The Chinese Connection

The story of our Karate starts in China,  with the Tang Dynasty ( 618-907).  The Tang Dynasty was a high point  in Chinese history, a golden age of culture in art, poetry, and historical literature.     This was a time when many outdoor sports were enjoyed, from archery, hunting, and some sort of wresting and boxing.

Karate was called  “Te” (hand) meaning a reference to fist fighting, when it was being referred to as a Chinese based fighting art it was called “Tote”  (china hand).  In this case “To” meaning “Tang” ( again referring to the Tang Dynasty).   So Te means Hand,  KARA  can mean  TANG,  TO,  CHINA. I guess that the Okinawans had there own  form of fist-fighting that they called “TE” (HAND), but when they mixed it with what they learned from the Chinese they called it :”TO-TE” (I know, confusing).

We all know that there was a large number of Chinese who was sent to Okinawa when China was in control of it.  This is were the influence of their Chinese art was mixed with the indigenous art (te) of the Okinawa.   So jumping to 1756,  this is the year when a man named Kanga Sakugawa (1733-1815)  met and trained with a Chinese called Kushanku ( Kushanku is a title meaning ambassador). Kushanku is one of the main principals in Okinawa karate having a long and lasting legacy.

Okay, so Sakugawa, (who was Matsumura’s teacher) trained with Kushanku in a striking and grappling art called kumiuchi-jutsu.   Sakugawa became known as “Tode” Sakugawa from his mastering of a Chinese martial art.  ( I know I wrote Tode not ToTe De means the same as Te (hand)  why you ask?  it just is).

While this part of history is very confusing it is also very cool in the way we find who influenced whom.  There wasn’t any type of written history at this time period, it was all passed on from teacher to students, so I’m sure things got mixed up a little.  What we do know is there was a lot of Chinese that went to Okinawa to live and work, and brought their fighting art over where it was passed on to the local Okinawan men.

Fast forward to the mid 1800s when Karate  (Tote or Tode) was in full swing. There was a large number of Karate men  training in some sort of fighting art that they learned from their teachers.  This is were the individual systems were being born, (remember 80% of all martial art are the same it is the way it is passed on and taught that makes it a system.)  So these men are doing the flow drills, and the hojo undo (supplementary training) , which are  part of the Chinese base, putting together the Katas that we trained with today. Using what they have picked up and learned from other teachers and their training partners.  Keeping what they think is useful ( also what they are able to do) and throwing it all into the mix and what comes out is …..KARATE  (yea) .

In this time period there was a book that was going around called the BUBSHI.  A Chinese book on white crane kung fu and monk fist kung fu. This book was referred to as the Bible of Karate,  all the top Okinawa masters had a copy of it and highty  prized it. The only way to get one  was to copy it from your teacher by hand, ( I wonder how many mistakes happen here?).

So, a quick recap, Kung fu men came over from China spread their different arts,  passed on training methods and books on Chinese arts, this went on for years. The Okinawa’s mixed it with their art of “Te” and it came out Karate.

Now we jump to the people we all know. Master Itosu, who trained with Master Matsumura, took the training methods and kata reworked them and taught it to Master Toyama.

Master Toyama moved to Taiwan and trained  in a few different Chinese arts of kung fu, which he added to his advanced curriculum. Master Toyama was also a student of Higashionna who taught the Chinese based art of Naha-te (Go ju ryu).   Master Toyama then moved to Japan in 1931, were he passed on the Shuri-te and Naha-te katas. (whew)

In 1936 a group of Karate men decided to change the name from Tote (China hand ) to Kara te  (empty hand)  fitting into the Japanese way of thinking.  Kara can also be interpret as KU meaning “void” or “sky” thus having a deep profound meaning. (yes another meaning of KARA).

While there is still a number of Karate men who go to China to find the roots of our karate or katas that resemble what we trained with today,  I think that most of what we practice today is based out of Okinawa.

Master Takazawa trained in White crane kung fu, while he didn’t add or pass it on to us (his students) I’m sure some of the principles and methods that he learned are with us today.

Sensei was also a Doctor of  Chinese medicine as was most of the old masters, if not doctors they had a good knowledge of the healing arts. ( boy my head hurts…I could use some of those healing arts now).

So  what is the connection between Keishinkan and the Chinese arts? Well, we still practice the Seishan, seiunchin, sanchin, and sochin katas, and the methods of our hojo undo are based out of the Chinese arts. I have also learned and teach the Hakutsuru kata (white crane), keeping with all the old masters in there beliefs that both the arts are important by learning the hard and soft from both arts.

Okay this is were I try to tie it all together and come up with a cool saying to keep us inspired and still want to learn karate.  (uh uh  still thinking).

Well if it was good enough for the old master it is good enough for us.

Karate doesn’t change who we are, Karate reveals who we are.

See ya in the dojo