Learn the secrets of Kung Fu
 

Need High Quality Martial Arts Supplies? -- KarateDepot is your answer. Click for more info...

 

Article #285: The History Of Karate

(Browse for more articles)
 
The history of Karate is a long and traditions while their rulers slept.
meandering path of development, across Legend has it that this is why karate gis
seas from Japan and Okinawa, through the look like pyjamas: because they once
heart of long-ago China and over the were, and the tradition has carried on.
mountains into ancient India. However, these romantic origins are
For many karateka training in a considered unrealistic by most
traditional, style, there is a certain historians, as Okinawan combative
satisfaction in making a connection to traditions go back much further.
the past through training as their In the 800 years between 600 and 1400
predecessors trained (or close to it) A.D., Okinawa experienced territorial
and, by observing tradition, carrying on fighting under the rule of
values and practices still considered warrior-chieftans and in the 10th century
useful and important. But what is military power struggles in Japan saw
traditional? Through the ages, martial some warrior clans move to Okinawa. From
arrs undergo many changes: they adapt to 794 to 1185, Japan's methods of war were
new circumstances, they branch-off and introduced, including grappling,
are altered, they are lead by new people. swordsmanship and other weapon-arts.
Others die with their inheritors. In the Okinawa's regional warring continued
end, what we have may be likened to the until 1429, when the rival groups came
message in a game of Chinese whispers; under one rule as the Ryukyu Kingdom. In
altered from its origins by so many 1507, feudalism (a system whereby
people that any obvious links to its peasants farmed for a wealthy lord and
beginnings may be hard to find. fought in his army) was abolished and
The many stories that make up karate's private ownership of weapons was
history have not escaped the outlawed. This, says Kyoshi McCarthy,
Chinese-whisper syndrome. Modern karate's "explains why the Uchinanchu [Okinawans]
origins have been the subject of research began intensively cultivating an unarmed
and debate for so long that the history means of self-defence".
of karare now has its own history! This So, long before karate was exported from
is partly because unearthing karate's Okinawa to Japan, the Japanese were
earliest predecessors requires mapping bringing their own combative arts to
the entire history of the martial arts in Okinawa. However, Chinese kung fu's
the East. influence was more recent and is more
Many know Okinawa, an island 550 evident in the Okinawan karate that
kilometres south of the Japanese exists today. Again, there are many
mainland, as the birthplace of karate. theories explaining how it got there.
But let's look first to Japan, considered Okinawa established trade with China
home to most karate systems existing during the Ming Dynasty and by 1393, a
today. Karate is now practised in an group of Chinese referred to as the 36
estimated 120 countries and takes many Families was settled in Naha, Okinawa.
forms. Of these, some of the most famous There, Okinawans were taught Chinese
were founded in Japan after World War II, language, culture and, it is assumed,
prominent examples being Mas Oyama's martial arts. During this period,
Kyokushin and Choiro Tani's Shukokai. At Okinawan students also travelled to China
the same time in Okinawa, the dominant to study and possibly learn martial arts.
schools (Ryu) were Shorin-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, Another likely source are the sapposhi
Uechi-Ryu and Matsubayashi-Ryu. Although (representatives of the Chinese Emperor)
there had been karate demonstrations who, in the 1400s, came to Okinawa for
outside Japan in the late 1920s and '30s, months at a time with many multi-skilled
it was in the post-war years that karate people in tow, including security
arrived in European and Western countries experts. The Chinese kung fu that arrived
like Australia. The Japan Karate in Okinawa, possibly by one or all of
Association, formed in 1948, assisted in these means, was then used to police the
spreading karate world-wide. island. After 1509, with even government
The many styles that developed inside officials barred from carrying weapons,
Japan all grew from various Okinawan these civil-defence methods went
karate systems introduced to Japan early underground, but were secretly practised
in the 20th century. Around 1902, karate and developed by the middle-level samurai
was added to Okinawan schools' physical class known as pechin, whose
education programs and the secrecy that responsibilities included
had surrounded the art lessened. However, law-enforcement. In 1609 Japan's Satsuma
some changes were made to kata for the clan captured the Ryukyu Kingdom and
purpose of teaching children and giving until Okinawa became part of Japan in
public demonstrations, and it is said 1879, eclectic fighting traditions grew.
this contributed to the loss of some Due to the weapon bans, kobudo evolved
knowledge concerning kata bunkai through Okinawans making use of domestic
(applications) and thus the hiding of and farming implements instead, of which
some of karate's deadliest defences. the sai is an example (it is said to have
Shuri-te karate master Anko Itosu once been a hay-fork).
(1830-1915) pioneered this development Some pechin also visited Satsuma and
and, though not alone, his student learned the Jigen-Ryu ken-jitsu of the
Funakoshi Gichin is the Okinawan most Satsuma samurai; it is thought that the
often credited with the establishment of six-foot staff techniques of Okinawan
karate in Japan. In the early '20s, kobudo originated there. One example is
Funakoshi impressed Japan's Crown Prince Matsumura Sokon, an important figure in
with a karate demonstration and his art Shuri-te who was a security agent for
was later given support by Judo's famous various Ryukyuan kings and studied
founder, Jigaro Kano, securing karate's martial arts in Satsuma and Fujian,
acceptance by the Japanese. China.
Many Japanese held racist attitudes But to fully explore the origins of
toward things Chinese or Okinawan, so China-hand, one must look to China. Most
these events were vital for Karate's brief histories of karate begin with the
growth. The Okinawan's originally called legend of the Indian monk Daruma (in
Kara?te tou-di, meaning China-hand. Japanese) or Bodhidharma, generally
'Hand' is a literal translation of te or described as a skilled martial artist
di, which was used to describe Okinawa's born into a warrior caste. He travelled
fighting arts just as the Chinese used to China around the Sixth Century AD to
the word for fist. To help karate blend spread Zen Buddhism, settling at the
into Japanese culture, the character tou Shaolin monastery to teach Buddhist
was changed to a Japanese one meaning meditation and philosophy, and physical
empty, hence we now have kara-te-do, 'the movements that included striking - the
way of the empty hand'. alleged beginnings of the kung fu systems
From there, Kenwa Mabuni founded mentioned so far.
Shito-Ryu (1928), and Chojun Miyagi However, there is evidence of strong
established Goju-Ryu (1930). Funakoshi warrior traditions existing in China long
founded Shotokan in 1938 and Hironori before the arrival of Daruma (the first
Otsuka blended jiu-jitsu with karate emperor to unify China, Qin Shi Huang,
(learned from Funakoshi) to form Wado-Ryu for example, left terracotta replicas of
in 1939. Universities in Tokyo and Osaka his entire army in Xi'an in 210 BC). It
formed karate clubs and the art of could also be logically concluded that
Okinawan China-hand soon became Japanese. fighting methods and traditions existed
The Butokukai, Japan's top combat-arts to an extent in all human societies, just
organisation, also helped Japanise as surely as quarrels and aggression
karate, creating standards for teaching existed. Texts discovered in China,
and developing ways to competitively test reportedly 4,000 years old, detail
the arts. These were the beginnings of systematic physical training, while 2,800
sport-karate. year-old writings describing unarmed
The various Okinawan karate schools had combat have also been found in Europe.
always been scattered and disorganised, That aside, the previously mentioned
divided into closely guarded regional and systems of Monk Fist and White Crane kung
family groups (much like the arts of fu can be traced to Shaolin.
China). Many styles existed but the While it is uncertain how much of
primary three schools were all Daruma's story is true, the legend is
concentrated in a small area of southern strong and there is little doubt that the
Okinawa and named after their towns of texts and exercises introduced to Shaolin
origin: Naha, a town of merchants, Shuri, have been influential there. However,
home to royalty, and Tomari, inhabited by there have since been many other
farmers and fishermen. Variation between developments in the kung fu of Shaolin,
the styles is partly attributed to the with various influences flowing into and
distinct influences of these different out from the Temples, leading to the
classes of society. creation of many different styles.
Shuri-te featured long, low stances and Keeping in mind that traditions are
an offensive approach, considered ever-changing, the predecessors of
derivative of Shaolin Temple kung fu, Shaolin martial arts are not necessarily
while Naha-te is considered the most the true origin of karate, just as one
Chinese, incorporating hard and soft person in a game of Chinese whispers has
methods, breathing techniques and ki, only a small influence on what is
(Chi or vital energy) control. Tomari-te whispered at the end of the line. Due to
(which focused on using the arms) Okinawa's location (just 740 kilometres
developed from these two and together east of China and 550 north of Taiwan) it
they were the basis for the Japanese attracted the attention of pilgrims,
styles; Naha-te became Goju-Ryu and traders and pirates of many races and has
Shorin-Ryu is a product of both Naha-te therefore had centuries of cultural
and Shuri-te. From the Goju and Shorin exchange with Korea, Laos, Cambodia and
schools emerged Shito-Ryu, and so on. numerous other Asian cultures with
The facts concerning Okinawa's sources of martial traditions. Some karate
martial arts influence are often vague historians even say that the need for
and unverifiable, some say because WWII Okinawa's sailors to protect themselves
bombs have destroyed much of the against pirates played a part in the
evidence. Still, aside from the continual development of Okinawan te, which has
development of self-defence methods among existed in various forms for at least
Okinawans, it is accepted that Chinese 1,000 years.
martial arts have most greatly influenced Despite the focus of Japanese martial
present-day karate. In fact, Chojun traditions on weaponry and grappling
Miyagi said a style of kung fu that during the periods that Okinawa was most
arrived in 1828 was "the source" of exposed to them, their influence on
Goju-Ryu. Okinawan karate and kobudo should not be
This passage of combat knowledge from discounted either. So, to provide a
China is closely linked to a book of complete history of today's karate, it
Chinese origin called the Bubishi, the would be wise to also include the history
subject of Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy's of all Japanese martial arts. That,
book, The Bible of Karate. Published however, would be another story entirely!
sometime during China's Qing dynasty A good analogy for the history of karate
(1644-1911), it details Chinese kung fu might be that no child is born of only
history, technique and philosophy. It's one parent; they will therefore have four
believed the Bubishi was written by a grandparents, eight great-grandparents,
White Crane boxer, Fang Qiniang, the and so on. It can be said that all karate
daughter of an Eighteen Monk Fist kung fu systems in existence today are the
stylist who escaped the destruction of descendants of many different parents,
the Shaolin Temple by government forces each with unique genes but also
(Shaolin was known to house and train similarities, evidence of shared
revolutionaries) and settled in Fujian, ancestors somewhere in their lineage.
China. Both feature in the Bubishi, as do That said, it is well worth digging
their systems. This book was kept secret around for the many great individual
and hand-copied by generations of stories that make up the history of
Okinawan masters; Funakoshi's books even karate. Some of us might also benefit
contain chapters taken directly from the from researching a history that is more
Bubishi. personal, immediate and accessible: what
McCarthy's extensive research exposed 10 of your teacher, his life and his art?
more-or-less plausible theories as to who Who has he trained with, in what systems?
brought the Bubishi to Okinawa. Featured How has karate affected him, and he it?
among them are some Okinawan masters who And what of his teacher?
trained in China, including Uechi-Ryu Although the past is often more wondrous
founder Uechi Kanbun, who studied Shaolin than any prediction of the future,
Tiger kung fu in Fuzhou around 1897. Yet, historians uncover it not only out of
while the Bubishi is of great importance curiosity; their common aim, it is often
to Okinawan karate, it did not arrive in said, is to learn about the present from
Okinawa until sometime in the 1800s and the events of history. So, by uncovering
was preceded by many more influential your instructors' karate history, you
exchanges. should learn much that will help you on
Common folklore tells of karate's your own journey. You may also choose to
development by downtrodden peasants, learn from the history presented in this
their weapons confiscated by Japanese article and write it down carefully for
invaders, who developed secret fighting future generations.






1 - A - B - C - D - E - F - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 -