukyu are very old and retain their classical form...

Thank you for your time, excellent discussions on the Atemi of Ryukyu Kenpo, and your demonstrations of the rare kata and advanced principles.
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* Mr. Sofue learned this version from P. McCarthy – JS