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Assignment for students not attending the 05/08/’16 TSA
performance/tournament: This assignment is worth 300
points. However, it must be noted that writing an essay is not
the equivalent of performing your kata and kumite in front
of others.
Write a 15 paragraph essay analyzing the evolution of
traditional karate from the period of secrecy through the
period of national essence (Kokutai) and into the Post-World
War II era.
THE ESSAY IS DUE MONDAY, MAY 9 AT THE
BEGINNING OF YOUR CLASS PERIOD.
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KARATE’S PERIOD OF SECRECY
CHAPTER 4
Until the early twentieth century (well into the Meiji period 明治) there was a governmental ban
in Okinawa which precluded the teaching of karate which was still referred to as Chinese-
hand.[i] As a consequence, karate was taught secretly and selectively to individuals who had
applied to and been accepted by a teacher. Until the early twentieth century a perspective student
had to be introduced to a karate teacher by a well-trusted individual and then had to request to
train under his tutelage. Eiichi Miyazato explains: “Without such an introduction perspective
students were turned away.”[ii]
Mr. Eiichi Miyazato goes on to explain the extent of the selectivity of the karate teachers in
Okinawa: “The common practice of the time was to keep the art veiled in secrecy, and the more
famous a house [a teacher and his students] was, the more pride they took in this secrecy....
[Teachers] expelled students with violent characters... [and] refused students with such
tendencies who wished to join his classes.”[iii]
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After a student was initially accepted for instruction, he would receive training only in the basics
and would be required to perform chores around the dojo. During this time, the sensei would
make observations on the character of the applicant and would evaluate whether that individual
possessed the potential to become a worthy student. Only if the person was assessed as
possessing a sufficiently sound character would he receive any in-depth instruction in karate.
Consequently, only the most trusted students were given the opportunity to learn the secrets
possessed by their teacher. Others were taught only the basics or were given incomplete
instruction.[iv]
It is not difficult to imagine that the number of people who trained in karate at this time was
quite small. Due to the tremendous scrutiny that one had to endure in order to train in karate only
those men who possessed the best characters were allowed into the houses of the great masters.
Mr. Gichin Funakoshi relates to us how few students some of these masters had: “When I studied
under Master Azato, considered to be the greatest karate expert of his time, I was his only
student; and when I trained under Master Itosu, he had very few students, fewer than even the
poorest neighborhood dojo today [1940s].”[v]
Karate was practiced
secretively in small groups
under the watchful eye of an
instructor.
Other factors which
further limited who could
practice karate were
one’s social and
economic status.
Commoners could not
afford to practice karate.
Only the nobility of
Okinawa could afford
this luxury. Charles
Goodin explains: “Karate was something that only the rich (meaning the nobility) could afford to
learn. Commoners arose before dawn and toiled in the fields farming or on the sea fishing all day
long... There was no time for midnight karate lessons at a family tomb, nor was there any money
for tuition.” [vi] Consequently, only the most interested and deserving members of Okinawa’s
upper crust were socially and economically able to train.
Mr. Funakoshi describes his days of practicing karate in this secretive and selective environment:
“At that time karate was banned by the government, so sessions had to take place in secret, and
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students were strictly forbidden by their teachers to discuss with anyone the fact that they were
studying the art.”[vii] As a consequence, karate students and teachers had to practice under the
stealth of darkness. Every evening, Mr. Funakoshi would leave for practice in the dark and return
just before sunrise. He tells us that “the neighbors took to conjecturing as to where I was going
and what I was doing. Some decided that the only possible answer to this curious enigma was a
brothel.”[viii] Mr. Funakoshi was caught in a dilemma and was unable to dispel this rumor. If he
had spoken and defended his reputation, he would have unveiled his secret. Consequently, he
said nothing.
THE KARATE of an OLDER TIME
Karate training in Okinawa at this time was quite different from the training that would later
evolve. Students did not wear the karate uniform (gi) or utilize the colored and black belts (kyu
and dan obi): “In Okinawa, Karate practitioners wore ‘han hakama’ (short pants above the knee)
until the beginning of the Showa era, which began in 1926. The top was usually bare. As karate
gradually spread to other prefectures, Judo ware was copied until the use of present day Karate
ware became popular.”[ix] Additionally, the colored and black belt system, which was already in
use in judo, was not formalized in Japanese karate until sometime around 1935.[x] In Okinawa
this kyu and dan grading system was adopted somewhat later.
It is interesting to note that some of the terminology which we use in karate today was not used
during this period. For instance, the term kata (formal exercise) was not used in Okinawa at this
time. The common practice in Okinawa was to refer to a kata by its name followed by the word
di (hand in Okinawan). Zenpo Shimabukuro explains: “The use of the word ‘kata’ did not
become widespread until after the war [1945]. My father used terms like Seisan-di [thirteen-
hand].”[xi] Hence, even the terminology that we use today in traditional karate was not used
during this period.
Additionally, since the culture of Okinawa had been greatly influenced by Chinese
Confucianism, it is not surprising to discover that this social and moral philosophy permeated
into the curriculum of karate training. The curriculum was not standardized and was tailored
toward transforming the whole person through a comprehensive education in a variety of areas.
In other words, one did not go to the dojo to study only karate. One went to the dojo to receive a
broad education and to improve one’s character. For instance, we are told that Mr. Chojun
Miyagi’s instruction during this era “stressed the importance of acquiring an understanding of
society in general, over and above the martial arts topics. To this end he invited guest speakers to
lecture… The invited guests would include top instructors in calligraphy, music, literature,
poetry, as well as medical doctors.”[xii]
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Furthermore, the curriculum of the vast majority of the karate teachers was in a constant state of
flux, and it was intended to be that way. Choshin Chibana explains the purpose of this constant
change in the training and the curriculum of the teachers of this time: “Karate, as it is
transmitted, changes every
few years... It happens
because a teacher must
continue to learn and adds
his personality to the
teachings. There is an old
Okinawan martial arts saying
that states that karate is much
like a pond. In order for the
pond to live, it must have
fresh water. It must have
fresh streams that feed the
pond and replenish it. If this
is not done the pond becomes
stagnant and dies. If the martial arts teacher does not receive an infusion of new ideas/methods,
then he, too, dies. He stagnates.”[xiii]
Left: Training bare-chested in han hakama
Since a karate instructor’s curriculum, teaching methods,
and kata were in a constant state of change, there was no
such thing as a style in karate. In fact, it was not until
1926, well after the secrecy surrounding karate ended, that
karate was generally referred to by the Okinawan city
where it was practiced. Hence instead of using the original
term Chinese-hand, names like Naha-te, Shuri-te, and
Tomori-te were used and corresponded to the te (hand)
that was being practiced in the general areas of Naha,
Shuri, and Tomari. However, these general references
were misleading and have led to the mistaken notion that
several different “styles” of karate were being taught. The
truth of the matter was that most martial artists on
Okinawa practiced together whenever they were able, and
they blended the teachings of one group of practitioners
with the teachings of others. As a result, there was nothing resembling three separate styles of
karate in Okinawa at this time.[xiv]
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We can see that during this period of time, karate was a secretive martial art which had been
adopted from the Chinese and altered by the Okinawans. It possessed little of the organization
that we now associate with karate-do. There was no unified curriculum, no official manner of
dress, no ranking system, and no standardized styles.
[i] Funakoshi, Gichin: Karate-do My Way of Life: page 4
[ii] Miyazato Eiichi: Okinawan Den Goju Ryu Karate-do: page 22
[iii] Miyazato Eiichi: Okinawan Den Goju Ryu Karate-do: pages 20 and 21
[iv] Funakoshi, Gichin, Karate-Do Nyumon: page 23
[v] Funakoshi, Gichin, Karate-Do Nyumon: page 23
[vi] Goodin, Charles: Dragon Times: Vol.19 page 9
[vii] Funakoshi, Gichin: Karate-do My Way of Life: page 4
[viii] Funakoshi, Gichin: Karate-do My Way of Life: page 6
[ix] Miyazato Eiichi: Okinawan Den Goju Ryu Karate-do: page 34
[x] Funakoshi, Gichin: Karate-do My Way of Life: pages 83-84
[xi] Chotoku Kyan, Classical Fighting Arts, Vol. 2 No. 15 (Issue #38) page 55
[xii] Higaonna, Morio: The History of Karate: page 64
[xiii] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 36
[xiv] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 16
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7
KOKUTAI: THE PERIOD of NATIONAL ESSENCE
CHAPTER 5
KOKUTAI
Japan embarked upon a social and political program called Kokutai or National Essence “which
served from the Meiji Restoration [1867] to1945 as an inspiring and unifying ideology.”[i] This
program had two major objectives. The first of these objectives was Japan-ness (Nihonjinron)
which promoted cultural uniformity throughout all of the territories of Japan, including Okinawa.
The other major objective of Kokutai was austerity (Shugyo). This was designed to inculcate the
ideals of the old samurai class into all of the social classes in Japan. Loyalty, bravery, and
sacrifice were to be instilled into the entire population through this program. [ii] Kokutai, the
program of National Essence, would eventually have a profound effect on the development of
karate by lifting the veil of secrecy which once surrounded karate and by substantially altering
the manner in which karate was taught in both Okinawa and Japan.
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KARATE BECOMES PUBLIC
As a result of Kokutai, the period of karate’ secrecy ended in the early twentieth century as the
reign of the Meiji Emperor was drawing to a close. The transition from karate being taught in a
secretive and selective environment to karate being taught openly to the public is confirmed by
Richard Kim: “In Okinawa around 1903, karate was incorporated into the public school physical
education system. Prior to this period, karate training was restricted to the nobility and men of
means.”[iii]
The reason that karate was introduced into the public education system had militaristic
undertones. A Japanese doctor was examining Okinawan candidates for the Japanese military
service, and he noticed that the mental and physical condition of certain young men was
exceptional. When it was discovered that all of these men trained in karate, the Japanese
government decided to end the ban which had forced karate to be taught secretly and to move
karate into the public educational system. In this manner, the physical condition of all of the
Okinawan candidates for the Japanese military would be improved.[iv]
Karate training became public in Okinawa and had militaristic undertones.
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Karate, which was once the secretive martial art of Okinawa’s nobility, was now a public art
which was practiced by all of the young men of all of the social classes in Okinawa. However,
we must bear in mind that this change was not motivated by a desire to have karate introduced to
the general public. The real motivation came from the government’s desire to improve both the
mental and physical condition of the men who were entering the armed services of the Empire of
Japan.
One can reasonably infer that having karate taught in the government run public schools, and
having it taught to all levels of Okinawan society grew out of Japan’s program of Kokutai or
National Essence. The Kokutai goal of Shugyo was designed to instill the ideals of Japan’s
samurai class to all of the social classes in Japan. Consequently, it is quite consistent with
Shugyo to have the ideals of the Okinawan nobility and their martial art instilled into all of the
social classes on the island of Okinawa. The purpose was to have all young Japanese men,
including those in Okinawa, instilled with the martial spirit, feelings of loyalty, and a sense of
sacrifice for Empire.[v] Teaching karate in the public school curriculum would have ensured that
all of the men from Okinawa who entered the Japanese military would be trained in a martial art
and instilled with these traits.
KARATE IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERED
Furthermore, Japan’s program of Kokutai (National Essence) was promoting the ideal of
Nihonjinron or “reshaping all of Japan, including Okinawa, into one unified people.”[vi]
Consequently, when Okinawan karate teachers traveled to the main islands of Japan in the 1920s
and introduced their martial art to the Japanese public, they discovered that “by Japanese
standards karate was uncultivated and without suitable organization or ‘oneness.’ In short, it was
not Japanese.”[vii] To make matters even more complicated, Okinawan karate was of Chinese
origin “and anti-Chinese sentiment was rampant.”[viii] As a result, the Japanese quickly set
upon transforming Okinawan karate into a suitable Japanese martial art.
Patrick McCarthy enumerates some of the changes that were required in order to transform
Okinawan karate into a truly Japanese martial art: “For karate-jitsu to be accepted in mainland
Japan, the Butokukai [Japan’s supervising body for the martial arts] called for the development
and implementation of a unified teaching curriculum, a consistent standard for evaluating the
various grades of proficiency, the implementation of Kano Jigoro’s [the founder of judo] dan-
kyu system [of black belts and lesser belts], and the development of a safe competitive format
through which participants could test their skills and spirits...[The] idea was to establish a
universal set of standards, as judo and kendo had done”[ix] This litany of alterations was
required in order to transform Okinawan karate, which was still called Chinese-hand, into a
martial art that was consistent with the other Japanese martial arts.
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Moreover, if the karate of Okinawa was to gain acceptance in Japan, it needed to be in accord
with the indigenous Japanese martial traditions of judo and kendo in one other area. This meant
that specific style names needed to be adopted.[x] Consequently, the general references to the
city where the martial art was practice were abandoned, and specific style names were registered
with the Dai Nippon Butokukai in the early 1930s.[xi] Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Shito Ryu, Wado
Ryu, and Shotokan were style names which eventually would be spread throughout Japan and its
empire.
For the most part, the changes which had been called for by Kokutai and the Dai Nippon
Butokukai materialized. Karate lost its Chinese visage and became Japanese in its appearance
and in its substance. Karate training was standardized and systematized. The karate gi and belt
grades were introduced, and names for styles were selected. This once secretive and enigmatic
Okinawan martial art was transformed into a modern Japanese martial art which could be
practiced by people of all social classes.
[i] Brownlee, John S: The Four Stages of the Japanese Kokutai [National Essence], page 1
[ii] McCarthy, Patrick: Bubishi: page 52
[iii] Kim, Richard: The Weaponless Warriors: page 64
[iv] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, pages 23-24
[v] McCarthy, Patrick: Bubishi: page 52
[vi] McKenna, Mario, Dragon Times: Vol. 17 page 9
[vii] McCarthy, Patrick: Bubishi: page 54
[viii] McCarthy, Patrick: Bubishi: page 55
[ix] McCarthy, Patrick Bubishi: The Bible of Karate: page 55
[x] Higaonna, Morio: The History of Karate: page 68
[xi] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 36
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THE POST W.W.II PERIOD
KARATE: MARTIAL ART or COMPETITIVE SPORT
Japan lay in ruins after the Pacific War.
CHAPTER 7
After the Second World War, Japan lay in ruins, and those forces which had propelled Japan
down the road of nationalism and militarism were blamed for its demise. Consequently, the
program of Kokutai (national essence) which not only perused creating homogeneous empire but
also pursued instilling the militaristic ideals of the samurai into the general population was
abandoned.[i] Additionally, the Dai Nippon Butokukai which had both regulated and promoted
Japan’s martial traditions was temporarily abolished because it was viewed as having promoted
militarism and was consequently associated with the war.[ii]
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After the war, Japanese culture was changing rapidly in an effort to abandon its militaristic past
and to seek a new and peaceful direction for its future. Mr. Teruyuki Okazaki explains: “Before
the war, nationalism was everything. During the war, it was militarism and brainwashing. After
the war there was a 180 degree (turn) to pacifism, and wholehearted attempts to copy the
US.”[iii]
A NEW DIRECTION FOR KARATE IN JAPAN
The old approach of teaching karate as a martial art was identified with the war and Japan’s
defeat, and it was felt that the Western approach of teaching karate as a competitive sport would
be much better. Mr. Masatoshi Nakayama, a Shotokan karate master, tells us that competitive
sports were flourishing in the social-political climate of post-war Japan, and that he was
concerned that if karate continued to be taught as a deadly martial art, the public would reject it.
As a result, he endeavored to move karate in the direction of a competitive sport.[iv]
Consequently in order for karate to survive in this atmosphere, the old martial attitudes which
were associated with the war and Japan’s defeat were to be discarded, and new attitudes which
were associated with competitive sports were to be adopted.
In addition to the social-political forces which moved karate in the direction of a competitive
sport, there were also some very practical reasons for this shift. After the war, karate’s popularity
increased. When the Allied occupying forces suspended the Butokukai, they also temporarily
suspended the practice of both judo and kendo believing that these martial arts had contributed to
the militarism which led to the Pacific War. Consequently, many people turned their interest
away from Japan’s indigenous martial arts and began to practice karate which had somehow
avoided the suspension. This immediately increased the demand for karate instruction and
subsequently led to a severe shortage of qualified karate instructors in Japan.[v]
Moreover, the shortage of qualified instructors in Japan was caused by more than just an increase
in the demand for karate instruction. We must keep in mind that karate was not introduced into
Japan until the 1920s, and that there had been less than a generation to train a cadre of skilled
instructors. To make matters worse, karate training was suspended during the war, and some of
those who had trained in karate before the war died during the conflict either in the military or as
a result of the allied bombing. As a result, there were relative few people in Japan who were
qualified to teach karate. Shoshin Nagamine confirms this: “The reasons for the instructor
shortage can be attributed to the comparatively brief history of karate in Japan, war damage, and
the discontinuance of karate training during the war.”[vi]
Furthermore, it was found that teaching karate as a sport was less demanding than teaching
karate as a martial art. It takes years of in-depth study under the guidance of a highly trained
instructor to properly learn a kata (formal exercise) and its corresponding bunkai (self-defense
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applications), but it takes considerably less time and training to learn karate as a sport.
Consequently, instructors with relatively little experience were sent out to teach the increasing
number of students who were enrolling in the sport of karate.[vii]
The change in Japan’s social-political climate and the shortage of experienced instructors
affected the direction that karate-do would take in the second half of the twentieth century.
Japanese karate adopted more of a Western sporting attitude and discarded some of its older
martial arts’ principles. In the early 1950s the first rules of sport karate competition were
developed in Japan, and by 1957 the first All Japan Karate-do Championships were showcased
in Tokyo.[viii]
KARATE IN OKINAWA
However, since karate had been long established in Okinawa, they were less affected by the
shortage of qualified instructors and less inclined to teach karate as a sport. Whereas the karate
masters in Okinawa understood the motives for the Japanese teaching karate as a competitive
sport, some of the older karate masters in Okinawa believed that it was a mistake for the
Japanese to abandon karate’s martial arts past. They believed that by teaching karate as a sport,
the Japanese were sacrificing the content of karate’s curriculum for an increase in its popularity.
Okinawan karate master, Shoshin Nagamine, explains this point of view: “Considering its cause
just, karate in Japan opted for success and popularity over content and depth. As a consequence,
karate [in Japan] is beginning to lose its value as a martial art with the increase in worldwide
popularity.”[ix]
Mr. Eiichi Miyazato, a well-respected master of Okinawan Goju Ryu, agreed with Mr.
Nagamine. He too expressed skepticism for what will result from the increased popularity of
karate and the resulting shift toward teaching karate as a sport: “There are a number of problems
that arise with the spread of Karate. The sudden increase in student numbers inevitable results in
a lack of trained instructors. With this, the quality of the instruction decreases, and the art is
transformed into a sport. Such a transformation entails the loss of the very essence of Karate.”[x]
Furthermore, many of the Okinawan karate instructors of this period believed that karate could
remain popular without forsaking its traditional past. As we recall from Chapter 1, the pioneers
of Okinawan karate altered the outward appearance of the Chinese martial arts in order to adapt it
to the needs of the Okinawans. However, these great karate masters never altered what was
essential in the Chinese martial arts. Many of the post-World War II karate masters in Okinawa
believed that karate could be adapted in order to make it suitable to the post-war society without
losing its essence. In this manner, karate could become popular without sacrificing its core
values. Shoshin Nagamine explains: “Karate, like all things classical, has the potential to meet
the demands of various ages and to produce something new out of itself without rejecting those
basic elements upon which it was founded. The formal training methods of the great masters
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must be observed because karate was meant to be pursued as a martial art, not as a sport where
the goal is defeating an opponent or winning points. Karate has an ancient heritage, full of
wisdom. Let us follow the way of karate as shown to us by the ancient masters.”[xi]
THE FUTURE OF TRADITIONAL KARATE-DO
Ever since the end of the Second World War, traditional karate masters have rejected the extreme
nationalism that the program of Kokutai (National Essence) instilled into karate during the early
twentieth century. In its place karate has adopted a Western format of sport competition. Today,
the once secretive martial art of Okinawa is being practiced globally, and some of its world-wide
success and popularity can be attributed to karate being promoted as a competitive sport.
Presently, there are national governing bodies for sport karate-do in one hundred eighty-three
countries which are affiliated with the World Karate-do Federation, the world governing body
for Olympic-style sport karate-do. At this writing, karate is one of a “short list” of sports being
considered for admission into the Olympic Games. Moreover, there are many other national and
international sport karate organizations which sponsor competitive events for karate.
In today’s world, competitive sports are highly regarded by the public and are also part of a
global economy. Nations covet hosting the Olympic Games not only because of the national
pride which is associated with being the host, but also because of the anticipation of the positive
impact the games will have on their economy. Consequently, Olympic-style sport karate does not
appear to be fading into oblivion in the near future. Will traditional karate-do be able to meet the
demands of the 21st century, preserve the formal training methods of the great masters, and
produce something new out of itself without rejecting those basic elements upon which it was
founded?
[i] McKenna, Mario, Dragon Times: Vol. 17 page 9
[ii] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 119
[iii] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 162
[iv] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 162
[v] Nagamine, Shoshin: The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, page 25
[vi] Nagamine, Shoshin: The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, page 25
[vii] Nagamine, Shoshin: The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, page 26
[viii] Cook, Harry: Shotokan Karate, page 164
[ix] Nagamine, Shoshin: The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, page 26
[x] Miyazato Eiichi: Okinawan Den Goju Ryu Karate-do: Preface
[xi] Nagamine, Shoshin: The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, page 30