The Isshinryu Experience – a philosophical thought

 Knowledge of the original karate systems explains what other systems would go through in later years.

9-11-2001 

 

The Isshinryu Experience – a philosophical thought 

 

 You need to look at what Ginchin Funakoshi's Shotokan went through.

[This is being cross posted on Pleasant Isshinryu, Isshinryu the Original List, The One Heart Way List and the Prisshin]

Against the backdrop of continual controversy of what Isshinryu constitutes, which Seniors are correct and all the rest it the often overlooked fact that what is playing out is simply a natural growth of a system.



If you go through Harry Cook’s text “Shotokan Karate a Precise History” you’ll clearly see the rise and development of Shotokan went through all of the same stages we experience within the Isshinryu world.



Originally Funakoshi Ginchin promoted students to Sho Dan ( and even Ni Dan) with one year of training.  He was most interested in getting his system established in Japan, and keeping those who trained involved and staying within his art.



His art underwent continual growth and refinement, and much of it was with him being simply an observer. In his 50’s when he went to Japan in 1922, by the mid 1930’s he began to leave active instruction for those he originally trained. His son was actively involved with some of the systems development, but some of the later instructors were not present during those years, and when they re-established contact with the main system after WWII, with Funakoshi Sensei too old for direct control, his son dead,  he  refused to go along with later developments casing irreparable splits between different Shotokan factions.



Shotokan had its factions which developed kumite as the main focus of the system, including use of Kendo Armour for same, it also had those factions which followed no sparring in the instruction. Both groups prevailed, and while remaining separate, continued to develop and flourish in their own right.



While ‘bunkai’ was not a formal focus of the developing Shotokan system, in that Funakoshi Ginchin felt the purpose of the system was a ‘Do’ to only develop character, there was much individual study of same within the seniors, although it was not dropped down to the lower levels of training on an organized basis.



It is obvious that all of the developing factions following Funakoshi’s teachings picked and chose what they wished from his teachings and writings to meet their own goals.



Funakoshi Ginchin was not above this himself. He was vehemently against others changing kata for example, but he did so himself. Harry Cook pointed out that most likely the answer was he was against anybody but him doing so.  Hmmmmm.

 

After his death in the 1950’s, the factions (the JKA and the Shotokai) strongly insulted each other breaking any chance of reconcilement.  Other factions developed within the JKA because they developed very strong rules for giving ‘international instructor status’ with stringent training.  While their goals were noble, they also froze out many outstanding karateka from having a say in the system, in that they couldn’t go through the instructors training program. Where that program developed many outstanding instructors, it use to exclude others with high level skills, from having a say in the JKA development caused further splits and other groups to develop.



Then money and power and control issues continued to flourish, and time and time again the patterns repeated.



Now when you compare those issues with Isshinryu’s spread to the world, you really see that everything we discuss and compare is nothing but a repetition of older patterns. I strongly suspect they arise out of one individual, the founder, trying to do too much too fast.



That isn’t bad, the world gained a great deal from Funakoshi’s efforts.  And in full comparison the world gained a great deal from Shimabuku Tatsuo’s efforts, too.



But I think it is significant point that the sub-themes which follow from those trying to follow the original tradition aren’t new nor are they likely to change.



Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu

 

 

Addendum:  Later events  would me drop further references to Harry Cook. Not because of his historical writings. Rather because of ethical reasons as a result of his conviction on child abuse.