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ОглавлениеKaratedo: The Way of the Empty Hand
Karatedo has a wonderful story of origin. The orthodox account is that karatedo originated in India. The martial arts of contemporary India at this point in their evolution, however, look much more like kung fu, with its complex “animal forms” and great variety of exotic weaponry, than the austere art of modern karatedo. Kung fu does not, in fact, point to a particular type of Chinese martial art but, as the literal translation of kung fu (“effort”) suggests, to any skill derived over time through hard training. It may be said that kung fu is at least partially derived from India and that later karatedo evolved from an ancient branch of kung fu.
The ancient story tells of Bodhidharma (Japanese: Daruma; Chinese: Tamo), the twenty-eighth patriarch of Buddhism, and his arrival in China in the sixth century A.D. on a mission to revitalize Chinese Buddhism. In the company of his Sherpa guides (traditionally described as eighteen in number), Bodhidharma briefly visited with Emperor Wu and then moved into residence at the monastery of Shaolin-szu (Japanese: Shorinji), “Temple of the Young Pine Trees.” (Some versions of the story claim that he founded the famous Shaolin temple.) Finding the resident monks too weak to follow his rigorous monastic regimen, he taught them a style of martial art which he derived from the Kshatriya (warrior) caste of India, combining an emphasis on strong diaphragm breathing, characteristic of Indian yoga, with an evolving admixture of the local kempo, or Chinese methods of unarmed combat.
The connection between Buddhism and warrior arts seems contradictory at first glance. However, it should be remembered that Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was a member of the warrior caste of India and, in fact, won his royal bride in an archery contest.
Over time, the Shaolin martial arts adapted to local conditions and it is suggested in the common explanation that karatedo developed in the south of China, where the short, stocky agricultural workers with their strongly developed arms and upper bodies developed the Shaolin art in a direction that would come to be recognized as contemporary karatedo.
The story then moves to Okinawa, the main island of the Ryukus, the chain of islands that stretches south from Japan to Taiwan. Okinawa had long been a point of contact between Chinese and Japanese cultures. It was here that the te, or strong hand techniques (striking, punching) which had evolved as a regional style in Okinawa over centuries, began to mix and blend with the kempo of China with its more rounded and flowing techniques. The evolving combination was called “T’ang Hand” after the great Chinese dynasty that had such an impact on the development of Japanese culture. The Chinese characters for “T’ang Hand” were later read as “Empty (kara) Hand (te).”
The early karatedoka of Okinawa developed, in addition, the art of kobudo as they came into continual hostile contact with Japanese samurai clans (particularly the Satsuma clan of southern Kyushu) who raided Okinawa for countless generations. To this day, one sees kobudo weapons, such as the nunchaku, sai, tonfa, and kama, in traditional karate dojo.
In 1917 Funakoshi Gichin, a renowned Okinawan educator, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Education to give public demonstrations of karatedo in the main islands of Japan. His first trip was so successful that he returned in 1923 to take up permanent residence. In 1936 he inaugurated the first karate dojo in the main islands of Japan. It was called Shotokan, or “Shoto’s House.” The name came from Funakoshi Sensei’s pen name, “Shoto,” which means “wind through the pine trees.” Today, Shotokan karatedo continues as one of the major karatedo styles.
Influenced by Professor Funakoshi, martial arts practitioners established dojo for various karatedo styles. Okinawan Miyagi Chojun founded the Goju style. Yamaguchi Gogen, a Japanese student of Master Miyagi, created his own version of the Goju style. Otsuka Hironori combined jujutsu with the “T’ang Hand” and arrived at his Wado style. Around this time the “T’ang Hand” reading was dropped and the “Empty Hand” adopted, perhaps because of growing Japanese nationalistic sentiments against China. Although some of the old masters of Okinawa resented the name change, it fit not only the nationalism of the times but also the Zen thrust of karatedo. Master Funakoshi explained it as follows (Williams, 1975:132):
As a mirror’s polished surface reflects whatever stands before it and a quiet valley carries even small sounds, so must the student of karate render his mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in an effort to react appropriately to anything he might encounter. This is the meaning of kara or “empty” in karate.
Japanese karatedo has come to incorporate philosophies important to the Japanese. Whereas modern Japanese karatedoka may philosophize about Zen, and “no mind,” and satori (enlightenment), the Okinawan stylist, for the most part, was simply trying to hit and kick as hard as possible and incorporated philosophical underpinnings such as ki (intrinsic energy) and hara (the emotional, spiritual and physical center of the body) to assist in that primary objective.
The later history of Japanese karatedo is well documented because it is relatively modern; however, the orthodox origin tale involving Bodhidharma, the Shaolin temple, and the Sherpa guides may be “wild history,” as one of my Japanese teachers called it. I was first introduced to this concept while being taught the oral tradition of the origin of the Komuso Zen sect.
One afternoon, Hanada Shihan sat me down in the zendo (meditation hall) of Saikoji and told me the story of the founder of Komuso Zen, a wild Chinese monk named P’u-hua (known as Fuke in Japanese). Fuke was a compatriot of the great Chinese master Lin-chi (Japanese: Rinzai), the inspirational source of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism that developed in Japan during the Kamakura period.
After setting the stage, Hanada Shihan, obviously enjoying himself, told the story of Fuke. Rinzai loved Fuke although Fuke was considered by his fellow monks to be crazy. He slept in the fields or in the barns, rarely washed, took no disciples, and was constantly interrupting Rinzai at his important work as head of a large T’ang-dynasty Buddhist monastery. For example, one day Rinzai had invited some of the local dignitaries to the monastery for a pleasant meal. As the mayor and his staff enjoyed the fine food and stimulating conversation of Rinzai, Fuke showed up uninvited. He turned over Rinzai’s table and addressed the dignitaries with, “Ho-yang is a new bride. Mu-t’a is a Ch’an granny, and Rinzai is a young menial, but he has the eye.” He then left the room. The irate guests raged against the lout Fuke, but Rinzai only said, “There goes a truly enlightened being.”
Young monks, on hearing that Rinzai had announced Fuke to be an enlightened man, sought out Fuke for his mentorship. Fuke, true to form, simply rang his bell in their faces every time they asked him a religious question and recited,
Coming as brightness, I strike the brightness;
Coming as darkness, I strike the darkness;
Coming from the four quarters and eight directions,
I hit like a whirlwind;
Coming from the empty sky, I lash like a flail.
When the monks returned to Rinzai and told him what nonsense Fuke was uttering, Rinzai simply said, “He is truly an enlightened man.”
Fuke’s behavior in the days leading up to his death was characteristic of the man. Hanada Shihan said that one day Fuke, dragging a coffin, announced to the people who had gathered to watch him ring his bell and preach his crazy sermon, “Tomorrow Fuke will cross over at the North Gate. Be there.” He was announcing the precise time of his passing, a behavior periodically recorded for spiritual leaders of the time.
On the following day all gathered at the North Gate, but when Fuke arrived he looked about him and said, “No. Today is not good. Tomorrow, Fuke will cross over at the South Gate. Be there.”
The next day, the crowd assembled at the South Gate, but when Fuke arrived he said, “No. Today is not the right day. Tomorrow, Fuke will cross over at the West Gate. Be there.”
On the third day the crowd of onlookers was greatly reduced. When Fuke dragged his coffin up he looked at the people standing in the road, looked at the sky, and then said, “No. Today is not exactly right. Tomorrow, Fuke will cross over at the East Gate. Be there.”
On the following day no one appeared to witness Fuke’s passing. He looked around him, stared at the sky, and said, “Today is the perfect day to cross over.” He placed his coffin outside the East Gate and sat on it. When a farmer passed on his way to market Fuke said, “Sir, would you please nail me into my coffin and then go tell Master Rinzai that Fuke has crossed over.”
The farmer did as Fuke asked. Rinzai, on hearing the news, rushed with his retinue to the East Gate, but upon opening Fuke’s coffin they found it empty except for one sandal. As they stared into the open coffin the faint ringing of Fuke’s bell was heard in the sky. Today, one of the major pieces in the shakuhachi repertoire of the Komuso Zen sect is called “A Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky.”
As Hanada Shihan told the story I took notes as fast as I could. Finally, he paused and said, “Jones Sensei, as an educated man you should know that this is...,” he searched for an English word, “...wild history.” Using one of my most often-used Japanese expressions I said to him, “I don’t understand, Sensei.”
Hanada Shihan explained that perhaps because temple records were so routinely lost to fire over the centuries and subsequently rewritten, their historical value, as Westerners understand history, is confused. The stories are not intended as literal history in the Western sense of scientific history, but as an emotional or spiritual context, a rich and satisfying explanation of serious and auspicious origins. Did Fuke say what Hanada Shihan suggested? Who knows? Hanada Shihan doesn’t. That is not the point anyway. It is the spirit of the story that is important. The story says that the Komuso sect was derived from a unique, fearless and humorous man whom the great Rinzai characterized as an enlightened being.
Returning to the oral traditional of karatedo, we might ask if Bodhidharma was a real man. Did he actually initiate martial arts training at Shaolin temple? Was he instrumental in the founding of Zen Buddhism? Was he a major influence on Hui Neng, the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism in China? Who knows! Hui Neng’s name, by the way, does not even appear on lists of early Zen masters in China and no proof exists that someone named Bodhidharma arrived in central China at the time the legend states. (These observations are from a Chinese scholar from Columbia University who was in Japan translating antique Chinese Zen texts and comparing them to Japanese texts). But, as Hanada Shihan suggests, these are not the important points to stress when considering the origin of karatedo. Read the Bodhidharma tale this way: karatedo was created from an ancient system of mind/body/spirit coordination that has taken its specific form from the cultures in which it has traveled, being influenced along the way by Indian yoga, Chinese Taoism, Ch’an Buddhism, and kempo; and Okinawan and Japanese martial arts, philosophy, and culture. Linear history is an impossible ideal. Buddha suggested that to attempt to trace history was like following the tracks of a bird as it flew across the sky. Hanada Shihan noted that the value of an origin tale is found in how it affects the behavior of those who accept it, and not in scholarly questions as to its reality.
It is important for Westerners to understand that human behavior is conditioned in an overwhelming fashion by culture. If we try to apply our culture’s notion of linear scientific history to the “histories” of the Japanese martial arts, we will be making an error. Western history objectively identifies sequences of events: “A” before “B,” “B” before “C,” etc. Japanese oral tradition on the other hand creates a temporal context, an atmosphere, a program of tales and heroes that coherently explains the “feeling” or “spirit” of the art as opposed to the Western desire to know that a particular art’s history is “right” from a Western perspective. “Right” is largely determined by cultural constraints.
One late afternoon after I had been in Japan about a month, I was walking across the campus of Seinan Gakuin, one of the colleges at which I taught, when I heard a familiar sound coming from the rear of a classroom building. “Ichi! Ni! San!” (one, two, three) a man’s voice barked. On “San!” a great shout (kiai), arose from the hidden body of students. There were a number of possibilities, but I guessed that it was a karatedo group practicing a combination of blocks, punches, and kicks with a kiai marking the final technique in the series. I was right.
I took a seat on a bench about fifty feet from the karatedoka, and as the shadows deepened around the ancient pine trees that dotted the campus, I watched the karatedoka drilling back and forth to the commands: Ichi! (front snap kick), Ni! (rising block), San! (reverse punch), the kiai sounding with the reverse punch. It was very familiar, and though I was on the other side of the world from the place of my birth, I felt at home as I watched the Japanese karatedoka in their drills. To the outsider, karatedo looks like a method of fighting, full of kicking, punching, and violent shouts, but in truth it is a physical embodiment of a message of peace and the heroic acceptance of our common destiny.
The sound of strong, focused breathing. The snap of the dogi (practice uniform) sleeve when a student’s reverse punch worked well. The random music of the senior students as they sparred at the end of class, joking lightly with one another. I found myself watching a young Japanese white belt struggling with basic techniques and in my mind I coached him as I would a student of mine back in the States: “Relax your shoulders. Bend your knees. Don’t wobble.” Karatedo has a hard and noble beauty that will come to you after years of relaxing your shoulders, bending your knees, and steadying your posture. In my travels around Japan I saw many karatedo groups, each with its slightly differing ways of performing similar techniques but all giving me the feeling of deep familiarity. The strong common thread of karatedo is present no matter which of the many styles (public and “hidden”) is practiced, and there are hundreds of such styles.
I remember a karatedo class practicing one evening on a beach at Satsuma. From my vantage point about fifty yards away in a formal garden on a hill overlooking the bay, the white dogi of the students glowed as they moved over the black volcanic sand beach. The class began a torturous exercise in which the students kicked as high as they could, as slowly as they could. The sensei spaced the students randomly on the beach with each apparently on his own. The sun began to disappear into the sea and the dogi of the karatedo students took on a misty gray hue as they balanced unmoving in a kicking posture. It looked like some giant had been practicing calligraphy using pearl ink on black paper.
The basic plan of most karatedo classes might entail twenty to twenty-five minutes of warm-up exercises and maybe some strength drills. This will usually be followed by kihon waza, generally practiced as students move up and down the dojo floor, performing the required techniques to the guttural cadence of the sensei or a senior student. Kihon waza may be followed by one- or two-step sparring in which the basic techniques are taught in combinations and practiced with a partner, one acting the attacker for the other. Next may come work on kata, the choreographed series of techniques basic to the style being practiced. In an hour-and-a-half class all of the above may be encountered plus, on occasion, weapons practice (usually bo, sai, tonfa, nunchaku, kama) or a lecture on some important point of history or philosophy by the sensei. A good karatedo sensei will have many surprises to ensure that the training does not become stale. One night you may find mixed into the meat of the class a mini-seminar on binding attackers with short lengths of rope, or the use of the headband (hatchimaki) as a selfdefense tool, or specific customs related to sword handling. Sometimes you might find the entire class devoted to sparring or methods of meditation or breathing exercises. There is always a formal beginning and ending to karatedo classes marked by order and expressions of gratitude. The sensei, of course, can change the plan of a class at any time. Time and space belong to the sensei while in the dojo.
The three main themes in one’s study of karatedo are kihon waza (basic techniques), kata (prescribed practice forms), and kumite (sparring, or literally, “exchange of hands”). The quality of anything one does in karatedo is grounded in basic techniques; a truism for all aspects of life, of course. The basic techniques of karatedo are much more than collections of a style’s fundamental physical techniques. Each technique offers an experience of our common fate: birth, death, remanifestation. Each technique is the first and last thing you do for the rest of your life. Each basic technique is a world in itself, having its own feeling, its own meaning, its own spirit. There is always hope. We are born. We pass away. We live again.
Kata leads one to focus on the life vehicles we use to get us where we are going. The first kata series in Japanese karatedo is called Heian, “peace.” Kata is about shoulders that carry burdens. It is about going and returning, and being stronger on your return. It carries a similar purport to one of the major scriptures of Zen Buddhism, the Prajna Paramita Sutra, which talks of going and returning. The character for “Way” (Japanese: do) is based on an image of a sailboat, a vehicle that carries one “over” and then returns. Another interpretation of the character for do is that it represents a man standing at a crossroads preparing to make a major life decision (artist and calligrapher Zhou Quangwi favors the later interpretation).
Finally, kumite is the battlefield where basic techniques as well as the myriad transitions from one technique to another learned in kata training come together in the spontaneous act of sparring, or kumite. Karate dojo can differ quite a lot on the degree to which they emphasize kumite over kata. In some dojo, kumite is a minor component of training, and kata is given great weight. In others, the situation is reversed. The common thread will be kihon waza. This is the heart of any budo.
Look at kata, kihon waza, and kumite as you would look at a tree. We see it because of light, but we don’t know what we see without the dark that sets off the light. Try looking at the shadows of a tree and not the lighted parts. I think that in karatedo kata is something like that. In kata I see students hurrying from one light point to the next, but the string that holds it all together, the transitional movements, is reacted to almost as a nuisance. A mature student understands that the light’s brightness is directly related to the quality of the surrounding darkness. A technique in any art is only as good as the support brought to bear in the actualizing of the technique’s goal. You must set your hips correctly before your punch or kick has any meaning. It is the spaces that make solid things useful, as the Tao Te Ching shows us. What is a window without an opening? It is what is not there in a cup that makes it useful. Can a doorway be solid? The name karate means the hand is empty in the way that the universe is empty, i.e. full of promise and possibilities.
Karatedo is one of the most widely adaptable of the Japanese martial arts. Children can train in karatedo tailored for them and gain great benefit. Elderly people would find interesting exercise in a karatedo designed for them. The possibilities of karatedo are great. Just make sure you find a karatedo group that is teaching what you want to learn in the way you wish to learn it.
Although, as noted, the basic techniques are all fundamentally the same, some stark contrasts exist in attitude and level of intensity in the practice of karatedo. This is true with all closely allied arts. In Chinese t’ai chi ch’uan, for example, though there are a number of family styles (Chen, Li, Yang, Wu), only thirteen basic postures are used. Likewise, all karatedo styles will have punches, strikes, blocks, parries, leg sweeps, snap kicks, round-house kicks, thrusting kicks, jumping kicks, joint techniques, etc.
Another common theme in many karatedo classes is the spirited chanting of dojokun (precepts of the dojo), at the end of class, with each ryu having its own variation. Sometimes, dojokun are simply posted and are meant to be contemplated by the serious karatedo student. Here are Funakoshi Gichin’s Nijukun (“Twenty Precepts”):
1. Karate is not only dojo training.
2. Don’t forget that karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow.
3. In karate, never attack first.
4. One who practices karate must follow the way of justice.
5. First you must know yourself. Then you can know others.
6. Spiritual development is paramount; technical skills are merely means to the end.
7. You must release your mind.
8. Misfortune comes out of laziness.
9. Karate is lifelong training.
10. Put karate into everything you do.
11. Karate is like hot water. If you do not give heat constantly it will again become cold.
12. Do not think you have to win. Think that you do not have to lose.
13. Victory depends on your ability to tell vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.
14. Move according to your opponent.
15. Consider your opponent’s hands and legs as you would sharp swords.
16. When you leave home, think that millions of opponents are waiting for you.
17. Ready position for beginners and natural position for advanced students.
18. Kata is one thing. Engaging in a real fight is another.
19. Do not forget (a) strength and weakness of power; (b) expansion and contraction of the body; (c) slowness and speed of techniques.
20. Devise at all times [i.e., be creative].
A more typical and “chantable” dojokun could be rendered in English as:
Attention! Seek Perfection of Character!
Attention! Be Faithful!
Attention! Endeavor!
Attention! Respect Others!
Attention! Refrain from Violent Behavior!
Since Okinawa is considered a cradle of karatedo development, a few of the major styles of Okinawan karatedo will be considered first. The umbrella organization, the Zen Okinawa Karatedo Renmei (All Okinawa Karatedo Federation), has a long and complex history. In April of 1918, Funakoshi Gichin, Oshiro Chodo, Hanashiro Chomo, Chibana Choshin, Mabuni Kenwa, Tokuda Anbun, Gusukuma Shimpan, Tokumura Masumi, and Ishigawa Ryugyo formed the Karate Kenkyu Kai (Karate Preservation Association). Also, in 1924, Miyagi Chojun, Kyoda Juhatsu, Shinzato Jinan, Shiroma Koki, Kyan Chotoku and Motobu Choki met in Naha city to form the Karate Kenkyu Association. In March 1926 the two organizations merged to form the Okinawa Karate Club.
By 1956 representatives of the four major Okinawan Karatedo styles—Uechi-ryu, Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, and Matsubayashi-ryu—met in Naha and formed the Okinawa Karatedo Renmei (Okinawa Karatedo Federation). Finally, in February of 1967, the various organizations devoted to the study and preservation of Okinawan karatedo reorganized to form the Zen Okinawa Karatedo Renmei. This organization recognized Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Shobayashi-ryu, Tozan-ryu, Shorinji-ryu, and Chuba Shorin-ryu. The volatility of these organizations is apparent in their histories. In 1973 Goju-ryu left the organization; in 1974, Tozan-ryu left. Then on November 30, 1975, the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai joined the All Okinawa Karatedo Federation. In 1981 another rift among Okinawan practitioners occurred. One group, the Yamato-ha, joined the Zen Nihon Karatedo Renmei (part of the Japan Athletics Association), whereas the Okinawa-ha, strongly loyal to their native Okinawa, refrained from joining another karatedo association merely for the sake of being recognized by Japanese institutions.
The complex fission and fusion of karatedo groups is somehow inherent in their natures, the dynamics of which would make for a good academic study. The psycho-political turmoil caused by these political rifts can be very disorienting for students. Keep in mind, however, that although past history may be mildly interesting, living fully in the present is the point of it all. Let the political people play their games. Your job is to practice as hard as you can. Who is or is not chairman of such-and-such a karatedo organization obviously has nothing to do with the necessity of your developing good posture, strength, stance, center, breath, stamina, movement, structure, and speed, and rendering these fundamental physical virtues through the techniques of your chosen style.
To provide specific direction to finding and practicing an Okinawan style of karatedo, I will focus on Okinawan Shorin-ryu (“Young Forest Style”) and Okinawan Goju-ryu (“Hard and Soft Way”). Once you have found your way into the social context of Goju-ryu or Shorin-ryu, directions to contact other Okinawan styles, such as Chito-ryu, will be accessible. Okinawa is not that big an island.
Shorin-ryu
In 1960 the Okinawan Karate Federation promoted Nakazato Shugoro to eighth-degree black belt and kyoshi (a “spiritual” rank). Nakazato Sensei was born in Naha City on August 14, 1919. His karatedo training began in 1935 under Ishu Seiichi. In 1946 he began a long history of instruction under the famous master of karatedo Chibana Choshin Shihan. In 1951 Nakazato Sensei helped Chibana Sensei to open his Dai Ichi Dojo in Naha City. Three years later, Nakazato Sensei received his shihan menkyojo and became Master Chibana’s shihan dai (personal assistant). Nakazato’s work with Chibana Sensei was so effective that he was commissioned by Chibana Sensei to found the Shorin-ryu Shorinkan Nakazato Dojo in Naha City at Aza. When Master Chibana passed away, Nakazato Shugoro inherited the leadership of Okinawan Shorin-ryu karatedo.
The office of Nakazato Shugoro, president and grandmaster of Shorin-ryu, is located at 264 Aja, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 900-0003, Japan. The North American Headquarters may be reached by contacting Frank Hargrove Sensei (eighth-degree black belt) at 2034 Nickerson Blvd., Hampton, Virginia, or by calling (757) 850-8500. Mr. Hargrove’s e-mail address is karate@usa.net.
Goju-ryu
This popular style of karatedo was founded in the 1920s by Master Miyagi Chojun of Naha City. The style combines Okinawan (hard) and Shaolin kung fu (soft) techniques. Several Chinese systems, in fact, were studied by Master Miyagi and incorporated into the pure Okinawan styles (te), notably White Crane Kung Fu, Pakua Chang, I Ch’uan, and t’ai chi ch’uan. Goju-ryu is a close-range fighting style emphasizing kicking to lower-body targets, joint manipulations, and dynamic breath training along with the typical Okinawan karatedo techniques of blocking, striking, kicking, punching, and parrying.
Miyagi Chojun chose the name Goju-ryu from the third precept listed in the Goju-ryu text called “Eight Poems of the Fists”:
1. The mind is one with heaven and earth.
2. The circulatory rhythm of the body is similar to the cycle of the sun and the moon.
3. The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.
4. Act in accordance with time and change.
5. Techniques will occur in the absence of conscious thought.
6. The feet must advance and retreat, separate and meet.
7. The eyes do not miss even the slightest change
8. The ears listen well in all directions.
The following are some of the Goju-ryu karate dojo to be found in Okinawa. Contact with any one of these clubs will put you in contact with many others of the same style
Mr. Iha Koshin Jundokan Hombu Dojo
2-6-13 Asato, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 902-0067, Japan
Tel: (098) 863-0011
Mr. Yamashiro Katsuya
Higaonna Dojo
42-22-3 Chome Makishi, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 900-0013, Japan
Mr. Ikemiyagi Masaaki
Meibukan Goju-ryu Okinawa Dojo
3-29-17 Minami Tobaru, Okinawa-shi, Okinawa-ken 904-0035, Japan
Mr. Hokama Yasuaki
Meibukan Goju-ryu Ueda Dojo
535-1 Ueda, Tomishiro-son, Okinawa-ken 901-0243, Japan
Mr. Hokama Tetsuhiro
Okinawa Goju-ryu Kenshikai Karate / Kobudo So Hombu
277-33 Yonashiro, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa-ken 903-0111, Japan
Mr. Uechi Tsutomu
Goju-ryu Kokusai Karatedo Renmei
90 Nishizato, Hirara-shi, Okinawa-ken 906-0012, Japan
Mr. Miyazato Eiko
Gokenkan Dojo
442 Asato, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 902-0067, Japan
e-mail: GOKENKAN@aol.com
Chito-ryu
This ryu (like all others, no doubt) demonstrates the fission and fusion of different styles that characterize the history of the majority of Japanese martial arts, ancient and modern. An Okinawan karatedo master, Dr. Chitose Tsuyoshi (1898-1984), created Chito-ryu by combining the elements he liked from Okinawan Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu karatedo. His goal was to rationally consider the medical implications of traditional karatedo practice and to find a system which would have maximum martial and health effects and minimal detrimental elements, such as long-term injury from the practice of certain joint techniques, chronic lower back pain from incorrect stance and movement instruction, and tendonitis in the elbow from snapping the elbow while punching. Chito-ryu, like all traditionally based forms of karatedo, focuses on the three main pillars of karate practice: kihon waza (basic techniques), kata (form), and kumite (sparring). Chitose Shihan called his style Chito-ryu karatedo to honor the Chinese roots of Okinawan karate: chi is a character meaning one thousand years old; to is the character for T’ang China.
The following is a list of Chito-ryu Karate Federation dojo and their locations:
Chikuenjuku (Fukuoka)
Daidokan (Tochigi)
Edogawa, Koto, Adachi (Tokyo)
Fukuyama (Hiroshima)
Genryukan (Miyazaki)
Kenshinkan (Osaka)
Kenshinkan (Shizuoka)
Metaabaru (Saga)
Nisshokan (Okayama)
Omiya (Saitama)
For more detailed information, write to:
International Chito-ryu Karatedo Association
c/o Miyazaki Naomi
Shinjokan
4332 Nozu Ryuhoku, Kumamoto-shi
Kumamoto-ken 869-4805, Japan
Tel: (96) 552-2251
Shotokan
In 1949 the JKA (Japan Karate Association) was formed with Master Funakoshi Gichin as head instructor. The style he taught was referred to as Shotokan karatedo. In 1957 the Japanese government recognized the JKA as the only legal nonprofit karatedo organization in Japan. Answerable to the Japanese Ministry of Education (Mombusho) Shotokan is probably the most widely proliferated karatedo style, with several thousand qualified instructors worldwide.
When Master Funakoshi passed away a split occurred in the ranks of his followers, a very common occurrence in karatedo history, as I have noted. The modern JKA is strictly the public face of the Shotokan style of Master Nakayama Masatoshi (now deceased). Karatedo sensei Nishiyama, Oshima, Ueki, and Kanezawa also joined Nakayama. The original Funakoshi school was called Shotokai, and those who chose to maintain it included Funakoshi Gigo and Aoki Hiroyuki. One of my budo teachers has commented, “Today, Shotokai is the original following of Funakoshi, and Shotokan follows the neo-budo path.”
The reason for the split between the Shotokan and the Shotokai lies most obviously in the reactions to a point of etiquette concerning who should organize the funeral ceremony for Master Funakoshi, who had passed away on April 26, 1957. Clearly there were hidden agendas behind this extraordinary and rancorous situation, issues that led to the political struggle concerning the funeral. But do you have to take a position? Of course not! The visiting karatedo student should always stay out of local politics. Your job is to work in the dojo until you have no more energy for politics and related forms of mischief.
Questions concerning training in Shotokan karatedo in Japan may be answered by contacting the Japan Karate Association or Shotokan International:
Japan Karate Association Headquarters
6-2 Ebisu Nishi 1-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan
Tel: (03) 3476-4611 / (03) 3476-1431
Fax: (03) 3476-0322
Shotokan Karatedo International General Headquarters
2-1-20 Minami Kugahara, Ota-ku, Tokyo 146, Japan
Tel: (03) 3754-5481
Fax: (03) 3754-5483
Website: http://plaza27.mbn.or.jp/~kkaname/skif/skif_e.htm
Japan Karatedo Federation Gojukai
As noted earlier, an offshoot of the Okinawan Goju-ryu system of karatedo was developed in Japan proper in 1952 by Master Yamaguchi Gogen, a student of Okinawan master Miyagi Chojun. Master Yamaguchi, known as “The Cat,” was one of the easiest karatedo masters for Westerners to recognize because of his trademark long hair, a rarity among Japanese Karatedo sensei. In addition Yamaguchi Sensei infused his karatedo style with his own spirituality, even creating a system he called Karate-Shinto, a mixture of ideas and practices taken from Shintoism, yoga, Zen, and karatedo. He was also fond of shamanistic practices, a favorite being to meditate beneath a waterfall. He felt that the drumming of the water on his head created a state of being which was conducive to spiritual awakening. The more ancient, shamanistic goal of the practice was to derive power from the energy-spirit (kami) of the waterfall.
Dojo of the Goju-ryu in Japan include the following:
Mr. Yamaguchi Hirofumi Goshi
International Karatedo Gojukai Association (IKGA)
34-10 Oyama-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0023, Japan
Tel: (03) 974-5010
Fax: (03) 958-0670
Goju Ryu Karate-Do Gojukan
1-16-23 Zempukuji, Suginami-ku 167-0041 Tokyo, Japan
Tel: (03) 395-2311
Fax: (03) 390-2929
Japan Karatedo College
1-6-2 Zempukiji, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167-0041, Japan
Mr. Michiro Noguchi
Etsukokai
Koshigaya-shi, Saitama-ken, Japan
e-mail: CXX01536@niftyserve.or.jp
Kenshinkan Dojo
Nishitanabe-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi 545-0014 Japan
e-mail: ronbo@gol.com
Wado-ryu
Wado-ryu (“The Way of Peace”) was founded in 1931 by Master Otsuka Hironori (1892-1982). When Master Funakoshi Gichin introduced Okinawan karatedo to Japan, Otsuka Sensei was a high-ranking exponent of Shindo Yoshin-ryu jujutsu. Funakoshi Sensei’s demonstrations, teaching message, and style so affected Ohtsuka Sensei that he began the study of karatedo under the Okinawan master in 1922. By 1928 he was Funakoshi Sensei’s assistant instructor and in 1931 Otsuka Sensei founded the Wado-ryu. Forty-one years later Otsuka Sensei received the title Shodai Karatedo Meijin Judan (First-Generation Karate Master of the Tenth Dan) from the Japanese imperial family. Otsuka Sensei was also presented the Shiju Hoshu medal for his outstanding contributions to physical education and sport from the government of Japan. Wado-ryu practitioners claim that Otsuka Sensei was the first master to create a karatedo style in the form of Japanese (not Okinawan) budo.
Wado-ryu karatedo is characterized by evasion instead of meeting force with force, and by light, fast, and fluid body movement. The Wado-ryu stylist defends with parries and deflections with simultaneous counterattacks.
The following are the Wado-ryu rules for practice; a listing of behaviors, by the way, that should be followed wherever one practices martial arts in Japan.
1. No idle chatter, smoking, alcohol, eating, chewing gum, etc. in the dojo.
2. All karateka must bow before entering and upon leaving the dojo. To those who practice karate the dojo is a sacred place. We bow when entering the dojo to affirm our intention to train and seriously and we bow when leaving to show thanks for a good training session.
3. All karateka must bow to instructors or visiting instructors. We emphasis politeness at all times in the dojo and seek to cultivate a spirit based on gentleness and respect.
4. When the instructors or visiting instructors enter/exit the dojo, all karateka must stop whatever they are doing and face the sensei at the door and bow. Each person should seek to develop as full a state of attentiveness as possible. Karate requires and promotes a high degree of training of the mind as it does of the body.
5. A karate gi or loose comfortable clothing must be worn. No socks or shoes are permitted.
6. Show absolute obedience to your sensei. All instruction from the sensei or designated instructor must be followed.
7. Call your instructor “sensei.”
8. Always acknowledge criticism given by the instructor or any other person. Respond to the sensei or a black belt instructor with the word “Hai!”
9. Never stand around with your hands on your waist. The standing position is the one assumed just before kata or yoi, namely two clenched fists in front of the body in standing position.
10. When sitting, always sit cross-legged or in seiza position.
11. Fingernails and toenails should be regularly cut in order to prevent injury.
12. Jewelry should not be worn in the dojo. It has no place in the dojo and can easily be broken or even cause injury.
13. In all practice, emphasis is placed on control, accuracy, and noncontact.
14. Do not attempt to learn or teach new forms without the expressed permission of the sensei.
15. The dojo is to be kept clean by all students. Please help to keep the floor dry, clean, and free of objects. Please look for a broom to sweep the floor as soon as you enter the dojo, before the start of class. Each student should do his or her part to contribute to a proper training environment.
16. If you arrive late, you must perform ten knuckle push-ups upon entering the dojo. Sit in seiza, bow once and stay seated until the sensei gives you permission to join in, or any other instructions. Then, bow again and proceed.
17. Report immediately to the sensei any injury or illness.
18. All karateka must stay inside the dojo. Inform the sensei if you must leave the dojo. Then follow the normal procedures for leaving the dojo.
19. Please check for all personal belongings before leaving the dojo.
20. Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Strengthen weak hands. Make your knees strong. Don’t say “I’ll work hard at a later time,” etc. Practice a technique in the exact manner you’d apply it—with full force.
21. Each student is considered an integral part of the karate community. Should it become necessary to discontinue training for any reason, please notify the instructor. This is so that we may have an accurate and up-to-date record of all students.
Information concerning entrance into a Wado-ryu dojo in Japan may be obtained by contacting Mr. M. Furakawa, general secretary, in Tokyo. His telephone number is (0425) 91-3569. Fax: (0425) 91-3676.
Kyokushin
The founder of Kyokushin karatedo is Oyama Masutatsu Sosai. This style of karatedo is noted for its powerful techniques and emphasis on strength. Oyama Sensei, after all, killed a bull with his bare hands in order to make that point. The tenor of this style might be understood by considering Oyama Sensei’s statement of “Kyokushin spirit”: “Keep one’s head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), be reserved in speech (mind one’s language) and kind in heart (treat others with respect and courtesy). Treat others with kindness; filial piety is the starting point (serve your parents well).” (from www.kyokushin.co.jp)
Oyama Sensei’s eleven mottoes for karatedo training are as follows: (Ibid.)
1. The martial way begins and ends with courtesy.
2. Following the martial way is like scaling a cliff: continue upwards without rest.
3. Strive to seize the initiative in all things, all the time, guarding against actions stemming from selfish animosity or thoughtlessness.
4. Even for the martial artist, the place of money cannot be ignored. Yet one should be careful never to become attached to it.
5. The martial way is centered in posture. Strive to maintain correct posture at all times.
6. The martial way begins with one thousand days and is mastered after ten thousand days of training.
7. In the martial arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see contemplation on your actions as an opportunity to improve.
8. The nature and purpose of the martial way is universal. All selfish desires should be roasted in the tempering fires of hard training.
9. The martial arts begin with a point and end in a circle. Straight lines stem from this principle.
10. The true essence of the martial way can only be realized through experience. Knowing this, learn never to fear its demands.
11. Always remember: in the martial arts the rewards of a confident and grateful heart are truly abundant.
The headquarters of the International Karate Organization (IKO), the organizational structure of Kyokushin Karatedo, can be contacted at the following address:
Matsui Shokei Kancho
International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan
2-38-1 Nishi Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021, Japan
These are some of the many dojo in Japan (over four hundred as of last count) that teach the Kyokushin style of karatedo.
Mr. Hashizume Hidehiko
Kansai Hombu
2-5-9, Nakasaki, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi 530-0016, Japan
Tel: (06) 376-3703
Mr. Kamio Nobuyuki
Asakusa Dojo
Hanakawado Bldg. IF, 1-3-6 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0033, Japan. Tel: (03) 5828-5992. Fax: (813) 5828-5925
Mr. Kamio Nobuyuki
Kanda Dojo
108 Tokyo Bldg. 8F, 3-20-6 Uchi Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0047, Japan. Tel: (03) 5294-6633
Mr. Sugimura Taichiro
Yotsuya Dojo
Yamaichi Bldg. BF, 3-11 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004, Japan. Tel: (03) 3357-8555
Mr. Shokei Matsui
Sapporo Dojo
Nakanoshima Com-Square Bldg. 7F, 1-7-20,
Nakanoshima, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo-shi 062-0921, Japan
Tel: (01) 816-3939
Mr. Yokoyama Makoto
Hakodate Branch Dojo
98-192 Jinkawa-cho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido 041-0833, Japan
Tel: (13) 854-8199
Mr. Sekikawa Hiroaki
Niigata Branch Dojo
1-7-1 Nishikoharidai, Niigata-shi 950-2012, Japan
Tel: (25) 268-3490
Mr. Ito Kazuma
Akita Branch Dojo
45 Numabukuro-aza, Matsubuchi, Kawabe-machi, Kawabe-gun, Akita-ken 019-2613, Japan Tel: 81188-82-3395
Mr. Hamai Yoshiaki
Toyama Branch Dojo
6-40 Akebono-cho, Toyama-shi, Toyama-ken 930-0847, Japan
Tel: (76) 433-6678
Mr. Kawabata Koichi
Kyoto Branch Dojo
Nuiville Ninsei 4F, 23 Ninsei Shogo-cho, Chukyo-ku,
Kyoto-shi 604-8812, Japan. Tel: (75) 321-1956
Mr. Hata Takanori
Nara Branch Dojo
Excellence Bldg. lF, 3-1-33 Omiya-cho, Nara-shi 630-8115, Japan
Tel: (74) 233-5799
Mr. Masaki Takao
Osaka East Branch Dojo
2-3-13 Egeyama-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe-shi, 652-0043, Japan
Tel: (90) 8456-3399
Mr. Takami Nariaki
Ehime Branch Dojo
3-10-1, Nagahori, Uwajima-shi, Ehime-ken 798-0082, Japan
Tel: (89) 522-7497
Mr. Abe Kiyofumi
Fukuoka Dojo
Kouyou Bldg. 2F, 15-16, Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku,
Fukuoka-shi 815-0037, Japan. Tel: (92) 553-6807
Shorinji Kempa
Shorinji Kempo (Shaolin Temple Fist Method) was created by its founder So Doshin in the 1940s in Tadotsu, Japan. Shorinji Kempo, perhaps more than the other styles discussed so far, looks to China for its inspiration. The founder studied martial arts in China for seventeen years while working as an operative of the Japanese government, and upon returning home combined them with Japanese fighting arts to form an empty-handed fighting style that bears a superficial resemblance to a combination of karatedo and aikido.
So Doshin’s inspiration was the mind and body training methods of the monks of the Shaolin temple, while the direct instigation to his creation of Shorinji Kempo was the disastrous state of Japanese society after World War II. So Doshin created Shorinji Kempo to help the Japanese, especially young people, to develop the spirit and strength of mind and body to enable them to rebuild a new and better Japanese society.
Shorinji Kempo is a registered religion in Japan. This came about in the aftermath of World War II when, for obvious reasons, the Occupation forces banned the study of martial arts. However, a variety of new religions sprang up from the ashes of Japanese defeat, one of which was a “dancing religion.” So Doshin argued that if such a thing was tolerated, then why not a “fighting religion”? He won his point. The British forces on Shikoku even allowed the Shorinji Kempa group to use its boxing ring, gloves, and training facilities. The “religious” coloration of Shorinji Kempo must not be seen in the Western sense of a system of worship of a supreme being, but rather in a more Asian sense of a code of life, a “Way.”
Shorinji Kempo stresses the following basic principles (from www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/guide.html):
1. Ken zen ichinyo (body and mind are the same). Zen refers to the spirit. Ken to the body. Students of Shorinji Kempo should seek to develop both body and mind.
2. Riki ai funi (strength and love stand together). Strength supported by love, and love supported by strength. The condition in which the two apparent opposites are unified as one, is what a man’s way of thinking and acting should have as the core.
3. Shushu koju (defend first, attack after). Shorinji Kempo is a method of self-defense. It begins with defense, not with attack.
4. Kumite shutai (pair work is fundamental). In Shorinji Kempo training there are two roles: an attacker’s and a defender’s. Cooperation among the two is the most important requirement for learning.
5. Fusatsu Katsujin (protect people without injury). Never seek a fight. Protect yourself. Hurting people is not the purpose of training in Shorinji Kempo.
For information concerning training in Shorinji Kempo while in Japan, you may write the Headquarters at the following address:
World Shorinji Kempo Organization
3-1, Tadotsu-cho
Nakatado-gun
Kagawa-ken 764-8511
Japan
