November 2014 KANGA “TODE” SAKUGAWA

Kanga “Tode” Sakugawa 11.2014

The father of Okinawan Karate,  Master Kanga Sakugawa was born in Shuri,Okinawa in 1733. Kanga started his Marital art training when he was 17 years old, due to the fact that his father was beaten by bandits and left to die.  This is what pushed Kanga to seek out martial arts instructor  Master Takahara (1683-1760), who taught him a southern style of kung-fu.

It was Master Takahara who dubbed him the nickname of “Tode” (Chinese hand or karate) due to his hard and constant training. As the years went by and his prowess became so great, he became known by everyone as Tode Sakugawa.  While still training with Takahara, he met a Chinese military attache, known in history as Kushanku, a master of  Northern style kung fu. It is a fighting and grappling art that was called  “kumiuchi-jutsu”.  Tode Sakugawa trained with  Kushanku for 4 years in Okinawa, then went to China with him for several years (8-12).

On his returned from China he brought back  techniques from “Qi gong” which is to developed and use ki power, also Qinna an art for grasping and manipulating vital points. These Chinese arts are what really influenced Okinawan marital arts.  This was the start of Shuri-te the forerunner of Shorin ryu and most of the grappling arts of Okinawa, “torite, tuite and te or ti.

There  are stories and folklore about Tode fighting off pirates and bandits and about his skill with the bo (staff). Once when traveling back from China, his boat was over taken by a gang of pirates. He fought a large number with his bo,  but was grabbed by 5 or 6 of them. Tode quickly jumped over board with them holding on to him, therefore saving the boat. When the Chinese  coast guard picked them out of the water, he was thought of as just one of the pirates. It took a few days before the Chinese sorted things out, but by watching Tode’s actions and manners, they came to realizes who he really was. Back in Okinawa he was an administer for the Shuri government, and worked in the palace. They were so impressed with him that the government let him stay longer to train in the Chinese art of fighting.

It was Sakugawa who developed the whole Dojo concept, and by blending the Chinese arts  with Okinawa Te really started karate.  He passed on the kata “kushanku” (kanku dai), which is one of our oldest kata that we still practice today. The kushanku kata shows and highlights what  the true essence of Okinawa karate really is.  He also developed and passed on the sakugawa no kon, a staff kata.

But it wasn’t until he was 78 years old that he is remembered for one of his greatest achievements: he started teaching a young Sokon Matsumura, therefore passing on the art that we now practice.

It is because of this hidden master that we are training in the art today.  A young man who just wanted to seek justice for his father and to improve himself, That one man could leave such a strong impression in our lives is really something.  This just shows us how one person can change the world.  Maybe we have someone in our dojo, or we know somebody who trains with their heart and soul.  I can think of  a few, who have been training their whole lives and have that same love and respect for the arts.  If this was 250 years ago maybe we would be calling them “Tode “ or “karate” as their name.

SEE YOU IN THE DOJO

Leave a Reply

US Branch of Japan Keishinkan Karate