About Ryukyute Motobu: We have formed a study group for the study and dissemination Motobu-ryu histrocial information, training concepts and techniques. We do not have a formal connection Motobu-ryu as it currently exists. We have therefore use “Ryukyute Motobu” as the name of our study group.
Oyata’s Naihanchi was heavy influenced by his training in Motobu-ryu: this page includes articles and information of Motobu-ryu plus: the techniques of the Naihanchi kata
- Motobu-ryu: This art comes down from the Motobu clan, an aristocratic family in the old Shuri dynasty, and is regarded as descended from the royal family self defence system. Motobu-ryu was taught by Motobu Choyu to Uehara Seikichi who in turn taught Shiroma Seihan who taught Yagi sensei. Motobu-Ryu (本部流) has the characteristics of koryu (old style) karate, the martial art known as te or todi, which predates the birth of modern karate, and emphasizes kumite rather than kata. Motobu Udundī (本部御殿手) also sometimes called Motobu-Ryu, Motobu Kempo is the martial art of the Motobu family, a branch of the Ryukyu royal family.. Motobu Udundi is a comprehensive martial art that includes not only karate, but also a jujutsu-like technique called tuite and many weapons arts. Motobu Chosei is the inheritor of both Motobu-Ryu (his father’s art) and Motobu Udundi (the art of his uncle, Motobu Choyu). Motobu Udundi is a martial art passed down from the Motobu family, a branch of the Ryukyu royal family. Known from Motobu Udun sensei during the Ryukyu Kingdom. Di (literally meaning “hand”) means martial arts in the Okinawan dialect. Thus, Motobu Udundi means martial arts of the royal Motobu family. Motobu Choyu (1865 – 1928), the 12th head of the Motobu family, inherited this martial art from his father, Choshin, but at the age of 14 the Ryukyu Kingdom fell. He had three sons, but the downfall of the family combined with the emigration of his sons to mainland Japan made the succession of Motobu Udundi difficult. Choyu decided to teach Motobu Udundi to his student Uehara Seikichi sensei, and asked Uehara sensei to teach this martial art to his second son Chomo, who lived in Wakayama. Uehara sensei taught Chomo this martial art and then emigrated to the Philippines. Chomo, who inherited Motobu Udundi, died in Osaka in 1945 as a result of an air raid. Upon his return from the Philippines, Uehara learned of Chomo’s death and searched for a new member of the Motobu family to succeed Motobu Udundī, but was unable to find one. In 1976, he met Motobu Choki’s son Chosei for the first time and asked him to succeed Motobu Udundi. Chosei accepted the offer and studied under Uehara, and in 2003 Motobu Chosei sensei officially succeeded Motobu Udundī as the Soke.
Kata
Motobu Udundi has two kata of Shuri sanchin called motode (mutudi in Okinawan dialect, meaning “basic hand”) or motode sanchin. The motode ichi is performed with open hands, and the motode ni is performed with fists. There are also three kata called kasshindi (meaning “battle hand”), created by Uehara Seikichi. Motode Ichi; Motode Ni; Kasshindi San; Kasshindi Yon; Kasshindi Go
Kumite
Since the modification of Anko Itosu sensei, the thrusting techniques of karate have changed from nukite (spear hand) thrusting with the fingertips to fists. However, in Motobu Udundi, nukite is still common and retains the characteristics of the old style. Kicking techniques also differ from general Okinawan karate in that there are high kicking techniques. There is a high kicking technique called bo geri (bo jiri in the Okinawan dialect, literally stick kick).
Motobu Udundi does not use common karate blocking techniques such as age uke (high block), chudan uke (middle block), and gedan barai (low block). Instead, the techniques are either used to dodge an opponent’s attack with tai sabaki or tsuki uke (punch block), which is both a defense and an attack at the same time.
Tuite (seizing hands)
In Okinawa, jujutsu techniques such as joint locking and throwing techniques are called tuite (torite in Japanese). The name tuite (torite) is mentioned in the 10 precepts of Anko Itosu sensei, a technique that was forgotten in Okinawa in the early 20th century.
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There is some confusion with the understanding of the term Motobu Ryu. This is due to the fact that under the name Motobu ryu , people often understand two different styles. One of them is called Motobu Kempo, or rather “Nihon den ryu heiho Motobu Kempo”, and the other is called Motobu udundi “Ryukyu oki hidden Motobu udundi”.
These two different schools of Motobu Ryu have a common source – the Motobu family, a brief history of which can be read below.
Today, both directions of Motobu Ryu are studied under the guidance of one master Soke Motobu Chosei – the son of the legendary master Motobu Choki, from whom he inherited kempo, and the nephew of the famous Okinawan master Motobu Choyu, from whom, through his student Uehara Seikichi, he inherited udundi.
Very roughly dividing Motobu Ryu into two directions, we can say that there is a hard school of Motobu Ryu – this is Kempo and a softer version called udundi. The name Motobu Ryu itself translates as the school of the Motobu family and this is true for both directions.
Required Knowledge:
Oyata Nainanchi 1-3 with basic Tuite:
https://www.motobu-ryu.org/motobu-udundi/about-motobu-udundi/
Articles:
https://medium.com/motobu-ryu-blog/daitō-ryū-scrolls-and-okinawa-te-d93d8902cbe7
Book – Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu:
Related video:
note: time 2:53 — note the speed of the naihanchi hand techniques — very important for centerline defense
Shinji Watanabe view on Nanhanchi
website: https://yuigaryukarate.web.fc2.com/menu.html
Additional:
PART TWO: SHIHAN TRAINING
The kata that is required for Shihan training is taken from Uechi Ryu called Sanchin Kata.
The name Sanchin, meaning “three battles/conflicts/wars” is usually interpreted as the battle to unify the mind, body, and spirit; however, there are other interpretations. Sanchin (三戦) is a kata of apparent Southern Chinese (Fujianese) origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Okinawan Karate styles of Uechi-Ryū and Gōjū-Ryū, as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated with Ang Lian-Huat. Tam Hon taught a style that was called simply “Saam Jin” (Cantonese for “Sanchin”). We prefer the Uechi-Ryū version which practices a form of Sanchin with nukite zuki (貫手突) “open spear hand” strikes. This is similar to the Motobu-ryu version of Sanchin.
Uechi-ryu:
Moto-bu-ryu:
The chinese version for comparison: for health and power”
At the Shihan level, the Sanchin Kata can be modified for health purposes. The movements can be a combination of any of the above kata. The idea is to “free flow” and feel the energy without the constants of a fixed series of movements. Tension and relaxation along with Godai are keys elements of the kata. 五大 GODAI means Five Great, with the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void
Motobu Choyu — also taught two other kata’s that were not directly related to his family art: Motobu Choyu, sometimes nicknamed “Umei Anjikata”, taught O-Sensei Chitose Unsu and Wansu, two katas that Uehara Seikichi said were not part of Motobu’s regular curriculum. Unsu is unlike the Shotokan and Shito Ryu kata of the same name. Except for these kata, it is unknown if the then young Chitose received any other training from Motobu.
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- UNSU — probably has some characteristics of Choyu’s Unshu Unsu (or Unshu in Okinawan) is one of three Shotokan kata that can be traced back to Seisho Aragaki. Indeed, Unsu possesses certain techniques characteristic of an “Aragaki kata” such as teisho-awase-zuki in sanchin-dachi, the tenchi (heaven and earth) position, and kensei (feinting). Translations of the term Unsu include “Cloud Hands,” “Hands in the Clouds,” and even “Parting the Clouds.” The name of the kata implies that your hands are like clouds, ever changing and capable of discharging lethal force in the blink of an eye. Unsu is another kata thought to have been derived from an Okinawan folkdance, perhaps paying homage to the gods Fujin (god of the wind) and Raijen (god of thunder and lightning). It has been said that the kata embodies a storm, with the kata’s techniques symbolizing wind, lightning, tornadoes, etc. Another school of thought suggests that Unsu originated from one of the Shaolin forms based on the techniques of the dragon (one of kung fu’s five animals).Whatever the origin or philosophy behind the kata, Unsu is truly a magnificent and extremely advanced form, requiring great speed and agility, but above all, explosive power. Just as clouds perpetually change, Unsu undergoes many transitions, making it one of the most dynamic forms of Shotokan. Changes in timing are plentiful in this kata, and attacks are thrown to all three levels of the body: jodan, chudan, and gedan. Stances also vary from internal stances like neko-ashi-dachi and sanchin-dachi, to outer tension stances such as fudo-dachi, zenkutsu-dachi, and kiba-dachi. Interestingly enough, it is one of two kata (not counting Tekki) that doesn’t include kokutsu-dachi.As one of Shotokan’s most versatile kata, Unsu offers many unprecedented techniques and concepts. At 48 movements, Unsu contains a treasure trove of advanced hand techniques including ippon-nukite, seiryuto, keito, haito, kensei, uke-zuki, and teisho. Unsu’s leg techniques, however, are far more interesting. Kicks found in this kata are executed in an unconventional manner, contrary to normal training practices. The two mawashi-geri are the only mawashi-geri found in any Shotokan kata, and they are made while lying down! Since the karateka must literally fall down to perform these roundhouse kicks, the student must also have a basic understanding of breakfalling. The third mae-geri is actually a mae-kekomi, a front kick with a thrust instead of a snap, whereby the heel is used rather than the ball of the foot. Mae-kekomi is rarely if ever practiced in Shotokan, except in this kata. The mika-zuki-geri, although seen in several other kata, cannot be used to its full potential since it is performed completely in mid-air, with the ushiro-geri never really coming to fruition. During this movement, the focus is more on the jump than on the kicks. This 360 jump is Unsu’s hallmark and it is also probably the single most difficult technique in all of Shotokan kata. The jump in Kanku Sho should be practiced diligently before any attempt is made to learn the Unsu jump. When done properly, the spinning jump is simply breathtaking, making Unsu a very popular tournament kata.
# Technique Translation Stance Target Notes 1 ryo-teisho-ago-mae ryote-seiryuto
both palm heels front of chin both hands ox-jaw
heisoku-dachi — slow speed 2 ryo-keito-hane-age-uke both chicken-head rising block neko-ashi-dachi chudan 3 ippon-nukite one-finger spear-hand neko-ashi-dachi gedan 4 ryo-keito-uke-no-mama both hands chicken-head wrist block as is neko-ashi-dachi chudan slow speed 5 ippon-nukite one-finger spear-hand neko-ashi-dachi gedan 6 ryo-keito-uke-no-mama both hands chicken-head wrist block as is neko-ashi-dachi chudan slow speed 7 ippon-nukite one-finger spear-hand neko-ashi-dachi gedan 8 tate-shuto-uke vertical knife-hand block fudo-dachi chudan 9 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 10 tate-shuto-uke vertical knife-hand block fudo-dachi chudan 11 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 12 tate-shuto-uke vertical knife-hand block fudo-dachi chudan 13 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 14 tate-shuto-uke vertical knife-hand block fudo-dachi chudan 15 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 16 mawashi-geri (kawashi-geri)
roundhouse kick (dodging kick)
— chudan naname-fuse 17 mawashi-geri (kawashi-geri)
roundhouse kick (dodging kick)
— chudan naname-fuse 18 ryo-seiryuto (kaiun-no-te)
both hands ox-jaw (open cloud hands)
kiba-dachi — slow speed 19 keito-kake-uke / koho-teisho-uke
chicken-head hooking block/ rear palm-heel block
zenkutsu-dachi chudan gedan
kirikae-ashi 20 keito-kake-uke / koho-teisho-uke
chicken-head hooking block/ rear palm-heel block
zenkutsu-dachi chudan gedan
kirikae-ashi 21 haito-soto-mawashi-uchi outside ridge-hand strike zenkutsu-dachi jodan 22 mae-geri front kick ashi-dachi jodan 23 soto-uke outside block ashi-dachi jodan 24 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 25 haito-soto-mawashi-uchi outside ridge-hand strike zenkutsu-dachi jodan 26 mae-geri front kick ashi-dachi jodan 27 soto-uke outside block ashi-dachi jodan 28 gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 29 ryoken-kakiwake-kamae both fists wedge posture heisoku-dachi gedan slow speed 30 kensei / te-gedan-kamae
feint / hand low posture
— jodan gedan
slow speed 31 tsuki (gedan-zuki) punch (downward punch) zenkutsu-dachi gedan 32 gedan-uke-zuki downward block-punch zenkutsu-dachi gedan 33 gedan-uke-zuki downward block-punch zenkutsu-dachi gedan 34 tate-shuto-uke vertical knife-hand block fudo-dachi chudan slow speed 35 teisho-hasami-uchi palm-heel scissors strike zenkutsu-dachi chudan 36* mae-kakato-kekomi / ryosho-tsukamiyose
front heel thrust kick / both palms grasping-pulling
ashi-dachi gedan —
37 gyaku-zuki reverse punch — chudan 38 tsuki punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan 39 gedan-barai down block kiba-dachi gedan 40 haito-uke ridge-hand block kiba-dachi jodan yori-ashi 41 shuto-gedan-barai knife-hand down block kiba-dachi gedan 42 haito-uke ridge-hand block kiba-dachi jodan yori-ashi 43 gyaku-zuki (sokumen-zuki)
reverse punch (punch to side)
kiba-dachi chudan 44 tate-shuto-uke & mikazuki-tobi-geri /
ushiro-kekomi-tobi-geri
vertical knife-hand block & crescent kick /
back thrust kick
fudo-dachi —
—
chudan chudan
—
shuto slow speed kaiten-tobi
ude-tate-fuse
45 tekubi-makiotoshi-uke & teisho-awase-zuki
wrist curling-falling block & palm-heel combined punch
sanchin-dachi chudan jodan
gedan
teisho slow speed 46 tekubi-makiotoshi-uke & teisho-awase-zuki
wrist curling-falling block & palm-heel combined punch
sanchin-dachi chudan jodan
gedan
teisho slow speed 47 age-uke rising block fudo-dachi jodan 48* gyaku-zuki reverse punch zenkutsu-dachi chudan
- UNSU — probably has some characteristics of Choyu’s Unshu Unsu (or Unshu in Okinawan) is one of three Shotokan kata that can be traced back to Seisho Aragaki. Indeed, Unsu possesses certain techniques characteristic of an “Aragaki kata” such as teisho-awase-zuki in sanchin-dachi, the tenchi (heaven and earth) position, and kensei (feinting). Translations of the term Unsu include “Cloud Hands,” “Hands in the Clouds,” and even “Parting the Clouds.” The name of the kata implies that your hands are like clouds, ever changing and capable of discharging lethal force in the blink of an eye. Unsu is another kata thought to have been derived from an Okinawan folkdance, perhaps paying homage to the gods Fujin (god of the wind) and Raijen (god of thunder and lightning). It has been said that the kata embodies a storm, with the kata’s techniques symbolizing wind, lightning, tornadoes, etc. Another school of thought suggests that Unsu originated from one of the Shaolin forms based on the techniques of the dragon (one of kung fu’s five animals).Whatever the origin or philosophy behind the kata, Unsu is truly a magnificent and extremely advanced form, requiring great speed and agility, but above all, explosive power. Just as clouds perpetually change, Unsu undergoes many transitions, making it one of the most dynamic forms of Shotokan. Changes in timing are plentiful in this kata, and attacks are thrown to all three levels of the body: jodan, chudan, and gedan. Stances also vary from internal stances like neko-ashi-dachi and sanchin-dachi, to outer tension stances such as fudo-dachi, zenkutsu-dachi, and kiba-dachi. Interestingly enough, it is one of two kata (not counting Tekki) that doesn’t include kokutsu-dachi.As one of Shotokan’s most versatile kata, Unsu offers many unprecedented techniques and concepts. At 48 movements, Unsu contains a treasure trove of advanced hand techniques including ippon-nukite, seiryuto, keito, haito, kensei, uke-zuki, and teisho. Unsu’s leg techniques, however, are far more interesting. Kicks found in this kata are executed in an unconventional manner, contrary to normal training practices. The two mawashi-geri are the only mawashi-geri found in any Shotokan kata, and they are made while lying down! Since the karateka must literally fall down to perform these roundhouse kicks, the student must also have a basic understanding of breakfalling. The third mae-geri is actually a mae-kekomi, a front kick with a thrust instead of a snap, whereby the heel is used rather than the ball of the foot. Mae-kekomi is rarely if ever practiced in Shotokan, except in this kata. The mika-zuki-geri, although seen in several other kata, cannot be used to its full potential since it is performed completely in mid-air, with the ushiro-geri never really coming to fruition. During this movement, the focus is more on the jump than on the kicks. This 360 jump is Unsu’s hallmark and it is also probably the single most difficult technique in all of Shotokan kata. The jump in Kanku Sho should be practiced diligently before any attempt is made to learn the Unsu jump. When done properly, the spinning jump is simply breathtaking, making Unsu a very popular tournament kata.
Shotokan
Shitoryu
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2) https://youtu.be/b0VNLVNaPvk?si=VvgNh8CMOPGN795j
Seidokan Wanshu Kata
