Shotokan Karate Kata (eBook)

The origins of Karate lie in Okinawa. Far away from the Japanese mainland is the island, whose inhabitants, centuries ago, developed fighting techniques, which they used to defend themselves from invaders and armed aggressors. Through healthy trade connections and with it cultural exchanges with other Asian neighbouring countries, a heterogeneous martial art emerged out of the already existing local weapon and fighting techniques. The economic centres of Shuri, Naha and Tomari were where this development was focussed.

Martial arts on Okinawa became increasingly popular in 1429, after the ban on weapons was decreed by the King Sho Shin. Before even the Chinese influence of Chuan-Fa had gained a foothold on the island, the martial art of Te (Te = hand) was being taught by several masters. This occurred, however, in small schools and closed circles. It cannot be assumed that this martial art was standardised or, from today’s standpoint, that it was a fully developed art.

In 1372, in the vicinity of Naha, several Chinese families settled and they brought martial arts and the religion of Buddhism with them. It is said that they had an influence on Te throughout the area of Naha. It is held that the local popular Naha-Te (later called Shorei-Ryu – ‘Ryu’ means ‘school’) was inspired from the traditions of Chuan-Fa – Chinese boxing. It consists of dynamic movements and lays value on breathing and the technique for the production of rapid and explosive power. The interest in Chinese culture amongst the Okinawans was large, and as a result the philosophy and the fighting techniques of Chinese boxing (also called Kempo) spread into several regions of Okinawa. Other centres for Te were Tomari and Shuri (the styles developed here were later also called Shorin-Ryu). A Chinese influence could also be found in the techniques with emphasis on breathing control and round defensive movements. Tomari-Te contains both these elements.

Because the inhabitants of Okinawa lived mainly as farmers, fishermen or traders, the specific characteristics of the old style can be related to the different traditions of their professions. The farming community preferred a style with a low stance posture so that they could defend themselves with the arms and the legs from low positions. Another powerful style with numerous arm movements can be traced to fishing traditions.

The farmers and the fishermen were also inventive in using their work implements as weapons. Kobudo, the use of a Bo, the Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama and other items as implements being adapted as weapons comes from this epoch. Today’s Kata still contain, in part, (defensive) movements against such weapons.

The Japanese occupied Okinawa in 1609 and subjugated the inhabitants. This led to a ban on Te under the Satsuma dynasty at the time of Iesha SHIMAZU, which as a result could only be practised in secrecy. Nevertheless, there were several masters, who taught their art further directly to their students. The fighting techniques were intertwined as a sort of code into the Kata. Training was also done using the Makiwara, where techniques could be executed with full contact. The necessity, in daily life, to be able to put down an armed aggressor using a decisive technique – even to kill him – came out in the whole system of training. This concentrated and focussed on vital points of the body and this played an important role.

The masters of this art were well respected in the community, but they were not a bit the almighty. It is therefore futile to philosophically glorify the beginnings back in the dark ages of this martial art or to try to justify the origins historically. Missing written evidence make any statement in this way merely speculative. It is, however, a fact that the fighting system, created by the fishermen and farmers of Okinawa, served above all one purpose: to be able to kill an enemy, who was superior both in weaponry and equipment, in order to survive.

The reforms of the Meiji government, which superseded the Satsuma reign in 1872, permitted the development of martial arts and their popularity throughout the whole country. In those days, the basic martial art that we know as Karate was called “Okinawa-Te” or “Tang-Te”. The latter of these two descriptions (“Tang” means Chinese) expressed the high respect held for anything coming from China. Te, as it was then, is not yet held by most historians as a complete or even standardised martial art. Completely differing styles had been developed in the various areas. Some consisted of very few techniques, which had been practised for years and years. Some Masters of the art even possessed a very limited repertoire. Some sources report that they practised only one to three techniques for the whole of their lives, but these were carried out to perfection.

There were often rivalries between the different schools and conflicts often broke out between the followers, having a negative influence on the reputation of martial arts.

The image of martial art, however, began to change once Te became a sport in the school curriculum. The young Master Gichin FUNAKOSHI left behind a great impression on some civil servants, when he gave a demonstration of his skills, and Te was introduced as a school sport in Okinawa in 1902. Thus the corner stone was laid for a change in the martial art, which started out as a mere method of survival and was fast becoming a type of popular sport. The reason, at that time, for the inclusion of Karate in the school curriculum is interesting: Karate was counted as being conducive to training the concentration and physical condition of the pupils. The self-defence aspect was more in the background.

Gichin FUNAKOSHI, born 1868, very quickly reached a great popularity and moved to Japan, where he stayed for the rest of his life developing modern Karate with great success. He was a student of the Masters AZATO and ITOSU, and using his great knowledge he developed not only modern Karate but also the Shotokan style. He ‘japanised’ also the original term “Tang”, borrowed from the Chinese (“Tang-Te” means “Chinese hand”), and instigated the Japanese character and term turning it into “Kara” (“Kara” means “empty”). This happened also as a reaction to the increasing self-awareness of the Japanese and their dissociation from Chinese influences. The term “Kara”, however, equally includes the philosophical principles – the way to perfection of the character and the unification of the body and the soul – that are integrated into this martial art.

In 1917, after FUNAKOSHI had demonstrated his style of martial art in Japan for the first time at the behest of the government, the impetus this gave to Karate knew no bounds. He pursued his aim – spreading the art of Karate – with inexhaustible zealousness and this made him even more successful. This was because he had become a highly well-informed Master, who was not only venerated because of his Karate expertise, but who also enjoyed popularity in high governmental circles and with the royal family. FUNAKOSHI also worked as a successful calligraphist and author, publishing his works under the nom de plume of “Shoto”. He was well known in Japan and increasingly found new followers, above all many from universities as well as from military circles. His popularity in the universities helped his Karate teaching later to reach world-wide popularity, as many of his students at the universities were destined to go abroad later.

In addition to the long tradition of the predominant Kata form of Karate training, in the 1930s, FUNAKOSHI developed training with a partner, Gohon Kumite, Kihon Ippon Kumite, Jiyu Ippon Kumite and free fighting. He extracted sequences from the Kata and these were exercised with a partner using various techniques. In Kihon, additional techniques were practised, which were not contained in the Kata. In this way a programme was created that came very close to self-defence. Kata training was now devoted more to the aim of achieving flexibility, speed and strengthening of the muscles. Aesthetic dimensions were also gradually being taken into account. The daily routine practice of Karate in three elements that we know today of Kihon, Kumite and Kata, came about at that time.

In the 1930s, further styles of Karate, such as Goju-Ryu, Shito-Ryu and Wado-Ryu had been developed in addition to the style of Shotokan Karate. These styles were also introduced by Masters from Okinawa.

In honour of FUNAKOSHI, several influential friends built a Dojo, which they named “Shotokan”. This means “The hall of Shoto” and was from then on the term used for his style. The symbol for Shotokan Karate, the tiger in a circle, was designed by the famous artist Hoan KOSUGI, a friend of FUNAKOSHI, to illustrate his books about Karate. This is also the symbol widely used and adopted globally by Shotokan Karate clubs and associations still today.

After the end of the war, in 1949, the “Japan Karate Association” (JKA) was founded and with it the joint organisation of all the Dojos, Karate Groups and University schools in the whole of Japan that practised FUNAKOSHI’s Shotokan style. The “Japan Karate Association” (JKA) became the Association for all Shotokan Karateka in Japan and later world-wide. The other styles had also formed their own...