Serious teachings of several Okinawan instructors.

 

 

Kyan Chotoku

 

“Kyan is also noted for encouraging his students to visit brothels and to engage in alcohol consumption at various times”. (1)

 

Motobu Choiki

 

 It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art (i.e. karate) of someone who is too serious has no “flavour.”

1. source Wikipedia on Kyan Chotoku. But I have seen this reported many places.

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/search?q=Motobu

Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate

Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate

In October 1908 Itosu wrote a letter, "Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate," to draw the attention of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of War in Japan. A translation of that letter reads:

 

 

Ten Precepts of Karate

Ten Precepts of Karate

Karate did not develop from Buddhism or Confucianism. In the past the Shorin-ryu school and the Shorei-ryu school were brought to Okinawa from China. Both of these schools have strong points, which I will now mention before there are too many changes:

1. Karate is not merely practiced for your own benefit; it can be used to protect one's family or master. It is not intended to be used against a single assailant but instead as a way of avoiding a fight should one be confronted by a villain or ruffian.
2. The purpose of karate is to make the muscles and bones hard as rock and to use the hands and legs as spears. If children were to begin training in Tang Te^[1] while in elementary school, then they will be well suited for military service. Remember the words attributed to the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon: "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton."
3. Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand miles. If one trains diligently every day, then in three or four years one will come to understand karate. Those who train in this fashion will discover karate.
4. In karate, training of the hands and feet are important, so one must be thoroughly trained on the makiwara.^[2] In order to do this, drop your shoulders, open your lungs, take hold of your strength, grip the floor with your feet, and sink your energy into your lower abdomen. Practice using each arm one to two hundred times each day.
5. When one practices the stances of Tang Te, be sure to keep your back straight, lower your shoulders, put strength in your legs, stand firmly, and drop your energy into your lower abdomen.
6. Practice each of the techniques of karate repeatedly, the use of which is passed by word of mouth. Learn the explanations well, and decide when and in what manner to apply them when needed. Enter, counter, release is the rule of releasing hand (torite).
7. You must decide if karate is for your health or to aid your duty.
8. When you train, do so as if on the battlefield. Your eyes should glare, shoulders drop, and body harden. You should always train with intensity and spirit, and in this way you will naturally be ready.
9. One must not overtrain; this will cause you to lose the energy in your lower abdomen and will be harmful to your body. Your face and eyes will turn red. Train wisely.
10. In the past, masters of karate have enjoyed long lives. Karate aids in developing the bones and muscles. It helps the digestion as well as the circulation. If karate should be introduced beginning in the elementary schools, then we will produce many men each capable of defeating ten assailants. I further believe this can be done by having all students at the Okinawa Teachers' College practice karate. In this way, after graduation, they can teach at the elementary schools at which they have been taught. I believe this will be a great benefit to our nation and our military. It is my hope you will seriously consider my suggestion.

Anko Itosu, October 1908

 from Wikipedia which in turn found this on the Wayback Machine

While walking today

While waking today I started thinking of what was happening on Okinawa just a hundred years ago.

 

Teaching karate as an after school activity had not been going on for maybe 2 years. [ unfortunately I do not have access to my library and I have to rely on memory. ]

 

It came about because of several suggestions Itosu Sensei had made to the School Board. I believe part of it was because there was some logic that it would help those who would have to serve in the Imperial Army, to have some training too.

 

An observation, I understood the sense behind that. Even in Pennsylvania a part of High School Boys Gym Class was instruction in marching. The Gym teacher had been the same teacher my father had had. [He was also an amateur Gettysburg Battle Historian.] And I am sure those practices began long ago preparing boys to serve in the Armed Services. In the 1960s they were still part of the classes.

 

Okinawa realized they were very much a part of Japan. For one thing the Japanese controlled the school system. I recall several recruits with karate training had found their previous training helped their service. So a link was made for the rationale behind karate being offered in the schools. Not so much for just fighting, but being educated enough to know how to follow orders in basic drilling. Prior to that the Okinawans were more used for services.

 

So perhaps some expectations for the karate program were also for that.

 

Now Okinawans I am sure were like people everywhere, talking about everyone else, especially if they were not your group.  I imagine  there were those who thought it wouldn’t work.

 

Back in 1979 when I first started a program through the Boys Club, for young people, many times senior instructors approached me and asked my why I was doing that, In their opinion Karate was for adults and there were the serious students to be found.

 

I had my logic, I used to walk around Scranton at lunchtime at the Bank where I worked. What I saw were a great number of dance schools for young women. Many of them. Parents found a reason of their own for the young women to take dance. It occurred to me that karate could have such a purpose. Of course I didn’t believe Karate was just for young men, and I was the first program to open that Boys Club to young women too. They ended up half the class.

 

I tried to point this out to many instructors, they never believed me. While many taught some children, few did so exclusively then. I could see tine day most schools would teach children if they wanted to pay their bills.

 

Enough memories back to Okinawa.

 

Now prior to the school experiment, if you did not belong to the right group, you did not get the chance to learn karate.

 

As they did so they also proved others could learn karate. Over time many instructors held school karate classes. And it seems karate gradually opened its doors to other students.

 

A greater impact than many take the time to consider I am sure.

 

Before long, Okinawa would choose to show karate to the Crown Prince, there and then a demonstration in Japan.

 

Several Okinawans (among them Funakoshi, Mabuni, Hiagonna, and Motobu) took things a step further. They believed Karate could be shared with the Japanese, and took the step to include it in University programs. Which also led the groundwork for sharing Okinawan karate around the world.

Of course that led to other changes, A instructor group considering teaching karate to the Okinawan people as a group activity. Commissioning the development of forms to be used in such activity.

 

There were many changes compounding each other. The Masters meeting in 1936, changing the name, more uniformity between programs, adopting formal uniforms. And many others.

 

The war and the abuse of the Okinawan people stopped many of these activities. But a ground work of change was made. One that would continue to this day.

 

And teaching school students became the first step.

 

But 100 years ago, did anyone believe that would be possible.

 

It was a long walk for me.

 

Determination makes All Things Possible.

The race does not always go to the swift.

 

More important is the determination of a man.

 

In his case, there is a truly focused mind.

 

Just on Do.

 



"If you grab, kick them. If you are grabbed, kick them."

The kick, when you grab the opponent, you'll get it, and you'll get it.

"If you grab, kick them. If you are grabbed, kick them." - Motobu Choki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shared by Mobobu Ryu on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Motoburyu.Japan/videos/599911240091930/

Satani Nage of Bujikan

Ishizuki Sensei demonstrating

Satani Nage

And from a different angle

 

The kick to the hip, locks their leg and sets up the takedown.

There Can Be Only One

So the idea there only need be a few forms for a strong system still rolls around.

Now I like my system, which is why I continue to practice it.

 

But let’s think again on the process.

 

There are many techniques in many countries which cover the same material as Okinawan arts. Some use forms, some don’t.

 

To rethink the question one might say why use more than one technique series as enough for anyone.

 

 

Now theoretically all one must do in know how to insert that technique into any attack and conclude it. Sure that takes intense training, but then what dosen’t.

 

Then to cover the basis of if someone works out which technique you may use, you cover your basis and periodically change the technique. That forces you to keep retraining yourself to remain fresh. You would also have your last technique on tap to remain unpredictable.

 

Obvously you would not teach your student(s) your technique, instead guide them to developing their own technique. Using past techniques you had master and discarded from use to continually test them.

 

A theoretical consideration.