Uneune (to wander)
by Jim Craig

All the research on Okinawa did not prepare me for the experience. My first misconception was that it was going to be clear and hot with lots of refreshing ocean breezes. That was my anticipation as I stepped off the plane for the first time in Okinawa. It was HOT! It stayed hot from sunrise to 5AM, then cooled off for a little bit. If it was overcast or raining, it cooled off a little, but got REAL muggy. So there I was in all my Gaijin glory, my lily-white skin accented by a permanent sheen of sweat, topped off with the shorts and white socks of the nimrod American. You could spot us coming a mile away, the big white-haired gaijin and the little red-headed gaijin ( though Pat is still taller than most Okinawans) orbiting the Teen Gaijin. It became a minor concern that every Okinawan we met initially treated us with disdain until we made an attempt to speak Japanese, then most everyone became cordial and even extremely helpful. I was blown away at how far one could get with a simple "Konichiwa", and especially "Nihongo O Wakarimasen". Changing hotels on the fourth day, (We walked everywhere) we asked directions from a person working in an office and she led us out the building and down the street two blocks to point the way to our hotel. Try finding someone in the US that does that. Wait a minute, was she being "customer service" oriented or just trying to get rid of us in as polite a way as possible? Hmmm... I had heard about the spectacular Okinawan sunsets. Never saw one, just heard about them. The sub-tropical vegetation was intense. Great to see all those tropical plants in pots here in the US growing wild and in full flowering profusion in Okinawa. We had heard both sides to the food story. "Oh don't eat the local food, it will disagree with you, just eat at the American restaurants." I don't like American restaurants here, why would I travel 5000 miles to eat a Big Whopper? The Okinawans appreciated us trying thier local dishes and learning ( or at least trying ) to order in Japanese. Basically, the food is great and we loved it despite the occasional gastro-intestinal disturbance. We tried some local Sake, caught a buzz, and was real thankful it wasn't the local brew known as "Habu". Habu is a more than potent drink indigenous to the Ryukyus made famous (infamous) by putting a dead habu, a local pit viper, into a jar of Sake and letting the flesh of the snake dissolve until only the skeleton remains. MMMmmm, It's got a real bite to it, but that's some GOOOOOD stuff. I'll take a steamin' cup full of that!!

 

The training in Okinawa was interesting. I don't know if it's because of the heat and humidity, but the traditional kata based schools really don't train as hard as we do! There was a lot of time spent sitting around watching the upper belts do kata while the kids had way too much time to start acting out and goofing off. On the other hand, the kumite based schools trained like there was no tomorrow, and fought full contact, without pads, unless contact to the head was allowed then they wore these cool Shureido headgear with clear plexiglass face shields. So we plugged into the Budokan in Naha and Trevor got some great kumite practice and Pat and I worked our kobudo kata on our own. "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I know that there are a load of dojos in Okinawa, but they are low-key, nondescript, and hard to find if you can't read Japanese. I was in a pottery shop on Heiwa-dori and noticed the owner's knuckles. Obviously he has spent a great deal of time on the makiwara. We tried to communicate and managed to find out that we were both 4th dans in Shorin-ryu, and his Sensei is Fuse Kise. As I was leaving he put his hand on my arm ( understand that this was THE only time anyone in Okinawa touched me) and said, " Come back?" I answered, "Hai". I believe there might be the teacher I was looking for. I'll be back. Don't know when.

Hey Michael, thanks.

Japanese Culture: Karate
By Trevor Latal

As you know I am a student in karate-do (way of the empty hand).  The specific style that I practice is called Shorin-Ryu (way of the young pine tree).  This style like most can trace its history back to the Shaolin (shorin in Japanese) Buddhist temples in China.  When a man named Bodhidharma arrived in China from India, around a thousand years ago, he brought Zen Buddhism, and a set of exercises that came to be known as Shaolin style temple boxing.  This temple boxing became very handy when defending their temple from thieves.  Although the Buddhist monks would usually use this as a last resort because violence is frowned upon in Buddhism.

The other place where I can trace karate back to is Okinawa.  Originally karate was called Te (hand), and this style was developed in Okinawa.  Te usually involved no weapons because over the years the Okinawan people have been taken over by many larger countries (not unlike the French).  Thus having weapon bans placed on them, the art of Te became invaluable as a means of self-defense.  Because Okinawa is situated south of mainland Japan, it is at the crossroads of major trade routes.  Because Okinawa is located on a trade route with China, the art of Te was influenced by Buddhism, and the exercises of Chinese temple boxing.

Over the years, Te continued to develop in Okinawa, and was collectively called Tode (Chinese hand).  This was very confusing because the symbol for "Chinese" and the symbol for "empty" were basically the same.  So the name came to be known as 'karate-do' (way of the empty hand).

Even though there was a weapons ban in Okinawa, the people of Okinawa often used simple farm implements as often deadly weapons.  These are known as kobujutsu (ancient weapon art).  Some of these would include the bo (a six foot long stick used to carry water buckets), the nunchaku (two heavy pieces of wood tied together used as a rice flail).  Note: These are called numbchuks by modern day Hollywood, but please do not refer to them as this. Others would include the Tuifa (a wood version of the modern police club that would be spun using the handle to block and attack.  This could have also been a handle for a well to draw up water), another is the kama (a short sickle used for cutting grains).  The heaviest weapons, the sai, were invented to block swords (they are made of iron and look like short daggers with a U shaped handle).

To become a master with these, a person has to practice for hours.  Kata is a series of prearranged moves to help a person gain muscle and practice the techniques they have learned.  Kata is not just for the ancient weapons, but for mastering your mind and body as one.  The origins of kata come from the Chinese influence on karate, and it's Okinawa roots.  Originally the kata were to be passed down from parent to child in Okinawa (usually father to son).  But as karate-do became legal new kata were created.  Some of these were used in Japanese schools as a means of physical education.  One in particular is the set of five Pinan kata, these are Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pidan Sandan, Pinan Yondan, and Pinan Godan.  These were developed by Yasutsune Itosu at the age of 75 in 1905.  Itosu used these to teach elementary students in Okinawa, and used them to teach karate-do when he was hired by Japan.  The Pinan kata is an example of one of the later developed kata that is most likely based on older Chinese and Okinawa forms.

A kata series that is far older than the Pinan group is Nihonchin.  Although the creator is unknown, Nihanchin breaks down into three smaller kata known as Nihanchi Shodan, Nihanchi Nidan, and Nihanchi Sandan.  The idea and strength of this kata relies in kiba dachi (horse stance), which strengthens the legs and knees.  All parts of this kata are done in a straight line to simulate defending yourself from multiple enemies against a wall.

As a whole karate-do is for self defense purposes only and should only be used as a last resort, not a first. That is why a student of karate-do must be disciplined, and in control of their body and mind before they can truly be in touch with their inner chi (spirit). For that is what karate-do is truly about, spirit.

 

Resources:
http://www.karatebc.org/history/  
Sensei Jim Craig at Westside Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do
http://www.westsideshorinryu.com/articles

 

The Art of Karate
by Sarah Butler

Very few things in this world are static; change is necessary to prevent any skill from becoming obsolete. Karate is one example of an art that has modulated over the years, due to culture and necessity. However, some changes are a necessary evil at best, and others are not beneficial in any way. Throughout its development karate has changed gradually to avoid extinction, however, World War II caused more drastic changes, many of which have been detrimental to the art and caused many people to misunderstand karate.

The development of karate over the years has reflected the history and cultures of the time. Karate was closely tied to Buddhism as it first developed, and it incorporated many of Buddhism's beliefs. Later, some schools of karate either misinterpreted or discarded the philosophies that accompanied karate. Karate is commonly believed to have originated in China, around 520 A.D., where the famous Indian Buddhist, Bodhidharma, came to spread Zen Buddhism. These Buddhist roots gave karate its emphasis on avoiding violence and developing self discipline. It also added the spiritual side to karate, one of its most important aspects. Bodhidharma and his Zen students often practiced static meditation for many hours at a time. To enable them to meditate better, he taught the monks exercises which often required extreme physical endurance, as an aid to develop mental and spiritual discipline. These early martial arts exercises also helped the monks defend themselves against bandits, who often raided their Shorin Ji (Shao Lin temples). Because they were Buddhists, the monks hated violence and only used it as a last resort. This may seem like a contradiction, to practice a martial art while believing in nonviolence, but the central precept of karate is that actual fighting is to be avoided if at all possible.

It is safe to conclude that the Chinese monks' main focus was the spiritual development aspect of the martial arts. Many of the precepts on which karate is founded reflect the art's Buddhist origins. For example the four main precepts of Shorin-Ryu Karate are: respect all life-- develop a strong mind, body and spirit-- lead others along the path of truth-- and there is no first strike in karate-do. These bear a strong similarity to the moral code of Buddhism, which includes similar precepts: lead a moral life, be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, develop wisdom and understanding, do not take the life of anything living and refrain from untrue speech. It is clear from these similarities that Buddhism's influence on martial arts played a large role in the development of the philosophies that make karate a unique fighting art.

As karate was transported to Okinawa from China, it retained the spiritualist aspects of the art, but the true focus switched from spiritual growth to self defense. In Okinawa, there was "a vital element of self defense for the sake of survival." Most likely this occurred out of necessity, considering Okinawa's position as a tempting target for both pirates and larger countries. Throughout history, Okinawa has often been occupied by other countries, not all of whom treated the natives well. Thus, it is not surprising that the skills Buddhists had used in defending their temples from bandits were very useful to the Okinawans, who adapted karate to fit their own needs. Unlike the martial arts of Japan, which were developed for dueling, skills practiced in Okinawa were only meant for self-defense and used primarily against pirates. Because of their great vulnerability, it is not surprising that the Okinawans had tried to develop fighting arts before encountering the precursors of karate that came from China. Even before toudi, or China hand (which later evolved into karate) came to Okinawa in the eighteenth century, Okinawa had a style of its own, simply called te.

At first glance, it seems strange that the Okinawans would bother with empty handed fighting, when all the rest of the world used weapons like swords, spears, or bows. Then again, in Okinawa all weapons were banned starting in 1429, and thus te was encouraged in its development, because it was a form of fighting that did not require weapons. Fighting arts of any sort were not legal during this time so "The practice of te [was] secret lest its practitioners be punished by the government as a potential danger or threat to its stability."

Between the old Buddhist principles of respect for all life, and the probable punishment by the law, Okinawans would not have used karate lightly. Therefore, the precept "Karate ni sente nashi," or "there is no first strike in karate," came to embody the essence of Okinawan karate. This precept focuses on developing a lifelong commitment to nonviolence and means more than simply not throwing the first punch in a fight. The idea that karate must never be used except in self defense shows up in the kata. Not a single kata begins with anything other than a defensive move.

"Throughout history, the martial arts have changed and evolved in accord with the changes in values, morals and ethics of the people who practice them. These changes are all linked intrinsically to the historical, political, religious, and social backdrop of the time in any given society." Karate might have continued to exist quietly, resisting the influences of the outside world for a while, but eventually globalization was bound to have an effect on Okinawa, and thus karate. In 1904, karate gained popular recognition when Anko Itosu introduced it into the Okinawan public schools as a physical education program. The karate that was introduced into the schools used kata practice to build fitness but did not teach the martial applications of the techniques, and removed what was considered too dangerous for school children. This new form of karate represented the "termination of a secret self defense art that embodied spiritualism, and the birth of a unique recreational phenomenon." Because this newer form of karate was more easily accessible and easier to learn, students did not have to work as hard as they traditionally had. While karate was banned, for example, it was much more difficult to find a master, and practices often had to be held in secret.

Sadly, the largest factor in the recent development of karate has been a rather negative one: World War II. The battle of Okinawa lasted roughly 90 days and destroyed about 90% of Okinawan culture. Many temples were destroyed and martial arts masters were killed, and Okinawa became a stronghold for U.S. forces. After the fighting had died down, the Okinawans saw the U.S. troops stationed there as an opportunity to promote and save martial arts, so they taught them karate. After the war, they encouraged them to go back to the U.S. and teach, spreading karate so that it did not die out.

To master karate takes a lifetime and most people are not ready to teach until they have had many years of training. It is therefore not surprising that the karate brought back by the military personnel was not an accurate representation of karate. It was neither the fault of the Okinawans, nor the men whom they taught, but an unfortunate consequence of the destruction of Okinawa's culture by the war. A few World War II veterans did hang on to their karate, and return to Okinawa for additional training, such as Sensei (teacher) Nick Flores, who has become one of the top masters in the United States. Unfortunately, some nonqualified people still teach karate, and self promote or hire instructors who are not adequately trained to teach, for the purpose of making money.

To some extent the problem of finding karate practitioners who were qualified to teach also occurred in Japan. In 1875, Okinawa had become an official part of Japan, but karate did not become popular there until 1922, when masters Gichin Funakoshi and Choki Motobu, held a demonstration in Japan. Many problematic changes to karate occurred at this time. After World War II., the U.S. administration prohibited judo and kendo in Japan, because they were thought to foster militarism. This caused a great number of new students to seek out karate schools as a "safety valve" for young people's energies.

The problem with this sudden influx of karate students was an acute lack of qualified instructors in Japan. Because of this lack, many under-qualified karate practitioners opened studios and began to teach, resulting in superficial karate, moves without spirit or lengthy training requirements. Considering the number of masters and amount of knowledge lost in the war, it is not surprising that karate was diluted during this time. The growing popularity of karate fundamentally changed it from a secret self defense art that embodied spiritualism to a popular fad, exploited for materialism and other motives.

These trends were not unique to Japan; they also carried over to the U.S., resulting in mistaken views of the purpose of karate, which persist to this day. It is this flashy, high-kicking, impractical style of martial arts that is portrayed by Hollywood, for instance, which tends to ignore the meaning and precepts behind karate. Thus most people have an unrealistic view of karate, because of the inaccurate way it is commonly portrayed.

It is understandable that a lack of qualified instructors would be detrimental to karate, but another, less obvious factor has been just as damaging to the art: tournaments. Because most of the Japanese students who began to study karate after World War II were accustomed to the martial arts Kendo and Judo, they assumed karate was a similar sport, and for the first time karate tournaments began to be held. This conflicts with the original principles of karate, which was not meant to be a sport or competition at all by the people who developed it, since fighting was meant to be avoided if at all possible. In Okinawa, it was felt karate was too dangerous to become a sport, but in Japan in the 1920's free fighting and contests began to be emphasized, whereas Okinawan masters would not have allowed this, teaching by kata alone. If the Okinawans had held a tournament it would have been a fight to the last man standing.

The most negative effect of competitions and tournaments has been to take karate's emphasis off of self defense and personal growth and focus solely on getting points. On Dec 1, 1963, the first all Japan Karate-do tournament was held in Tokyo, where the rules for fighting were set. Competitors received points for certain attacks, with good form, to certain parts of body. Unfortunately, this system of awarding points for only certain attacks caused many styles to limit the types of techniques practiced and to focus on competition. Some styles of Okinawan origin still teach the full range of skills, including locks, throws punches, kicks, and weapons. If not for these styles, which emphasize effective defense techniques over tournament fighting, many of karate's most effective techniques would have disappeared by now.

The tournament-oriented form karate has taken often causes students to focus on scoring points, and has little or nothing to do with the original spirit of Karate-do. In competitions, "the judgment of victory or defeat is based totally on the subjective decision of the two referees. Often however, contestants do not consider themselves beaten, even though the decision goes against them, and they feel frustrated at the judgment." Many competitors are driven to employ overly brutal techniques to win, and a "light contact" match can lead to injuries. I have experienced this personally, coming out of my first sparring match dazed and with a bloody nose. Many competitors employ tactics like knocking the wind out of their opponent in a match so that they are easier to fight. Despite stated rules, this sort of fighting has become the norm in many contests and is seldom punished. Tournaments can send the message that to be a good karate practitioner you must train incredibly harshly to succeed, which is not true. This contrasts with the founders of karate's belief that the true measure of a karate student is the principles by which they live.

Tournament fighting gives people an unrealistic view of karate. "All too often competition encourages an aggressive attitude that can promote conflict in daily life." Needless to say, employing brutal tactics to win prizes does not agree with the Buddhist ideals that shaped karate. "Our purpose is a karate that we can continue to do until we are 60, 70, or 80 years old. Our purpose is not to beat someone or to win in a competition against someone."- Higaonna sensei Karate ought to be a competition against one's self only, and is not something that points can be assigned for, because spiritual growth is as important as technique.

Karate is one of the most misunderstood arts today because of the emphasis often placed on tournaments and fighting prowess. It has been modified from its original form so much that the true goals of karate-do are frequently overlooked. Throughout its long history, karate has reflected the culture in which it was practiced; now karate is practiced all over the world. The recent violent emphasis of karate is merely a reflection of modern times. Karate influences its students, but the students also influence the karate.

Works Cited

Craig, Jim. Personal Interview. 3 Mar. 2003.

Croucher, Michael, and Howard Reid. The Way of the Warrior. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 1991

Durbin, William. Mastering Kempo. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1953

Homma, Gaku. "Martial Arts as an Educational Tool for Human Development." Martial Arts Federation for World Peace Conference. Washington D.C.. 23 Mar. 1997.

McCarthy, Patrick. The Bible of Karate: Bubushi. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995.

Nagamine, Shoshin. The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do (Shorin-Ryu). Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle, 1976

Ochiai, Hidy. Hidy Ochiai's Living Karate. Chicago, IL: Contemporary Books, 1986

Buddhist Dharma Education Association and Buddhanet. 3 Feb. 2003 http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm.

Note:  In Sarah's original paper, she very carefully footnoted all of her references.  Because of the limitations of the editing capabilities on this webserver, we were not able to preserve the footnotes.  If you would like detailed annotations, please contact us.