|
Karate Ni Sente Nashi
(Karate is for self-defense, not offense)
"Karate is an art of self-protecting and countering
by hand, involving the use of fists, fingers, hands, arms, feet and even the entire body. This martial art was introduced
from China to Okinawa where it was perfected by incessant study" (Andagi 68). It started with the combination of
Chinese martial arts or kenpo, and the native martial art called Te, which existed in Okinawa since
ancient times. The two were infused together thus creating karate. Several factors aided in the evolution
and systematization of Karate. In 1372 trade began with China and many forms of Chinese martial arts were introduced. Secondly,
there was a policy banning weapons by King Shoshin (1477-1526), and third, the Satsuma clan's invasion of Ryukyu.
Okinawans methodically changed it to adapt it to their needs (History).
"Around this time, so-called 'Traditional Karate'
had no ryu (schools) at all. But it seems that the Okinawans were successfully implementing the characteristics of
Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu, both of which had been imported from China. Today's concept of ryu was developed at the start of the 20th Century.
Before that, the styles were divided into Shuri-te (later Shorinji-ryu, Shorin-ryu, etc.), Naha-te (later
Goju-ryu, etc.) and Tomari-te (later Matsubayashi-ryu, etc.) They were all named after the features of
their kata, traditional place-names, and so on. There were also the Ryuei-ryu and Pangainun-ryu (later
Uechi-ryu) schools, which originated in Nanpa Shorin Ken from China."
"It
was in the 1920s that the ryu or school system was organized as it remains today. After World War II, there was strong
segmentation of the ryu, and there are over 60 ryu and associations today (History)."
|
