Ivan
Black Belt
So I recently made a post asking for help on writing a dissertation. I have chosen to specifically write about how Kung Fu and relations between China and Okinawa impacted the origins of Karate in Okinawa. Here is my introduction. Please, leave some constructive criticism below. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Introduction
Karate (空手) is a martial art with an origin shrouded in controversy. Many debates and many sources have backed up different points of view on how different nations have impacted its development. Some argue that its development began when a weapons ban was imposed upon the Okinawan common folk by the Japanese Satsuma Clan, yet others present evidence that its origins lie as far back as the Egyptians. The art itself uses a wide variety of kicking, punching, grappling, knee and elbow techniques along with open hand strikes, joint locks and chokes for manipulation of opponents, aimed at specific and vulnerable parts of the body; these may include nerve points, and areas in the center line such as the solar plexus, and the groin. In this dissertation I will be exploring the extent that China had on the development of this fighting art, in Okinawa.
The first ever point of contact to be recorded between Okinawa and China was in 607 A.D. (according to the book Bubishi, on its chapter about Chinese Influences on the Development of Karate-do). Due to differences in language, communication was lacklustre between both nations until four years after (1372) the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368). Soon after, sometime around 1393, a Chinese organisation was founded known as the 36 Families from Min. Said organisation, consisted of a number of Chinese bureaucrats, craftsmen and labourers who emigrated from Fujian to Okinawa (then known as the Ryukyu Kingdom). It was thanks to this organization, that Okinwawan folk began to appropriate and learn more about the culture of the Chinese; it was the establishment of the 36 Families in Kume village that led to the merging of Chinese culture with Okinawan.
According to Douglas Haring’s translation of the Takanoya Account 1896, the mission was “settled in 1393 by immigrants of China and provided a place for Chinese diplomats to reside, and for Okinawan nobles to learn the language and manners of China”. This settlement was in Kume village and it “served as a center of diffusion of Chinese culture in Ryukyu” for five centuries. That is an immense amount of time for cultural assimilation to take place. Eventually, young Okinawans would learn and take part in Chinese culture too and they would stand to gain much respect for it, and become well accepted scholarships and also receiving scholarships for education directly from the Chinese government. The conclusion of this account, stated that “The enrichment of Okinawan culture via Kume was incalculable’. Supposedly, the public not only achieved proficiency in writing and speaking Chinese, but also other useful craft such as ship building techniques and architecture. Most importantly, Confucian morals as different philosophies commonly grow to shape entire martial styles.
Introduction
Karate (空手) is a martial art with an origin shrouded in controversy. Many debates and many sources have backed up different points of view on how different nations have impacted its development. Some argue that its development began when a weapons ban was imposed upon the Okinawan common folk by the Japanese Satsuma Clan, yet others present evidence that its origins lie as far back as the Egyptians. The art itself uses a wide variety of kicking, punching, grappling, knee and elbow techniques along with open hand strikes, joint locks and chokes for manipulation of opponents, aimed at specific and vulnerable parts of the body; these may include nerve points, and areas in the center line such as the solar plexus, and the groin. In this dissertation I will be exploring the extent that China had on the development of this fighting art, in Okinawa.
The first ever point of contact to be recorded between Okinawa and China was in 607 A.D. (according to the book Bubishi, on its chapter about Chinese Influences on the Development of Karate-do). Due to differences in language, communication was lacklustre between both nations until four years after (1372) the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368). Soon after, sometime around 1393, a Chinese organisation was founded known as the 36 Families from Min. Said organisation, consisted of a number of Chinese bureaucrats, craftsmen and labourers who emigrated from Fujian to Okinawa (then known as the Ryukyu Kingdom). It was thanks to this organization, that Okinwawan folk began to appropriate and learn more about the culture of the Chinese; it was the establishment of the 36 Families in Kume village that led to the merging of Chinese culture with Okinawan.
According to Douglas Haring’s translation of the Takanoya Account 1896, the mission was “settled in 1393 by immigrants of China and provided a place for Chinese diplomats to reside, and for Okinawan nobles to learn the language and manners of China”. This settlement was in Kume village and it “served as a center of diffusion of Chinese culture in Ryukyu” for five centuries. That is an immense amount of time for cultural assimilation to take place. Eventually, young Okinawans would learn and take part in Chinese culture too and they would stand to gain much respect for it, and become well accepted scholarships and also receiving scholarships for education directly from the Chinese government. The conclusion of this account, stated that “The enrichment of Okinawan culture via Kume was incalculable’. Supposedly, the public not only achieved proficiency in writing and speaking Chinese, but also other useful craft such as ship building techniques and architecture. Most importantly, Confucian morals as different philosophies commonly grow to shape entire martial styles.
