WHAT IS SHOTOKAN KARATE?

Shotokan karate is one of the most popular martial arts practiced today. It has its roots in the ancient Chinese martial arts, and can even be traced back to the Shoalin temple (as can most of todays martial arts). Having roots in China, Shotokan can also be traced to Okinawa (where it was developed), then to Japan (where it was named), and then to the world at large.

If you know of and can think of martial arts like aikido and tai chi chuan, with their "soft" circular movements as "soft", then Shotokan would be a "hard style". It is more linear than circular and it can be very aggressive and devastating to an opponent.

Shotokan is not suited to all people, just as other arts are not. There is no such thing as the perfect martial art. Nor is there any one art that is better than another/all the rest. The art is not better, only the practioner. But, remember that on any given day, anyone can beat anyone!

HISTORY OF SHOTOKAN

The history of the Asian martial arts in general is cloudy. There are some aspects that people can agree upon, amd then there are the differences. What I will tell you is in no way the ultimate history. It is the general history of martial arts as I know it, which will lead us to Shotokan. The history of Shotokan itself, where it started, who started it, how it spread is known, and verifiable, due to Shotokan's brief history (It's been around less than one hundred years). The history section is broken up as follows:

CHINA

 

As there is no written record of the begins of the martial arts, we must rely on word of mouth and legend. So, it is believed that about 1400 years ago, a monk named Daruma (or Bodhidharma) left India to spread the word of Buddhism. One of the places he went was China. In China, he made his way to the Shaolin Temple to teach. Once he started teaching, a problem arose. The monks would pass out due the strenuousness of his training methods.

To get the monks into shape, Daruma decided to show them a way to get into better physical condition. The exercises he showed them are in the Ekkin Sutra. With the practice and perfection of these exercises, the Shaolin monks gained a reputation for their abilities. These exercises would eventually become known as Shorin-ji Kempo and become the forbearer of karate.

Again, since there is no written record, it is difficult to know what happened when, but it is believed that martial arts then began to spread through out China. And as the Chinese made contact with other foreign cultures, they would pass their arts on to these peoples. One of the cultures they made contact with were the Okinawans.

OKINAWA

It is believed that Shotokan's ancestor martial art(s) came to Okinawa long ago (there are no written records that indicate any dates). From about the mid-fourteenth century, Okinawa began heavy trading with its other island and mainland neighbors. It is generally assumed that this contact with outside peoples allowed their respective fighting styles into Okinawa. Then, about five hundred years ago (1470), a ban was placed on Okinawans having weapons. Then, two hundred years later (1609), any weapons that the Okinawans did have were confiscated by the Japanese when they took control of the island. It is generally believed that Okinawa-te (which it became called), gained acceptance as a means of self-defense due to these prohibitions.

It is believed that about two hundred years ago, a man named Sakugawa, of Akata, traveled to China. When he returned to Okinawa, he was a karate (China hand) master. Also, about 150 years ago, Ku Shanku, of China, came to Okinawa to teach with some of his students. Other Okinawans were also taught by various Chinese military personnel. It is also said that Okinawans named Matsumura and Gusukuma were taught by a southern Chinese man who drifted ashore. These two men, Matsumura and Gusukuma were the men who would teach Masters Azato and Itosu, who would teach Gichin Funakoshi.

Gichin Funakoshi began studying under Azato and Itosu in 1879. In 1902, he gave historys first formal private demonstration of karate. Then, in 1903, he introduced karate into the public school system at the Men's Normal School and the Daiichi Middle School. In 1906, he gave the first public demonstration of karate in Okinawa. In 1912, karate began being taught to the Imperial Navy. In 1914, Funakoshi began giving demonstration all over Okinawa. And, by 1917, karate was ready to move into Japan.

JAPAN

So, Funakoshi sensei was doing quite alot to promote his art in his homeland of Okinawa. Word eventually made its way to Japan, which as we all know had a very rich martial history. So, in 1917, Gichin Funakoshi was invited to Japan to demonstrate his karate at the Butokuden in Kyoto.

Funakoshi continued to travel to Japan giving exhibitions, but Shotokan's "big" break came in 1922. The Japanese Minsitry of Education asked Funakoshi to participate in a demonstration of ancient Japanese martial arts at the Women's Higher Normal School in Tokyo. After the demonstration, Gichin was approached by Jigaro Kano, the founder of judo. He asked Funakoshi to stay longer in Japan and show him (Kano) some basic techniques.

Months later, when he next tried to leave, Funakoshi was approached by the painter Hoan Kosugi. He also wanted instruction in karate for himself and members of his artists group. So, Funakoshi again postponed returning home and began first organized teaching of karate in Japan at the Tabata Poplar Club. While teaching at Tabata, Funakoshi decided to remain in Japan. He would spend the rest of his life teaching karate to the Japanese people.

While in Japan, Funakoshi wrote the first book ever on karate. Entitled "Ryukyu Kempo: Karate". The book was designed by Hoan Kosugi, who is also credited with designing the Shotokan tiger. Four years later the book was re-released with the new title "Renten Goshin Karate-jitsu". His next book, "Karate-do Kyohan" was written in 1935.

Funakoshi continued to teach and give exhibitions. In 1928, he was asked to give a demonstration for the royal family of Japan. For Funakoshi this would have been enough but of honor, but it was made all the greater because the demonstration was done on the palace grounds!

Karate's popularity continued to grow. Karate clubs had been and continued to spring up at colleges, universities and businesses throughout Japan. All this time, Funakoshi kept a dojo at the Meisei Juku. However, time and an 1923 earthquake eventually created the need for a new place to train. Funakoshi was offered to use space at the kendo hall of Hiromichi Nakayama. Eventually, Funakoshi was given another great honor. Nationwide, karate practioners chipped in to pay for the construction of a dojo dedicated to the instruction of Funakoshi's karate. In 1936, the Shoto-kan was born!

WHAT IS KARATE?

by Master Gichin Funakoshi, From Karate-do Kyohan, Kodansha International

In Okinawa, a miraculous and mysterious martial art has come down to us from the past. It is said that one who masters its techniques can defend himself readily without resort to weapons and can perform remarkable feats: the breaking of several thick boards with his fist or ceiling panels of a room with a kick. With his shuto ("sword hand") he can kill a bull with a single stroke; he can pierce the flank of a horse with his open hand; he can cross a room grasping the beams of the ceiling with his fingers, crush a green bamboo stalk with his bare hand, shear a hemp rope with a twist, or gouge soft rock with his hands.

Some consider these aspects of this miraculous and mysterious martial art to be the essence of Karate-do. But such feats are a small part of karate, playing a role analogous to the straw-cutting test of Kendo (Japanese fencing), and it is erroneous to think that there is no more to Karate-do than this. In fact, true Karate-do places weight upon spiritual rather than physical matters, as we shall discuss. True Karate-do is this: that in daily life, one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility; and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.

 

 

KARA

Karate-do is a martial art peculiar to Okinawa in its origins. Although it has in the past tended to be confused with Chinese boxing because of the use of the Chinese "Kara" character in its earlier name, in fact for the past thousand years, the study and practice of masters and experts, through which it was nurtured and perfected and formed into the unified martial art that it is today, took place in Okinawa. It is, therefore, not a distortion to represent it as an Okinawan martial art.

One may ask why the Chinese "Kara" character has been retained for so long. As I discuss in the section "The Development of Karate-do," I believe that at the time the influence of Chinese culture was at its peak in Japan, many experts in the martial arts travelled to China to practice Chinese boxing. With their new knowledge, they altered the existing martial art, called Okinawa-te, weeding out its bad points and adding good points to it, thus working it into an elegant art. It may be speculated that they considered "Kara" (with the Chinese character) an appropriate new name. Since, even in contemporary Japan, there are many people who are impressed by anything that is foreign, it is not difficult to imagine the high regard for anything Chinese that prevailed during that period in Okinawa. Even at the time of the present writer's youth, 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.

With this background, the reason for the choice of the Chinese "Kara" character, meaning "Chinese," as a simple case of exoticism is apparent.

Following tradition, the writer has in the past continued to use the Chinese character. However, because of the frequent confusion with Chinese boxing, and the fact that the Okinawan martial art may now be considered a Japanese martial art, it is inappropriate, and in a sense degrading, to continue use of the old "Kara" in the name. For this reason, in spite of many protests, we have abandoned the use of it to replace it with the new character KARA.

THE MEANING OF KARA

The first connotation of kara indicates that karate is a technique that permits one to defend himself with his bare hands and fists without weapons.

Second, just as it is the clear mirror that reflects without distortion, or the quiet valley that echoes a sound, so must one who would study Karate-do purge himself of selfish and evil thoughts, for only with a clear mind and conscience can he understand that which he receives. This is another meaning of the element kara in Karate-do. 

Next, he who would study Karate-do must always strive to be inwardly humble and outwardly gentle. However, once he has decided to stand up for the cause of justice, then he must have the courage expressed in the saying, "Even if it must be ten million foes, I go!" Thus, he is like the green bamboo stalk: hollow (kara) inside, straight, and with knots, that is, unselfish, gentle, and moderate. This meaning is also contained in the element kara of Karate-do.

Finally, in a fundamental way, the form of the universe is emptiness (kara), and, thus, emptiness is form itself. There are many kinds of martial arts, judo, Kendo, sojitsu ("spear techniques"), bojitsu ("stick techniques"), and others, but at a fundamental level all these arts rest on the same basis as Karate-do. It is no exaggeration to say that the original sense of Karate-do is at one with the basis of all martial arts. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form itself. The kara of Karate-do has this meaning.