Note by Pierre Jordaan:
This article was posted on the Shotolist by Bob McMahon, 6th Dan Chief Instructor of the Australian Karate Academy (AKA). Bob was the moderator of the Shotolist and the editor of The Shoto Journal at the time.
I had e-mail correspondence with Bob after he published this article and he gave me permission to publish his inputs and thoughts in our JKS Newsletter - thank you Bob! I am publishing it unedited since I honestly believe it offers some great food for thought. Any inputs, remarks or ideas are most welcome.
Just as a matter of clarity, for those who may not know:
MA = martial art
Naifanchi = precursor to our Tekki kata
Pinan = precursor to our Heian kata
Koshokun = precursor to our Kanku kata
Chinto = precursor to our Gankaku kata
Makiwara training does not refer only to the makiwara as we have come to know it, but also includes bags, shields, etc.
Enjoy
Pierre Jordaan
As I understand it, prior to the creation of the new karate as a Martial Art program for Okinawan school students, Martial Arts on Okinawa were known as Te (indigenous MA) and Toudi (Chinese-influenced MA).
Note: The Japanese refer to Toudi as To-te (?) Itosu referred to his new creation as Toudi originally but it became known as Kute (karate) after Hanashiro used the term in a book he authored in 1905. Funakoshi was the one most responsible for pushing this change (different kanji) in Tokyo and it was accepted in Okinawa by the leading authorities of the day after a famous meeting in 1936.
The textbook of tote is the 1905 Itosu Report to the school authorities in which he described the purpose, training methods and background to his creation. A recent translation was published in the Shoto Journal and Bujutsu International, a new MA magazine in Australia. There are many translations of the Ten Lessons (Precepts or Annotations) and all point towards the same things.
Karate was intended as physical exercise for school kids, a method of raising the humanity of ordinary citizens plus a pathway to the brutal last-resort self-defense through the kata. Group training superceded personal instruction which eventually led to students adapting to the group karate template rather than karate being adapted to the individual characteristics of the student.
Much of the training centred around developing high physical condition levels and implements for increasing strength were used all over Okinawa. Itosu advocated training with partners, including the use of a makiwara as a training partner. "In karate, you should constantly train your weapons, i.e. your fists and your feet, on the makiwara."
Adult students generally learned Naifanchi as a first kata in the Shuri district but Itosu created a set of 5 Pinan Kata for the school students. It is speculated that there was to be one kata for each of the 5 years of schooling. As most usually only completed 3 years, it may have been rare for school students to learn all five.
Some school teachers taught Shuri te (later known as Shorin Ryu karate) in their homes and the karate program at school. Shorin Ryu could be described as the town karate as opposed to the school karate taught to students. School Teachers such as Oshiro Chojo did not teach Pinan in his home but eventually most Shorin Ryu schools adopted the Pinan and other kata as well as many of Itosu's ideas.
In his report, Itosu also explains that not all moves in kata are for self-defense, some are just for exercise. He also points out that: "You need to clearly understand the purpose of each step and then practise the corresponding techniques. Furthermore, consider the ways - to attack, to receive, to release and to grapple. There are many oral transmissions in this regard." (The Testimony of Itosu, Mitani and McMahon)
Modern training focuses on the techniques of impact but the tools for receiving same have been left at the most elementary level of all, i.e. jamming and deflecting. Itosu mentions releasing from grips obviously, and grappling, which one would assume is referring to techniques of restraining and throwing. However, the standard karate syllabus today is more akin to what would be taught to children at school rather than adults in a dojo.
Is it possible that the experts of yesteryear that transmitted karate to mainland Japan were schoolteachers or taught karate in the schools? Actually yes, they were. Funakoshi taught Ohtsuka so Shotokan-Ryu and Wado-Ryu were developed from school karate.
Mabuni and Miyagi also taught karate in the school system so Shito-Ryu and Goju-Ryu have a similar connection. These four systems are the Major Styles of modern Japanese karate. While there is no doubt each style has input from other than the school system, basically they were developed in line with the school Martial Art program in mind.
I personally can't believe that Itosu and his assistants, Yabu and Hanashiro, intended that karate stagnate at the schoolboy level. Why would Itosu have included the Naifanchi series and the Bassai, Koshokun, Chinto and Gojushiho kata if he had not intended to pass on a valuable Martial Art that could be studied and practised over a lifetime?
One of the last teachers to have actually trained in both the town and school karate systems continues to teach original karate today at the age of 85. Kinjo Hiroshi taught in my dojo a couple of years ago and recently his student, Mitani Kazuya, 70 years, also passed on some of the early karate training methods and kata. Many of the principles match what we teach today but there are others that completely contradict the way we teach in the modern era.
Unequivocally it has been proven that the original karate included kicks, punches, strikes, blocks, escapes (from being seized), throws, take-downs, chokes and joint-locks. Today many are adding techniques from Jujutsu, Aikido and Hapkido to their karate syllabus. Rather than add haphazardly and create yet another new martial art, I believe we need to recreate the one we were intended to have within the one we know.
That does not mean that we should step back in time completely, but it does mean that we should reexamine what it was that was taught before it was exported to Japan and modified to suit the political and cultural needs of that generation. Kinjo and Mitani Sensei are valuable assets who are very concerned that when they pass on, original karate will also fade away. Their message is clear - (edited part version below)
The (original) purpose of karate can be summed up as follows: physical education; preparation for military service; engender loyalty to the State; respect social justice; respect peace; and have consideration for others, etc.
THE TECHNOLOGY OF KARATE
Note: The Japanese refer to Toudi as To-te (?) Itosu referred to his new creation as Toudi originally but it became known as Kute (karate) after Hanashiro used the term in a book he authored in 1905. Funakoshi was the one most responsible for pushing this change (different kanji) in Tokyo and it was accepted in Okinawa by the leading authorities of the day after a famous meeting in 1936.
The textbook of tote is the 1905 Itosu Report to the school authorities in which he described the purpose, training methods and background to his creation. A recent translation was published in the Shoto Journal and Bujutsu International, a new MA magazine in Australia. There are many translations of the Ten Lessons (Precepts or Annotations) and all point towards the same things.
Karate was intended as physical exercise for school kids, a method of raising the humanity of ordinary citizens plus a pathway to the brutal last-resort self-defense through the kata. Group training superceded personal instruction which eventually led to students adapting to the group karate template rather than karate being adapted to the individual characteristics of the student.
Much of the training centred around developing high physical condition levels and implements for increasing strength were used all over Okinawa. Itosu advocated training with partners, including the use of a makiwara as a training partner. "In karate, you should constantly train your weapons, i.e. your fists and your feet, on the makiwara."
Adult students generally learned Naifanchi as a first kata in the Shuri district but Itosu created a set of 5 Pinan Kata for the school students. It is speculated that there was to be one kata for each of the 5 years of schooling. As most usually only completed 3 years, it may have been rare for school students to learn all five.
Some school teachers taught Shuri te (later known as Shorin Ryu karate) in their homes and the karate program at school. Shorin Ryu could be described as the town karate as opposed to the school karate taught to students. School Teachers such as Oshiro Chojo did not teach Pinan in his home but eventually most Shorin Ryu schools adopted the Pinan and other kata as well as many of Itosu's ideas.
In his report, Itosu also explains that not all moves in kata are for self-defense, some are just for exercise. He also points out that: "You need to clearly understand the purpose of each step and then practise the corresponding techniques. Furthermore, consider the ways - to attack, to receive, to release and to grapple. There are many oral transmissions in this regard." (The Testimony of Itosu, Mitani and McMahon)
Modern training focuses on the techniques of impact but the tools for receiving same have been left at the most elementary level of all, i.e. jamming and deflecting. Itosu mentions releasing from grips obviously, and grappling, which one would assume is referring to techniques of restraining and throwing. However, the standard karate syllabus today is more akin to what would be taught to children at school rather than adults in a dojo.
Is it possible that the experts of yesteryear that transmitted karate to mainland Japan were schoolteachers or taught karate in the schools? Actually yes, they were. Funakoshi taught Ohtsuka so Shotokan-Ryu and Wado-Ryu were developed from school karate.
Mabuni and Miyagi also taught karate in the school system so Shito-Ryu and Goju-Ryu have a similar connection. These four systems are the Major Styles of modern Japanese karate. While there is no doubt each style has input from other than the school system, basically they were developed in line with the school Martial Art program in mind.
I personally can't believe that Itosu and his assistants, Yabu and Hanashiro, intended that karate stagnate at the schoolboy level. Why would Itosu have included the Naifanchi series and the Bassai, Koshokun, Chinto and Gojushiho kata if he had not intended to pass on a valuable Martial Art that could be studied and practised over a lifetime?
One of the last teachers to have actually trained in both the town and school karate systems continues to teach original karate today at the age of 85. Kinjo Hiroshi taught in my dojo a couple of years ago and recently his student, Mitani Kazuya, 70 years, also passed on some of the early karate training methods and kata. Many of the principles match what we teach today but there are others that completely contradict the way we teach in the modern era.
Unequivocally it has been proven that the original karate included kicks, punches, strikes, blocks, escapes (from being seized), throws, take-downs, chokes and joint-locks. Today many are adding techniques from Jujutsu, Aikido and Hapkido to their karate syllabus. Rather than add haphazardly and create yet another new martial art, I believe we need to recreate the one we were intended to have within the one we know.
That does not mean that we should step back in time completely, but it does mean that we should reexamine what it was that was taught before it was exported to Japan and modified to suit the political and cultural needs of that generation. Kinjo and Mitani Sensei are valuable assets who are very concerned that when they pass on, original karate will also fade away. Their message is clear - (edited part version below)
The (original) purpose of karate can be summed up as follows: physical education; preparation for military service; engender loyalty to the State; respect social justice; respect peace; and have consideration for others, etc.
THE TECHNOLOGY OF KARATE
This has two parts, one is the technology of appearance and the other is the hidden true contents.
The Technology of Appearance
In Karate, there is no striking to the face (jodan zuki). The thrust of karate is the middle punch (chudan zuki). In all the kata of karate there are only punches to the chudan region. Karate has become chudan zuki, however Shurite was jodan zuki.
The opponent's eyes are not crushed in Karate, instead there is a punch to the chudan region. In Shurite, the hand is open and the eye is poked. In addition, there were other rules for school education, such as omitting kakete (hooking block) and shiko-dachi (square stance).
The Hidden True Contents
There is also something else hidden within karate. When necessary, karate can be immediately changed into the lethal Shurite (Te of Matsumura). This is the most important thing that one should know. The restoration back to Shurite (Te of Matsumura) from karate is performed by the following procedure.
Just knowing how to perform the steps of a kata does not offer any skill in self-defense. Kata is but a 'style'. When a teacher teaches kata, the real knowledge is taught by means of oral communication (kuden) and the student develops the skill by makiwara practice at his home. To say this in simple terms, a student will learn kata as karate, but he may practice it as Shurite by the training method of the makiwara. Kata are actually the basics (kihon), and the impacting (kumite) and grappling (toride) are the actual techniques.
I think it is time to reintroduce karate as it was meant to be plus what has been developed along the way: A method of human education that promotes physical fitness, health, self-defense, humanity and sportsmanship. Preserving the ancient weaponry (kobudo) that was once practised alongside the empty hand techniques provides all the cross training necessary to add variety and complement the art of karate. What do you think?
I think we have all met the essence of karate but we need to strip away the padding (BS) to get back to the core of the training. Fast and strong punching with a focus on the unweighted foot. Makiwara or impact training on the heavy bags and mobile shields. Fewer kata over a longer time period and extrapolate sensible applications from same. Teach/learn a small number of escapes from grips, joint-locks and throws. Reasonable physical conditioning using today's scientific methods.
Eliminate excessive marching up and down and recognize that kata performance is the practice of kihon, both solo and combinations of techniques. Eliminate the 5-3-1 step training and replace it with two-person drills taken from kata that replicate sensible responses to common assault situations. This will also help in kata selection. Wear safety equipment that allows for a more robust form of 'touch' kumite to develop long range techniques of impact.
Retain a few modern kata for use in kata performance orientated kata competition and accept these as martial-art-based as fixed formal exercise routines with a performance orientated purpose. Learn a few ancient weapons to preserve the heritage from the past.
This allows for a variety in training, teaches a wider range of combative distance, and can be enjoyable and quite fun. As in karate training though there needs to be some kata for application and some for performance.
Some ideas anyway.
Regards,
Bob McMahon
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