Shotokan - Art of War

[Makalakumu]

When I first clicked on this thread, I was very curious, because I think the idea could be supported that karate curriculum was actually changed to become MORE militaristic in the modern era. I didn't post anything because I discovered that we were talking about a video. Since we are talking about the subject, however, check out what the Grandfather of Shotokan had to say about the art he passed on to Gichin Funakoshi, the Father of Shotokan.

Itosus 10 Precepts (Iains transaltion) wrote:

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 and I therefore list them below just as they are without embellishment.

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 injury by using the hands and feet should one by any chance 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 naturally in military prowess while in elementary school, then they would be well suited for military service. Remember the words attributed to the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon, “Today’s battle was won on the playing fields of our schools”.


3. Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand leagues. If one trains diligently for one or two hours every day, then in three or four years one will see a change in physique. Those who train in this fashion will discover the deeper principles of karate.

4. In karate, training of the hands and feet are important, so you should train thoroughly with a sheaf of straw (#). In order to do this, drop your shoulders, open your lungs, muster your strength, grip the floor with your feet, and concentrate your energy into your lower abdomen. Practice using each arm one to two hundred times each day.

5. When you practice the stances of karate, 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. Learn the explanations of every technique well, and decide when and in what manner to apply them when needed. Enter, counter, withdraw is the rule for 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 as if actually facing the enemy, and in this way you will naturally be ready.


9. If you use up your strength to excess in karate training, 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. Be careful to control your training.

10. In the past, many 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.

If the students at teacher training college learn karate in accordance with the above precepts and then, after graduation, disseminate this to elementary schools in all regions, within 10 years karate will spread all over Okinawa and to mainland Japan. Karate will therefore make a great contribution to our military. I hope you will seriously consider what I have written here – Anko Itosu, October 1908


(#) – Translator not a martial artist and hence translated the word “Makiwara” to “Sheath of Straw” when leaving the word un-translated would have been fine.
© Iain Abernethy : 2003 - 2011

I bolded some relevant sections in Itosu's famous letter.

It seems clear to me that one of the reasons that Itosu wanted to include karate into the school curriculum was to prepare school children in Okinawa for the rigors of warfare. When one considers the move away from an individualistic, form application based art, and into a regimented, disciplined line drill art, where the whole dojo moves like one unit, it becomes pretty easy to see the military intentions. So, yeah, I don't think ancient karate had much to do with military training. It seemed to be something that people developed to fit their own needs. After 1900, this seems to have changed as Okinawa became more entwined into Japanese military designs.

 

[David43515]

If Shotokan could be said to be dominant, I think it would just be in the sense that it (and Shotokai) is the most common style practiced in Japan. When he came to Japan to teach, Funakoshi didn`t begin by training law enforcement or opening a public dojo, he began by opening clubs at the most elite universities in the country. These were the places that trained the future polititions and business leaders of the country. And they went on to supprt him and open doors for him. They also created the Shotokan and Shotokai organizations, the first large karate organizations in Japan. They trained teachers and made the first large-scale forays into teaching abroad. It wasn`t a matter of technical supperiority that made them the largest karate oganization in the world for many years, it was their ability to organize and work towards a common goal. (Whether it was a good goal or not remains to be seen, but it was a very Japanese one. Personally I preffer very small groups, or none at all.) It took other older styles on Okinawa, and newer styles like Kyokushinkai, years to catch up.

 

[SPX]

Well I finished watching this thing, and to be honest, I'm disappointed.

The trailer makes it out to be a documentary, delving deeply into the art of karate and examining the Shotokan style, and examining traditional competition, full-contact kickboxing-style competition, and the effects of said competition. But instead of that, you get . . . 3 hours worth of edited footage from traditional karate comps with little explanation of exactly what you're watching.

Regarding questions like Why is Shotokan the dominant style? Why is karate so effective? Etc. . . Well, who knows, because nothing is actually explained. There's a brief 3 or 4 minute intro that talks a bit about where Shotokan came from and how, in their opinion, the JKA form of Shotokan remains the closest to Funakoshi's intentions. And then it's off to the races, with a virtually unending series of kumite clips.

If a library of 3ish hours worth of karate matches featuring high-level competitors is appealing to you, then I'm sure you would find this fascinating. But don't buy this set expecting a structured documentary.

Now regarding the conversation earlier about why it's called the "art of war," I'm sure that's just because it includes people fighting and they thought it sounded like a cool title. Kind of like another product they have, "Shotokan - Raw Power."

Here's their catalog if anyone wants to give it a look:

http://store.legendtv.co.uk

 

[Cayuga Karate]

I wrote above that there are some who believe that some karate kata movements could be used on the battlefield.

Keigo Abe, a senior JKA karateka said the following in an interview:

The Katas were originally designed for Budo. Kata was a library of techniques to incapacitate and even kill the opponents. Remember, the origin of many Kata and techniques were Chinese and China was involved in many wars. These fighting methods eventually found their way to Okinawa and Okinawa was involved in wars. Remember, it was all hand to hand combat there were no laser guided smart bombs back then. Killing was face to face, done by the hand of the warrior. Think about the reality of it. They fought for their lives among the dead bodies of their friends. There was screaming, blood and killing all around them.
This developed a mental focus in the warrior that is indescribable and most probably unattainable unless you were in the terrifying reality of hand to hand, face to face warfare.

The techniques found in Kata came from actual battlefield experience where killing and killing quickly was necessary. But the war of today is different than the war of the past. And we are not battlefield warriors who kill on an almost daily basis. Funakoshi Sensei developed Karate into a “DO” as opposed to a “JUTSU” (an Art and Philosophical Way of Life as opposed to only fighting techniques). Funakoshi Sensei modified the Katas to be more physically demanding and more focused on body dynamics and beauty. This allows the student to focus on defeating his most dangerous modern day opponent, himself. This transition from Jutsu to Do was also necessary to bring Karate to the Ministry of Education in Japan to be taught in the schools. This allowed Karate-Do to grow and eventually be practiced my millions of students as it is today. So in Karate's transition from Jutsu to Do, something was lost, but something much greater was gained. The Budo is still in our Katas anyway. If you train hard and study deeply, you will find that most of the original principles and techniques are still alive and well. They just look different.

In addition, the Seibukan Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuru often uses the term "combat" to describe the environment in which karate developed. While combat is not always related to military fighting, it generally is.

Has anyone else seen sources describing the history of the karate as being related to warfare?

Cayuga Karate

 

[Tez3]

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/karate-civilian-fighting-system

Interesting discussion here on whether karate is civilian or military.

 

[Cayuga Karate]

Tez3 wrote:

Interesting discussion here on whether karate is civilian or military.

I find this analysis is lacking an important aspect of the need for military capability in the RyuKyu kingdom, right up into the latter half of the 19th century. There are two histories of karate that help shed light on the need of Okinawans in the Shizoku class to undergo combative training of a military nature.

In Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters, Nagamine gives us the following valuable information:

Tribute [trade] was the single most important aspect of the Ryukyus’ social economy, and, therefore, no expense was ever spared when it come to ensuring the safety of cargo, passengers, and crew. It was the responsibility of the captain and crew to be able to defend their cargo and vessel against attacks during a voyage, Hence, proper training in combative disciplines was essential. Designated the official vessels of the Ryukyu Kingdom, tribute ships carried both valuable cargo and important passengers to China. In the event of an assault, which was quite frequent during feudal times, passengers who were skilled in combative disciplines were, by order of the King, commanded to aid the crew. [emphasis added]

In The Secret Royal Art of Ryukyu, Matsuo writes:

While retaining their aristocratic position with their tiled roofs and hairpins, the engaged in other work at home, accumulated debts, and awaited their turn for promotion within the government system. Once they were promoted, they repaid their debts, and worked day and night in order to be appointed as part of a traveling entourage, so that they could leave something for their descendants. Once they were appointed to said position, they left for China on a tribute ship, earned extra pay, and returned home. Those who studied karate and associated weapons practices under a master in preparation for their journey were the Ryukyu bushi.

The feudal lords were comprised of the princes, the Aji and the Uekata, who were given land and stipends. The aristocrats were comprised of the Peichin classes, who were given charge of villages. The lower level aristocrats maintained their status in Shuri, Tomari, Naha and Kume while also working at the various governmental offices.
These lower level aristocrats were without stipend, and many worked with no wages, awaiting to be appointed to a post in which they would be granted a stipend. Out of thousands in this position, some lost all employment, and left to make a living in the farming villages surrounding Shuri and Naha.

In order to be considered for a post with the royal government, one had to put one’s name on a waiting list. The people were chosen based upon administrative jurisdiction or application and consultation. They then worked as non-salaried workers and waited for years or decades. Finally after being appointed to service in an official position and then in an entourage, their hopes of becoming a land lord rose. Those who were not appointed to official positions or entourage positions tried for gratuity jobs. However, even here the window of opportunity was narrow, and those who missed the opportunity gave up and worked in agriculture, fishing, trade or artisan work.

Once one was promoted to an official position, the salary was four bushels of rice. One then worked in this position for years or even decades, but if one was appointed to an entourage, an income of 120 bushels of rice was given and they were able to travel to China. Once there they bought medicinal herbs and other Chinese items that would fetch a large profit in Ryukyu, in order to pay back their long-standing debts and have at least a little left over from themselves. Once every two years, two ships would leave port on a tribute mission, and those appointed to the entourage would travel with them.

Using the great amounts of money obtained through this work, they fought the rough seas and traveled to danger-fraught China in order to buy goods. Physical strength and self-defense skills were a necessity. [emphasis added]

We have very little documented history related to karate. It was practiced in the utmost secrecy. We shouldn't be surprised at that. Funakoshi describes the role of Chinese military attaches in the transmission of combative arts to Okinawa. Military arts are taught in secret, and great lengths are taken to keep them secret.

But we should also appreciate that the traditional histories of karate have completely overlooked the fundamental role of maritime trade to the Ryukyu economy, and the terrible challenge of navigating across the coastal waters of China, where piracy was conducted on a grand scale for centuries. In the Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: A History of China's Quest for Seapower, Bruce Swanson wrote:

In 1805, a combined Guangdong-Fujian pirate force totaled nearly 70,000 men and 2,000 ships... Fujian navy men were often assigned by the central government to accompany tribute missions overseas. For example, two hundred Fujianese sailors acted as a protective escort for a convoy bound for the Liuqiu (Ryukyu) Islands in 1800.

Matsuo notes the critical importance for Okinawans of securing a position in a tribute mission. That was the one way that one could fully become a member of Okinawa's aristocracy. Funakoshi reminds us early on in Karate-Do Kyohan:

Even at the time of the present writer’s youth [in the 1870s], lack of a full set of Chinese furniture and furnishings in one’s home was a serious impediment to the social influence of any leading family.

I believe that many may be willing to consider a different hypothesis when one reviews these and other similar sources:

1. Due to the fundamental importance of tribute trade with China to the Okinawan aristocracy, and the formidable challenge of piracy, the Okinawan aristocracy had an obvious need to develop military skills of those who would participate in tribute trade.
2. Chinese military authorities accompanied tribute missions to Okinawa to protect the trading mission from piracy. During the six month stays of these tribute missions, these Chinese military authorities were available to share military capabilities with the Okinawans. Whatever military techniques the Chinese did share with the Okinawans should be expected to have been passed down in complete secrecy, with strict pledges of secrecy for those that learned military concepts from these Chinese military authorities.
3. Funakoshi describes military attaches, and a shipwrecked Chinese sailor, as having been involved in the training of Okinawans in combative arts.
4. Funakoshi, Motobu, Nagamine, Higashioanna and others have clearly described the secrecy that shrouded the instruction of karate in Okinawa, right up until the dawn of the 20th century.
5. In his text Okinawan Kenpo Motobu describes 12 forms as having come from China, one of which, Chinte he labels bamboo-yari spear style. [emphasis added]

The video, linked to above, brings up an interesting question. Can Shotokan karate be considered an "Art of War". But rather than look at whether the empty hand art practiced today is "war-like", I think another question is useful in trying to better understand these kata that have been handed down. Is it possible that Shotokan and other Okinawan kata (of Chinese origin) have military origins, that they were developed for military (armed) purposes? That's a question that some may consider worthy of further discussion, and if anyone is interested, I would be interested in beginning a new thread on this.

One last note. The empty hand arts of Jiujitsu and Aikido use concepts from sword arts. Empty hand kali movements are derived from kali stick/machete arts. The Chinese art of Xingyi quan is said to have been derived from spear arts. This discussion is not an attempt to claim that many empty handed kata movements don't work well for empty hand fighting. Without question, many work very well in empty hand fighting.

Rather this is more a question of the reason in which Chinese military authorities chose to share combative arts to Okinawans. What were their motivations? What benefit could their arts be to Okinawans?

The standard histories that Funakoshi and others have passed down is that these Chinese military personnel must have been good-natured folks who seemed to like teaching the Okinawans how to fight empty handed by passing down these old Chinese kata.

An alternative interpretation is that these military authorities had an opportunity to instruct Okinawans how best to ensure their voyages to and from China had the best chances of success in navigating through the pirate infested waters off the Chinese coast. This was in China's national interests and in the Okinawans national interests.

-Cayuga Karate

 

[TimoS]

In his text Okinawan Kenpo Motobu describes 12 forms as having come from China, one of which, Chinte he labels bamboo-yari spear style. [emphasis added]

In which version of the book is this mentioned? My friend just checked Iwai Kohaku: Motobu Chôki to Ryukyu karate, written in Japanese, and there is no mention of this being a spear kata. That book contains Motobu's books "Watashi no karatejutsu" and "Okinawa Kenpô karatejutsu"

 

[Tez3]

I posted up an ongoing discussion rather than an analysis, you can always join in if it's not to your satisfaction!

 

[Cayuga Karate]

Okinawan Kempo - Choki Motobu

Published 1995, Published by Rising Sun Productions

http://www.amazon.com/Okinawan-Kempo-Choki-Motobu/dp/092012917X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324687750&sr=8-1

An interesting review claims the translation appears to be nearly word-for-word of Seiyu Oyata's 1977 translation entitled "Okinawa Kempo: Karate-Jutsu on Kumite"

http://www.amazon.com/review/RPE75IADUT7NJ

Below is a page that seems to indicate the same:

http://seinenkai.com/salute-motobu.html

 

[Cayuga Karate]

Tez3 wrote:

I posted up an ongoing discussion rather than an analysis, you can always join in if it's not to your satisfaction

I am not sure what that means. Could you elaborate please?

 

[Tez3]

Tez3 wrote:



I am not sure what that means. Could you elaborate please?

The link I posted from Iain Abernethy's site is an ongoing discussion, you said it was an analysis. I don't know enough to make any analysis on this subject so posted up a discussion I am following as a member of Iain's forum. I was suggesting that if you don't agree with what is being written you should join in the discussion.

 

[Cayuga Karate]

Tez3

Thanks for the info.

I'll pass.