Records about the Kakede before 1945

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Translated by Lucas Barboza

Kakede 掛け手 (or Kakidī in Okinawan dialect) is an ancient form of Jiyū Kumite or free combat, commonly interpreted as “hooked hands” or “locked hands”. Sometimes this is also referred to as Kake-kumite. This form of combat is called this way because it begins with the forearms of both opponents being hooked together [see the photo below].

Motobu Chōsei (right) and Motobu Tomoyuki

Chōki Motobu enjoyed the practice of Kakede. He used to say that “it leads to acquiring an expert eye.” Since Kakede makes free use of attack and defense, one can react instantly to an opponent’s attack and defend oneself, or one can attack instantly without missing an opening provided by the opponent. This is because Kakede cultivates these types of reflexes or quick reactions. These skills or insights are difficult to acquire just by striking the Makiwara or practicing Yakusoku Kumite which only performs predetermined attack and defense actions.

Furthermore, combat in the Kakede position was also called “Kakedameshi” (or Kakidamishi in the Okinawan dialect). Kakedameshi essentially means “test/experiment (fighting) carried out in Kakede”, however nowadays this meaning seems to have been generally forgotten.

By the way, as far as I know, Kakede appears to only remain in existence in Motobu-ryū currently. Therefore, some people may wonder whether practice methods like Kakede actually existed in Okinawa. However, Kakede had been presented by Kenwa Mabuni and Genwa Nakasone in the “Introduction to Karate-Dō: Offense and Defense” (1938) before the war.

We can observe the following passage in this work.

In Kakidī (See Fig. 41), both sides must cross their forearms on the outer side (below the wrist and thumb side). It’s the same thing you do when you cross the tips of your swords in Kendō. You never know how the opponent will transition. In Okinawa, they usually call this Kake-dameshi and often try to “hook” (hikkake) each other’s good techniques (i.e., crossing fists in the Kakidī stance). It is said that you can measure and determine an opponent’s skill just by hooking your forearm with theirs. If you then find that someone else’s hook matches yours in skill, you can exclaim: “Let’s begin!” or say “Are you ready?” to compete their techniques. (page 117)

Fig. 41: Kake-dameshi. From: “Introduction to Karate-Dō: Offense and Defense” (1938)

This book is “co-authored” by Kenwa Mabuni and Genwa Nakasone, but in reality the author is Genwa Nakasone, with Kenwa Mabuni being the general editor (supervisor) of the book. In his book “Karate Kenkyū” (1934), Genwa Nakasone published an article in which he interviewed Chōki Motobu and which was published before the 1938 book with Kenwa Mabuni. In this way, Nakasone must have heard the above report from Chōki Motobu.

Genwa Nakasone, “Karate Kenkyū” (1934)

In any case, we can see that “Kakidī” is not a creation or fabrication of recent years. By the way, I am sometimes asked if Gōjū-ryū’s “Kakie” and Motobu-ryū’s “Kakidī” are similar things. I think that when analyzing the practice of Kakie, I can see that it is a “strengthening method” (tanren-hō) in which the arms are pushed and pulled against each other. Motobu-ryū’s Kakidī, in turn, is a completely free Kumite. For this reason, I believe that both exercises are completely different things.

In fact, there is a similar practice method in Chinese martial arts, but when I asked a person who had been studying Chinese martial arts, she distinguished a practice method like Kakie as being “Tuīshǒu” (pressing hands/compressed hands). and a practice method such as Kakidī [which includes striking] as being “Sànshǒu” (spread hands/free hands). Even though Kakie and Kakidī start from the same position, they are different exercises.

Therefore, it appears that Kakie and Kakidī were originally different methods of practice, even though they both originated in China. As far as I know, the Kakie was brought from China by Kanryō Higaon’na or possibly Chōjun Miyagi during the Taishō era (1912–1926), furthermore, I believe the Kakie was brought to Okinawa at a different time than the Kakidī.

By the way, there is no mention of Kakie in the book “Introduction to Karate-Dō: Offense and Defense” mentioned above. Furthermore, to this day I have not read any other book or article whatsoever that mentions Kakie in the pre-war era. Therefore, it may not be so easy to investigate Kakie’s exact transmission lineage these days.

The original Japanese article was published on February 1, 2019 in Ameblo; the Portuguese translation was published on March 5, 2021.

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Karate Masters Who Issued Shihan Licenses for Karate and Kobudō Before World War II

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

As noted in the article “Difference between Sensei and Shihan,” Motobu Udundī has a system of shihan licenses. In addition, Motobu Chōki’s karate organization, Nihon Karate-dō Motobu-kai, also has a system of shihan licenses.

In Okinawa, Chinen Masami Iemoto issued a shihan license to Higa Seitoku, as described in “Yamane-ryū Bō-jutsu.” (Note 1)

However, shihan licenses and shihan certificates are derived from the tradition of Japanese martial arts. Therefore, originally there was no shihan license system in Okinawa. The dan and belt system of karate is also an imitation of judo.

It was in 1974 that Uehara Seikichi first issued dan ranks to his students in Motobu Udundī. Until then, there were no dan ranks in Motobu Udundī. Before that, the All Okinawa Karate and Kobudō Federation was established in 1967, and the titles of hanshi, tasshi, and renshi were issued for the first time. (note 2)

When the Sōke (Motobu Chōsei) visited the home of Nakama Chōzō in the 1970s, he once saw a 9th dan certificate from Chibana Chōshin on display in Nakama Sensei’s living room. However, such an example must have been rare in Okinawa at that time.

Because of this, there must have been many schools in postwar Okinawa that did not have a shihan license system. Therefore, it is important to note that in the case of such schools, one cannot simply assume that a person cannot teach karate or kobudō simply because he or she has not been issued a shihan license.

By the way, when did the issuance of shihan licenses in the field of karate and Okinawan kobudō begin? As far as I know, there are prewar Shihan licenses issued under the signatures of Yabiku Mōden, Mabuni Kenwa, and Miyagi Chōjun.

The shihan license issued by Yabiku Sensei was issued to Taira Shinken in 1933.

Shihan License
Ikaho Onsen
Taira Shinken

The above-named has trained for many years in Ryukyuan bō (staff) and sai-jutsu,
I hereby grant him the title of Shihan.

August 15, Shōwa 8 (1933)

Ryukyu Kobujutsu Workshop
President Yabiku Mōden

Ikaho Onsen is a hot spring town in Gunma Prefecture. In “Karate Studies” (1934), it is written that “Taira Shihan of Gunma continues to instruct members in Ikaho” (p. 76), indicating that Taira Sensei was teaching karate and kobudo in Ikaho at that time. According to “Karate Studies” (p. 94), Taira Sensei’s title was “Branch Chief” of the Gunma Branch of Nippon Kenpō, and he apparently belonged to Mabuni Sensei’s organization at that time.

The Nippon Kenpō referred to here is not Nippon Kenpō founded by Sawayama Muneomi, a disciple of Mabuni Sensei, but the “Dai Nippon Kenpō Kansai Karate-jutsu Research Association” established by Mabuni Sensei.

Then it is likely that Yabiku Sensei visited Ikaho, where Taira Sensei was staying, to teach bō and sai-jutsu, and issued him a shihan license.

In addition, according to “Karate Studies,” the second dan promotion ceremony of the Dai Nippon Kenpō Kansai Karate-jutsu Research Association was held on September 1, 1934, at which Kinjō Kensei (金城兼盛) was granted a shihan license by Mabuni Sensei.

The photo shows the executives of the Kansai Karate-jutsu Research Association. The pink part is the name of the awardee written as “Shihan Kinjō Kensei.” From “Karate Studies”, p. 69.

Kinjō Kensei is said to have founded Kūshin-ryū with Ueshima San’nosuke, but some sources claim that he was a Goju-ryu shihan. According to “Okinawa Karate Kobudo Encyclopedia” (2008), he was granted 9th dan by Chibana Chōshin in 1967, together with Nakama Chōzō and others.

Incidentally, according to Uehara Seikichi, there was a man named “Kanagusuku’s Yacchī” (Brother Kinjō) in the evening karate kata class taught by Motobu Chōyū. (Note 3) I believe that this Kanagusuku’s Yacchī may possibly be Kinjō Kensei.

The next shihan license I saw was issued to Iwata Manzō (岩田万蔵) by Mabuni Sensei in 1944.

Shihan License
Iwata Manzō

The above-named has practiced karate-dō deeply and diligently for many years, and has attained a high degree of proficiency in both mind and body, and has mastered the profound secrets of karate-dō. I hereby grant him permission to be a karate-dō shihan.

May 1, Showa 19 (1944)

Dai Nippon Karate-dō Organization Headquarters
President Shihan Mabuni Kenwa
Advisor Shihan Miyagi Chōjun

Iwata Sensei studied karate under Mabuni Sensei at the Toyo University Karate Club from 1941. The first shihan of the Toyo University Karate Club was Motobu Chōki, but when he closed the Tokyo dojo in 1941 and returned to Osaka, Mabuni Sensei became the second shihan.

What is interesting about the above certificate is that it is signed by Miyagi Sensei as well as Mabuni Sensei. As far as I know, this is the only shihan license issued in Miyagi’s name.

However, the year 1944 was in the middle of the Pacific War, so it is not clear to what extent Miyagi Sensei was involved in the issuance of this license. What kind of agreement was made between Mabuni Sensei and Miyagi Sensei regarding the issuance of the shihan license?

The above photos of shihan licenses were published in a book and magazine after the war, and I have not seen them in person. There may be other Mabuni Sensei’s shihan licenses, so once an exhaustive academic study is conducted, we may be able to learn more about them.

Note 1: Iemoto (家元) refers to a family that inherits an art style from generation to generation or the head of such a family. It has the same meaning as sōke, but in Japan it is used in styles such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and Japanese dance, while few styles use this title in the martial arts field.
Note 2: Hanshi (範士), tasshi (達士) and renshi (練士) are prewar titles issued by the Dai Nippon Butoku-kai.
Note 3: Kanagusuku is the Okinawan dialect of kinjō. Yacchī means brother of the samurai class in the Okinawan dialect.

References:
Karate Kenkyusha (ed.), Karate Studies, №1, Kōbukan, 1934.
Monthly Karatedo, October 2001, Fukushōdō.

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Asato Ankō’s Tactical Methods

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

There’s a saying, “There’s no first move in karate.” It was popularized by Funakoshi Gichin, so some people may mistake it for Funakoshi Sensei’s phrase, but it is actually a phrase that existed previously.

The meaning of this phrase is often interpreted as “you must not attack first” or “you must not make a move until the enemy attacks.” But is that really what it means? In fact, Asato Ankō explained this phrase:

Tactical Methods

The old saying, “There is no first move in karate,” must have been an educational admonition to young men and boys to teach them to receive and not to strike. If not, it would be inconsistent with today’s tactics. This is because, as they say, “preemptive power,” the control over (the enemy’s) ki (spirit) is a strategic method that has great power. It is also said (in swordsmanship) that if you cannot control Sen no Sen (“first of first,” or initiative attack), then you must control Go no Sen (“first of second,” or reactive attack). Applying these to karate, it means that when the enemy takes control of Sen (first), you should defend (the enemy’s attack) and at the same time counterattack. (note 1)

The quote may be a little difficult to understand because it’s old Japanese. In short, the phrase “There is no first move in karate” doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t attack before your enemy. The purpose of this phrase is to caution young people not to use karate to unreasonably use violence against others.

In a real fight, it’s important to attack before the enemy. This is the same meaning as “Sen no Sen” (preemptive attack) in swordsmanship. And if “Sen no Sen” is not possible, then Go no Sen (reactive attack) should be done i.e. immediately execute the counter attack. In karate, strike back as soon as you receive the enemy’s strike. (note 2)

Thus, Asato explains the importance of attacking first, and if that is not possible, he says to strike immediately while blocking the enemy’s attack. This is the idea of Kōbō Ittai (attack and defense as one), and technically, it is called “tsuki-uke.”

Regarding the misunderstanding of “There is no first move in karate,” Motobu Chōki stated the same tactical method as Asato in his book “My Art and Skill of Karate” (1932).

As I mentioned earlier in my article “Fixing the Terms and Concepts of Karate,” in kata, a seemingly uke is not necessarily a real uke. It may be a strike. It is also possible that a seemingly “strike” technique is not a strike but is actually a tuitī. This is how the techniques were understood in the old days of karate. In other words, the terms and techniques of karate were not fixed, but understood in a fluid way. This is probably the way of thinking that Matsumura Sōkon and other karate masters of the past achieved.

Note 1: “Okinawa no Bugi” (Ryūkyū Shinpō, January 19, 1914) written by Shōtō [=Funakoshi Gichin] about stories told by Asato Ankō.
Note 2: Sen no sen and go no sen are interpreted differently by different martial artists, but this article follows Asato’s interpretation.

The original Japanese was posted on May 14, 2020 on Ameba, and the English translation was posted on May 16, 2020.

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Kumite of Kyan Chōtoku

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Last month (April 2020), Andreas Quast Sensei in Germany told me that some photos of Kyan Chōtoku’s kumite have been uploaded to Facebook.

Source: Karate e Kobudo Tradizionali di Okinawa — Okinawa Dento Karate-do

I had seen pictures of Kyan Sensei’s students’ kumite before, but I think this is the first time I have seen pictures of his own kumite. I was asked about the source, so I looked it up but didn’t know. I have not seen any of these photos in any published books in Japan. The above photos appear to have been taken from a foreign book.

The images are blurred, and there are not many of them, but they are valuable as kumite photos of Kyan Sensei himself.

When I saw these pictures, I thought it was similar to Motobu Chōki’s kumite. There is a suggestion that Motobu Chōki plays the role of Kyan’s counterpart, but I don’t know. The vibe is similar, but I think it’s different. Of course, they were relatives and had practiced karate together since childhood, so I think they also practiced kumite.

The other day, I wrote about the characteristics of the old-style kumite: “irimi (moving forward on the body),” “tai sabaki (body shifting)”, and “hazushi (removing, dodging and deflecting etc.).” It can be seen that the above kumite also applies to those principles. The last photo is a holding technique (osae waza) after a throwing technique (nage waza, tuitī), isn’t it? Of course, Kyan Sensei’s ingenuity may have contributed to this, but the above photos are valuable for confirming the principles of the old-style kumite.

Postscript (September 7, 2023)
As mentioned above, the photos in this article were shared from a Facebook post. It later turned out that these photos were from a kumite book by Kyan Chōtoku. I was told that these photos were published in a book by a foreign branch of a Kyan lineage dojo in Okinawa, but I have not checked that book.

The original Japanese article and English translation were posted on Ameblo on May 10, 2020.

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Blood relationship between Yoshimura Udun, Urasoe Udun, and Motobu Udun

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Last fall, I visited the Yoshimura Udun grave in Naha. Udun means palace, but it also means royal family. As I have mentioned several times before, both Yoshimura Chōmei’s eldest son Chōshin and second son Chōgi learned karate, and Chōgi in particular is important in the history of karate because he described, albeit briefly, the martial arts situation in Okinawa at the time in his autobiography.

Grave of the Yoshimura Udun. Photographed by Motobu Naoki.

The original Yoshimura Udun tomb was a traditional turtle shell tomb located in Shuri Taira Town, but it has now been relocated to a more modern grave, as shown in the photo above. In fact, to the left of this grave, there is an exactly similar grave of the Ou family (奥武殿内).

On the left is the grave of the Ou family. Photographed by Motobu Naoki.

The Yoshimura Udun and the Ou family. What is the relationship between these two families? In fact, Yoshimura Chōmei was originally from the Ou family and was adopted into the Yoshimura Udun. The genealogy of the Yoshimura Udun contains the following description:

[Yoshimura Aji Chōmei] was originally the fifth son of Shō Bunki, a.k.a. Ou Uēkata Chōshō, and his mother was Uto, daughter of Matsushima Uēkata Chōjō, but since his second cousin Shō Ken, a.k.a. Prince Yoshimura Chōshō had no heir, Chōmei applied to the king on June 22, 1847 to become Chōshō’s successor, and was enrolled on June 24.

The first head of the Yoshimura Udun was the third son of King Shō Boku (reigned 1752–1794). On the other hand, The Ou family was a branch of the Urasoe Udun, the lineage of the second son of King Shō Boku. In other words, both families were descendants of the same King Shō Boku, and Yoshimura Chōmei (Ou Chōmei) and Prince Yoshimura Chōshō were second cousins.

In fact, Prince Yoshimura Chōshō was the sixth son of King Shō Kō (reigned 1804–1834), who was adopted into the Yoshimura Udun, so they were not really second cousins. This point, too, would take a long time to explain in detail, so I will omit it. In any case, the Yoshimura Udun and the Urasoe Udun shared the same bloodline of King Shō Boku, and were, so to speak, “brother royal families.”

Ou Chōchū (奥武朝忠), the sixth son of Ou Uēkata Chōshō, was also adopted into the Urasoe Udun, which had no heir. Later he took the name Urasoe Chōchū (浦添朝忠). As described in “Urasoe Chōchū — Forerunner of Itosu Anko,” he established a private school and started teaching karate at the school ahead of Itosu Ankō.

Both Yoshimura Chōmei and Urazoe Chōchū were leaders of the stubborn party, but these two were actually brothers. And their mother Uto’s father, Matsushima Uēkata Chōjō, was the second son of Motobu Aji Chōkyū, the 6th head of the Motobu Udun. Therefore, both of them are related to the Motobu Udun. The genealogy is as follows:

And both Yoshimura Chomei’s wife and Motobu Chōshin’s wife were daughters of Prince Ie Chōchoku of the Ie Udun.

There were more than two dozen udun (royal branch families) at the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom, but the three main families that appear in the history of karate since the Meiji period are the Yoshimura Udun, Urasoe Udun, and Motobu Udun families.

It was no mere coincidence that these three families emphasized the martial arts. In particular, the Yoshimura Udun and Motobu Udun families were both located in Shuri Akahira Town, across the street from each other. The Yoshimura and Motobu brothers were close in age and may have practiced karate with each other. Thus, by researching blood and neighborhood relationships, connections to karate and kobudo may come to light.

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Nakama Chōzō’s Gojūshiho

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

In a previous article I wrote about Nakama Chōzō. He is a senior disciple of Chibana Chōshin. Also, when Motobu Chōki briefly returned to Okinawa to attend the “Roundtable of Karate Masters” (1936), Nakama Sensei learned kumite from him. After the war, Nakama Sensei had a close relationship with Uehara Seikichi and they sometimes exchanged techniques. According to a student of Uehara Sensei at the time, Nakama Sensei’s kumite was very reasonable and practical.

Nakama Chōzō

Nakama Sensei didn’t have his own dōjō, but he taught karate at a local community center as well as at his home. Over time, his techniques have been handed down to the present day. The Gojūshiho below is also one of Nakama Sensei.

The performer is Nakamoto Mamoru, the director of the Bunbukan Dōjō. According to Nakamoto Sensei, Nakama Sensei learned this kata from Hanashiro Chōmo.

There are some movements that are omitted or changed for the above performance, but it is interesting that the high kick is similar to bō geri (staff kick). In the previous article “Matsumura Sōkon’s High Kick”, I mentioned that Yabu Kentsū and Motobu Chōyu were good at bō geri. The video above shows that bō geri was also transmitted to Hanashiro’s kata. They were all friends, so it’s not surprising that the techniques were similar, but it’s valuable that bō geri is preserved in the kata in this way.

The original Japanese article and English translation were posted on Ameblo on May 9, 2020.

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Uke and Hazushi

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Motobu Chōki uses the expression “uke hazusu (受け外す, literally, receive and remove)” in his books, where today we say “ukeru (receive).” In the commentary on “tsuki-uke (punch-receive),” he also refers to it as “uchi hazusu (hit and remove). Neither is common in modern karate terms.

From Motobu Choki, “Kumite Version of Okinawa Kenpō, Karate,” 1926.

By the way, is this word “hazusu” or its noun form “hazushi” unique to Motobu Chōki? In fact, Itosu Ankō also uses this word in his “Ten Precepts of Karate.”

The kata of karate should be practiced a lot, and the meaning of each movement should be heard and confirmed. Also, each movement should be practiced to confirm how it would be used in an actual fight. There are also the techniques of iri (entering), uke (receiving), hazushi (removing), and tuiti (joint lock and throw techniques), which are often taught orally because they are secret.

The word “hazusu” has many meanings, especially as it relates to martial arts, including the following:

6. Avoid those of the opponent. dodge. “To dodge (remove, sidestep, avoid) the attack,” “to deftly evade a question,” and “to miss the timing of the slow ball.”
7. To deflect the aim. “to miss the course,” “to miss the target.”

Source: digital daijisen

In other words, “hazusu” not only means to “receive” an enemy attack but also to “avoid” or “dodge” it. It is also used to “deflect” the trajectory of the enemy’s attack. Therefore, the relationship between “uke” and “hazushi” can be illustrated as follows.

The term “uke” in karate refers to techniques such as age-uke, yoko-uke, and gedan-barai in a narrow sense. However, “hazushi” has the following meanings other than the narrowly defined “uke” as such.

  • Change the direction of the body (hanmi, ma-hanmni).
  • Step out (avoid, dodge).
  • Change the posture (bend, crouch).
  • tsuki-uke (deflecting the trajectory of the enemy’s attack).

For example, Passai has a posture with a motion of leaning and thrusting, and Kūsankū has a crouching motion. It can be said that “irimi” and “tai sabaki”, which I introduced in the previous article, are also encompassed by this word “hazushi”.

There was a concept of “hazushi” in old-style karate, but in the modern era, it was diluted and the techniques of irimi and tai sabaki may have faded out.

The original Japanese article was posted on May 3, 2020 on Ameblo, and the English translation was posted on May 4, 2020.

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Weapon Arts of Asato Ankō

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Motobu Udundi is a martial art of the udun class. Udun means palace, but it also means royalty. Motobu Udundi uses a wide range of weapons, including sword, spear, naginata (halberd), sai, nūchiku (nunchaku), tonfa, etc. So what was the martial art of the tunchi, a class below the udun? Tunchi is a class of people called nobles or senior samurai (samurē in the Okinawna dialect). For example, of the martial arts of Asato Ankō, who belonged to the rank of tunchi, his disciple Funakoshi Gichin wrote the following:

My teacher’s martial arts.
To have a complete set of equipment for martial arts practice was not something that the average martial artist would attempt. Of course, his status was high and his wealth was plentiful, so there was nothing he couldn’t get.

For example, a standing makiwara was set up everywhere, namely in each room. The same was true of the hung makiwara. There were also equipment for hitting with staffs, kakiyā, chīshī, sāshi, gripping balls, six-shaku staffs, wooden swords, stones for inserting naginata (halberd), tenbē, nunchaku, jitte (sai), wooden horses, a bowing range, horseback riding, etc., so that Asato Sensei could practice and train whenever and wherever he wished. (Note)

According to the above, in addition to various types of training tools, Asato’s residence had weapons such as staffs, wooden swords, naginata, tembē, nunchaku, sai, and bows, as well as training tools and places for them. In other words, even in the rank of tunchi, such a wide range of weapons were practiced.

According to Funakoshi Sensei, Asato also learned Jigen-ryū swordsmanship from Ijūin and said, “If it’s a real sword fight, no matter when or who offers me a fight, I will fight.” This suggests that he not only practiced tachigi-uchi (hitting standing wood) alone, but also in pairs and practice matches.

Residences of the udun and tunchi classes in Shuri. Source: Naha Museum of History

Since the udun and tunchi were less than 1% of the total Ryukyu samurai population, the entire martial arts of these classes is not well understood. They were never only practicing karate. At the same time, they were also practicing various weapon arts.

Source: “Statistical Abstract of Okinawa Prefecture” (1880)

If all the weapons arts of Asato Ankō had been passed down to the present day, there might have been a comprehensive martial art that could be called “Asato Dunchidī” (the martial arts of Lord Asato).

Note: Funakoshi Gichin , “Anecdotes about my teacher, Asato Sensei,” Ken, №8, Keio University Sports Organization Karate Club, 1934.

The original Japanese article was posted on May 1, 2020 on Ameblo, and the English translation was posted on May 3, 2020.

Written by:

Motobu Naoki  

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Shihan, Motobu Kenpō 7th dan, Motobu Udundī 7th dan. Discusses the history of karate and martial arts, and introduces Japanese culture and history.

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Shuri-te and Satsuma-koshirae

Posted on October 31, 2023 by admin

Written by Motobu Naoki

Translated by Andreas Quast

Satsuma Koshirae (sword mountings） is a sword outfit unique to the Satsuma domain. To make it easier to understand, you can call it a “Satsuma-style sword.” As shown in the photo below, the swords of the Satsuma domain had different characteristics from other feudal domains.

From: Zusho Ichirō: Satsuma Koshirae. Ribun Shuppan, 2004.

Makishitaji (shark or ray skin below the handle-wrap)
Mekugi (rivet to secure the sword hilt)
Fuchi (collar of the hilt)
Kurigata (eyelet on the scabbard, literally “chestnut shape”)
Sageo (sword strap)
Kashira (pommel of the hilt)
Tsukaito (hilt-wrap band)
Menuki (metal ornament under the hilt wrapping)
Fuchi metal ornament under the hilt wrapping
Kaeri-zuno (hook on scabbard, fixes scabbard in waist belt)
Kojiri (chape)

薩摩拵

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Of the swords in the photo, the upper one is a Satsuma Koshirae, and the lower one is a general sword.

In both cases, the length of the blade is almost the same, but the hilt is longer in case of Satsuma Koshirae. Also, the curvature (sori) of the blade has a more gentle curve. There are other differences as well, but the one that is particularly interesting is the tsuba, or handguard.

As you can see in the picture above, the handguard of the Satsuma Koshirae is smaller than the general one. Normally, the handguard is used to block the enemy’s blade, but in Satsuma, the idea of “defence” was regarded as cowardice. Therefore, in Satsuma, the handguard was smaller than in other regions of feudal Japan, and its only reason was that the hand holding the hilt did not slip over toward the blade.

By the way, in the previous article, I wrote about the theory that old Shuri-te didn’t use uke (reception) or did not pay much attention to it. The term “uke” (reception) herein refers to receiving techniques in the narrow sense of the word, such as age-uke, yoko-uke, and gedan-barai.

Then, instead of being attacked by the enemy, the ideal was to move forward and attack the enemy by using irimi (entering straight into the enemy) and tai-sabaki (dodging the enemy). It is believed that these characteristics of old Shuri-te were formed under the influence of Satsuma martial arts, which emphasizes attacks over defense.

Asato Ankō, who was introduced last time, as well as his teacher Matsumura Sōkon, both learned Jigen-ryū swordmanship from Satsuma. In this way, the people Shuri were strongly influenced by not only Chinese martial arts but also Japanese martial arts, and particularly martial arts of Satsuma, so that old Shuri-te has characteristics of both.

The original Japanese article was posted on April 29, 2020 on Ameblo, and the English translation was posted on May 2, 2020.

Written by:

Motobu Naoki  

Thank you for reading my story. If you would like, please follow me.

Shihan, Motobu Kenpō 7th dan, Motobu Udundī 7th dan. Discusses the history of karate and martial arts, and introduces Japanese culture and history.

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RyuKyu-Te

Posted on January 28, 2019 by admin

Ryukyu Te: The word “Ryukyu” comes from the name of the islands of Okinawa which are called Ryukyu Islands. The word “Te” comes from the usage of “Te” in Karate meaning hand. Ryukyu-Te is a family style martial art that has it’s roots tracing back to the 17th Century Okinawa. 

The arsenal of techniques of Ryukyu Te are called Te-jitsu (also known as Tuite or Torite):  Not all Te-jitsu techniques are contained in the Okinawan Kata.  The movements of the Okinawan Kata refer to only one specific application of a technique. The underling joint twisting (Tuite) or pressure point Strike (Kyusho) is reference for other types of attacks and variations of applications to those attacks. Each technique is like a letter of the alphabet, as you learn more techniques, you start to see the letters become words and the words become a language. The Kata techniques are the beginning level for  understanding the language of Te-jitsu. Once these techniques are mastered, they can be used to overpower an opponent with a never-ending series of techniques that flow from one to the other.

These techniques are:

  • Odori-te: dance hand
  • Kaeshi-te: return hand
  • Tori-te: take or release hand
  • Nage-te: throw hand
  • Tori-te Kaseshi: take or release hand – reversal
  • Atemi or Kyusho: pressure point strikes

Some say that Te-jitsu is related to Japanese Aiki-jujutsu.  However,  a number of characteristics differentiate Okinawan Te-jitsu from Japanese aiki jūjutsu. First, the waza of Te-jitsu are generally applied from the palm side of the hand rather than the back of the hand. Second, Te-jitsu waza employ linear movement whereas aiki jūjutsu emphasizes circular motion. There is also no za-waza–aiki-style seated defense–in Te-jitsu. 

Introduction to Okinawan Tuite, This video was produced in Okinawa, it is Matsumura Shorin-ryu Karate. Sokan Matumura (1797-1889) was taught by Kanga Sakugawa (1733-1815) Matsumura was the chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard for the Okinawan King Shō Kō (1787-1834) As a Royal Court Guard, Matsumura was exposed to the fighting techniques of the Minamoto Clan, which traces it’s skills to Heian Period of Japan (794-1185) 

Most martial art styles of Okinawa have self-defense techniques or Tuite which have been codified within their kata. Some of these techniques have evolved from Chinese Kung-fu. The hand techniques ( Te or Te-jitsu) of Motobu-ryu are an exception. These techniques are indigenous to Okinawa and the Royal Court Guards.  In 1968 Shian Toma, Seikichi Uehara and Seiyu Oyata formed the Ryukyu Karate-do Renmei. Then in 1969 the dojo became an official member of the Motobu Undun Di society and the style came to be referred to as Seidokan Motobu Ryu. In 1977 Oyata Sensei came to the USA and established the “Ryukyu Kempo Association” and taught Te-jitsu. This was the first time that Te-jitsu was taught in the USA.

 

 

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