History of Karate

Karate’s history is such that, having been founded in a preliterate time and place, it was spread by word of mouth and was methodically codified and preserved through physical patterns but never found itself chronicled or documented by any centralized forces.

Although the origins of karate are obscure and tainted with myths and folklore, we consider it an incontrovertible fact that from time immemorial there have been actions involving physically seizing and impacting another human being for purpose of self-protection. China and Japan profoundly influenced the fighting traditions of Okinawa.

What is Karate-do?

Karate-do can be several things depending on what the goals and objectives of both the teacher and the student are. Karate-do can be a form of physical exercise, a competitive sport, a self-protection art, or a life enhancement vehicle.

• As a form of physical exercise Karate-do is an excellent way to strengthen the body, maintaining physical fitness and the prevention of disease.
• As a competitive sport, players take defined objectives i.e. winning and the specific rules that define victory in the sport and work with them under pressure to win out over other competitors.
• As a self-protection method, karate-do values techniques solely on their ability to defend and protect an individual.
• As a life-enhancement art, the practitioner takes the physical and philosophical lessons and extends their principles into everyday life as models of how to be happier and more focused leading to “spiritual” fulfillment.

tjyytutyu

Interpreting the word Karate-do, we see three separate ideograms reading kara (empty) te (hand) and do (way) – the way of the empty hand.

But the ideograms have a greater philosophical meaning often referred to as a way of life. Kara = void (an ancient spiritual doctrine derived from Buddhism. Te = hand, was the term used to describe the self-protection arts that had been cultivated in Okinawa before the 20th century. Do = path or the inward journey upon which one travels to find enlightenment.

Karate-do, the way of karate is a vehicle that teaches one how to live in harmony with nature instead of trying to dominate and destroy it.

Another term that was used was tou te jutsu reflecting the arts actual origins.

Tou is the character referring to the Tang Dynasty of China. Te = hand, was the term used to describe the self-protection arts that had been cultivated in Okinawa before the 20th century. Jutsu = art. Tou te jutsu essentially meant “Chinese hands,” reflecting the important influence of Chinese Kung Fu on their fighting ways.

Origins of Self-Protection

When a societies moral principle begin to erode and its ethical and coercive authority begins to deteriorate or when individuals or groups calculate that the potential gains of ignoring society’s rules exceed the costs of living within them, then the potential for unprovoked violence is certain and hence the need for a means for individuals to protect themselves is born. This is true today as it has been since the dawn of time and reasonably accounts for the birth of some method of self-protection.

Miyagi Chojun summed this school of thought in his 1934 publication “The Outline of Karatedo” as follows:

“Regardless of where and when the self-defense disciplines first unfolded, we can only conclude that they ascended alongside of mankind since ancient times resulting from the animosity inherent in human nature.”

Where did Karate Originate?

Although research continues to bring forth new, important information, their remains no doubt that Okinawa is the birthplace of the art of karate. Therefore, in an effort to understand karate’s history and development, one must first turn to its place of origin and investigate the chronicles, culture and traditions of its people both past and present.

ndigenous Okinawan Self-Protection Arts

Haphazardly introduced over many generations, and indiscriminately synthesized with local defensive practices, and constantly reinterpreted by law-enforcement authorities and like-minded enthusiasts, during Okinawa’s old Ryukyu Kingdom, “Te”(an old local generic term meaning “martial arts,” but more appropriately described as Toute; [or Toudi] Chinese “martial arts,”) became an eclectic discipline based primarily upon the defensive practices of several Chinese gongfu traditions native to Fujian province.

Originally pursued for its brutally effective defensive applications, holistic and therapeutic benefit, and introspective value, This early form of Okinawan martial art became known as “TODE”. “TO”, referred to the T’ang Dynasty, which flourished between 618-906 A.D.. “TO” was later used as an adjective to mean “China”. “TO” was also read as “KARA”, which we will refer to later. “TODE” was now the indigenous form of weaponless fighting of the Okinawan Islands.

Introduction of Karate on the Mainland

In 1917 – Gichin Funakoshi and a small contingent of local enthusiasts provided a demonstration and explanation of toudijutsu at the Kyoto Butokuden. This was the first official demonstration of Toudijutsu on Japan’s mainland.

It was during that generation of new experts that Okinawans like Funakoshi Gichin, Motobu Choki (1871-1944), Uechi Kambum (1877-1948), Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953), Toyama Kanken (1888-1966), Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952), Gima Shinkin (1896-1989,) and Chitose Tsuyoshi (1898-1984), found their way to the Japan’s mainland to introduce their interpretations of toudijutsu.

Influence of the Dai Nippon Butokukai

In 1895, the leading military elites established The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society) in Kyoto Japan under the authority of the Ministry of Education and the endorsement of Meiji Emperor to solidify, promote, and standardize all martial disciplines and systems.

As todejutsu gained momentum on the Japanese mainland, the Butokukai began to become concerned with karate’s lack of standards and discipline. This coupled with Japan’s aversion to all things Chinese, the Butokukai set out on a campaign to transform todejutsu to an art form consistent with Japanese ideology.

In 1933, representatives from the Butokukai administration, the Japanese Budo community and prominent karate exponents gathered for a meeting to examine todejutsu’s Chinese lineage, adhoc teaching syllabus, informal assessment criteria, unceremonious protocol and etiquette, casual dress code, and competitive element. The meeting also sought to adapt the Budo philosophy of Michi to todejutsu just as it had been done with Judo and Kendo.

As a result of this meeting, todejutsu took on the new name of karate-do – “empty-hands,” and assumed the suffix “do”, in an effort to emulate the spiritual dimension, protocol and etiquette common in other Japanese budo. Members agreed to adapt a similar uniform and the dan/kyu system of Judo. While not all of the karate exponents at the meeting agreed fully on standarized kata, the development of a common teaching curriculum was also agreed upon. And finally, unlike its predecessor, a karate-do, a competitive format similar to the ippon-shobu of Judo and Kendo was adapted.

In December of 1933, Todejutsu transformed itself to karate-do and finally became recognized as an official “Japanese” Martial Art.