Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts, such as karate, tegumi and kobudō, which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island. Due to its location (between "Mainland Japan" and Taiwan), Okinawa was influenced by various cultures with a long history of trade and cultural exchange, including Japan, China and Southeast Asia, that greatly influenced the development of martial arts on Okinawa.
History
In 1429, the three kingdoms on Okinawa unified to form the Ryukyu Kingdom with Chinese imperial backing. This lead to significant contact between Chinese and Ryukyu envoys and traders. Okinawans combined Chinese martial arts with the existing local arts to form Tōde (唐手, Tuudii; Tang hand, China hand), sometimes called Okinawa-te (沖縄手, Uchinaa-dii).[1] When King Shō Shin came into power in 1477, he banned the practice of martial arts, due to fears of the widespread teaching of the art of deception. However, Tōde and Ryukyu kobudō continued to be taught in secret.[2] The ban was continued in 1609 after Okinawa was invaded by the Satsuma Domain of Japan.
Well into the 20th century, the martial arts of Okinawa were generally referred to as te or tii 手, Japanese and Okinawan for "hand". Te often varied from one town to another, so to distinguish among the various types of te, the word was often prefaced with its area of origin; for example, Naha-te, Shuri-te, or Tomari-te, for the villages of Naha, Shuri, and Tomari, respectively.[3][4]
Karate (Okinawa-te or Karate-jutsu) was systematically taught in Japan after the Taishō era (after 1926).[5]
Shuri-te
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Shuri-te (首里手; Okinawan: Suidii) is a pre-World War II term for a type of indigenous martial art to the area around Shuri, the old capital city of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Important Okinawan masters of Shuri-te:
- Sakugawa Kanga
- Matsumura Sōkon
- Bushi Tachimura
- Itosu Ankō
- Asato Ankō
- Chōyū Motobu
- Motobu Chōki
- Yabu Kentsū
- Chōmo Hanashiro
- Funakoshi Gichin
- Sato Toguchi
- Kyan Chōtoku
- Chibana Chōshin
- Mabuni Kenwa
- Tōyama Kanken
- Tatsuo Shimabuku
Important kata:
The successor styles to Shuri-te include Shotokan, Shitō-ryū, Shōrin-ryū, Shudokan, Shuri-ryū, Shōrinji-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Gensei-ryu, and Motobu-ryū.
Tomari-te
Tomari-te (泊手; Okinawan: Tumai-dii) refers to a tradition of martial arts originating from the village of Tomari, Okinawa.
Important Okinawan masters of Tomari-te:
- Matsumora Kōsaku
- Oyadomari Kokan
- Motobu Chōki
- Kyan Chōtoku
- Nakasone Seiyu
Important kata:
- Naihanchi (Koshiki)
- Eunibu
- Rōhai
- Wanduan
- Passai (Tomari)
- Chintō
- Chinsu
- Chinpu
- Wankan
- Wanshū
- Seisan
- Jumu
- Nichin
- Juma
- Ananku
The successor styles to Tomari-te include Wado-ryu, Motobu-ryū, Matsubayashi-ryu, Shōrinji-ryū, and Shōrin-ryū.
Naha-te
Naha-te (那覇手; Okinawan: Naafa-dii) is a pre-World War II term for a type of martial art indigenous to the area around Naha, the old commercial city of the Ryukyu Kingdom and now the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture.
Important Okinawan masters of Naha-te:
Important kata:
The successor styles to Naha-te include Shōrei-ryū (earliest school), Gōjū-ryū, Uechi-ryū, Ryūei-ryū, Shito-ryu and Tōon-ryū.
See also
References
- Higaonna, Morio (1985). Traditional Karatedo Vol. 1 Fundamental Techniques. Minato Research. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-87040-595-0.
- Okinawan Masters Archived 2013-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. msisshinryu.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-20.
- "Tomari-Te: The Place of the Old To-De". Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2005.
- "Koshinrin School of Karate: Katas". Archived from the original on May 17, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2005.
- Donn F. Draeger (1974). Modern Bujutsu & Budo. Weatherhill, New York & Tokyo. Page 125.