History of Martial Arts

It is thought that the earliest inhabitants of Okinawa came not only from China, but also from the northern Japanese islands and from South Asia. Archaeology has shown that cultural penetration of China has continued since at least 300 BC. In these times, the people of Okinawa lived a simple life supported mainly by a crude agriculture, sea fishing and the gathering of shellfish. However, successive military invasions by the Japanese from the sixth to the ninth centuries AD evidently stimulated the native people to organise themselves into village groupings presided over by chieftains.

Okinawa had become divided into 3 rival kingdoms by 1340 and a decade later the largest of these kingdoms entered into a formal, tributary relationship with China, which was confirmed by the Chinese Emperor in 1372. Under the terms of this relationship, the Okinawans, like almost all of China's neighbors except for Japan, sent annual delegations to the mainland bearing tribute for the Emperor. A few nobles from these delegations were permitted to travel on from the coast to the Imperial Court. Some younger princes even enrolled in the schools set up for foreigners in Peking, where they would study Chinese culture, arts and sciences before returning home. In this way, many important Okinawans became familiar with the city and court life of China, as well as its traditions and learning.

By 1429, after some internal skirmishing, Okinawa was united under one king and the first (Sho) dynasty was established. This set the stage for the golden era of Okinawa’s history. The people took to trading, and steadily established a network of trade links that stretched not only to Japan and China, but as far afield as Indo-China, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Bhodidharma, painting by Shokada, VII century Japan.

Ginchin Funakoshi (1867 – 1957)

At the end of the 1906 Russia – Japanese war, an Okinawan Sensei called Ginchin Funakoshi went about promoting a form of self defence. He formed a group of demonstration experts and travelled the country giving displays. In 1917, Funakoshi, an exponent of Tang-hand, gave a martial arts display in the Martial Virtues hall in Koto (near Tokyo, Japan). He combined some of the skills of Te, Tang-hand and Ju-Jutsu to form a new form of fighting which he called Karate.

At the time, Funakoshi wrote:

"As a mirrors polished surface reflects whatever stands before it and a quiet valley carries even small sounds, so must a student of karate render his mind empty of selfishness in an effort to react appropriately towards anything he might encounter. This is the meaning of kara, emptying the mind of all thoughts."

In 1922 Tokyo staged its 1^st National Athletic Exhibition where Funakoshi gave a demonstration of karate. The event was so popular that Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, asked him to lecture at the Kodokan (Judo Hall) on his skill. This was the turning point in Funakoshi’s career, it enabled him to establish the art of karate in many military academies and universities.

The arrival of Grand Master Kenwa Mabuni in 1928, who originated from Shuri in Okinawa helped to accelerate the growth of karate further.

Shito-Ryu

Of all the traditional karate systems shotokan, goju-ryu, wado-ryu, shorin-ryu, kyokushin, isshin-ryu, and shito-ryu, shito-ryu remains the most obscure. Several of its leading practitioners, such as the charismatic Fumio Demura and the prolific Tour Hayashi, do have widespread fame, yet shito-ryu remains little understood outside its own schools. Shito-ryu had been most often described as a combination of shotokan and goju-ryu. It is also generally known that its teachers utilize formal exercises (kata) from many Okinawan sources. Unfortunately, such explanations fail to adequately describe just what shito-ryu really is.

In truth, shito-ryu, along with goju-ryu, wado-ryu and shotokan, is one of the four major karate systems of Japan proper(the Japanese islands excluding Okinawa). It was founded by Kenwa Mabuni(1899-1952), who, like most of karate’s old masters, was descended from Okinawa’s so-called warrior (bushi) class or aristocracy. Members of his family served Okinawan lords for hundreds of years. Mabuni started karate training at the age of 13 under Anko Itosu (1830-1915), the man who organized early karate in the Okinawan school system. Itosu was a student of one of Okinawa’s most famous karate masters, Sokon Matsumura (1792-1887), the forefather of shorin-ryu. Itosu took a strong liking to his young pupil and Mabuni learned some 23 kata before the elder man died. Itosu’s death so grieved Mabuni that he built a shrine in front of the master’s grave and stayed close by for a year, practicing his kata daily.

Itosu was not Mabuni’s only teacher, however. While still in his teens, Mabuni was introduced by his friend, Chojun Miyagi (the founder of goju-ryu karate) to Kanryo Higashionna (1853-1915). From Higashionna, Mabuni learned naha-te, a Chinese-influenced karate style. Mabuni also trained under the reclusive Arakaki-kamadeunchu (1840-1918), who taught a style similar to Higashionna’s. Arakaki also taught Tsuyoshi Chitose, the founder of chito-ryu, Gichin Funakoshi of shotokan, and Kanken Toyama of the shudokan school. Arakaki, who was an acknowledged bo (staff) expert, taught Mabuni the unshu, sochin, niseishi, arakaki-sai and arakaki-bo forms. During the 1920’s the insatiable Mabuni participated in a karate club operated by Miyagi and Choyu Motobu, with help from Chomo Hanashiro and Juhatsu Kiyoda. Choyu Motobu, and was a master of Shurite (the antecedent of shorin-ryu) and gotende, the secret grappling art of the Okinawan royal court. Hanashiro was also a shuri-te expert, while Kiyoda came from the same naha-te background as Miyagi. Known as the Ryukyu Tode Kenkyu-kai (Okinawa Karate Research Club), this dojo (training hall) was one of history’s gems. Experts from diverse backgrounds trained and taught there, and it was there that Mabuni learned some Fukien white crane kung fu from the legendary Woo Yin Gue, a Chinese tea merchant living on Okinawa.

By this time, Mabuni had become a highly respected police officer and made several trips to Japan after Funakoshi introduced karate there in 1922. Mabuni spent many of his early traveling years with Koyu Konishi, a friend and sometimes student who later founded shindo-jinen-ryu karate. In 1925 Mabuni and Konishi visited Japan’s Wakayama prefecture where Kanbum Uechi, the founder of uechi-ryu, was teaching. It was after training with Uechi that Mabuni devised a kata called shinpa. But Mabuni actually spent most of his time in Osaka, where he taught at various dojo, including the Seishinkai, the school of Kosei Kokuba. Choki Motobu also taught at Kokuba’s dojo. It was Kokuba who later formed motobu-ha (Motobu faction) shito-ryu. In 1929, Mabuni moved permanently to Osaka. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese martial arts sanctioning body, the Butokukai, pressured all karate schools to register by style name. At first, Mabuni called his style hanko-ryu (half-hard style), but by the early 1930’s shito-ryu was the official name. It was coined from alternative renderings of the names of Mabuni’s two foremost teachers, Itosu and Higashionna. Not everyone agreed with separating Okinawan karate into factions through the use of style names. In fact, shudokan headmaster Toyama questioned Mabuni and others about their use of what he called "funny-sounding names." Mabuni countered at giving the style a name would not only satisfy the Butokukai, but would give people something they could identify with and feel a part of.

Among Mabuni’s earliest students was Kanei Uechi (not to be confused with Kambum Uechi’s son of the same name), who by 1935 was also teaching in Osaka. In 1950, Uechi returned to Okinawa and established the Shito-ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai. On Okinawa, Uechi is considered the true successor to Mabuni’s art, but internationally, Mabuni’s eldest son, also named Kanei, is acknowledged as the head of shito-ryu and runs the Shito-kai. Kanei Mabuni and his younger brother Kenzo head the karate programs at several universities, a task inherited from their father. Still other early students of Mabuni have their own distinct organizations and followings. Ryusho Sakagami, a contemporary of Kanei Mabuni, established the Itosu-kai just after Mabuni’s death. Sakagami’s son, Sadaaki, now oversees the Itosu-kai from the Yokohama area.

Shito-ryu founder Kenwa Mabuni (seated middle). Shotokan Founder Master Funakoshi (far left) and Kenei Mabuni (far right), eldest son.

Grand Master Kenwa Mabuni, Legendary Founder of Shito-Ryu

(1889 – 1952)

Shukokai – Chojiro Tani

Shukokai Karate , " The Way for All" is a dynamic form of Okinawan Karate and can be considered a direct descendant of it's parent style , Shito-Ryu. Grand Master Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito-Ryu) resided in Osaka until 1952, devoting his entire existence to promoting his Shito school of Karate. It was during this time that one of his students, Chojiro Tani was to further refine the style, into Shukokai Karate.

In 1948, Chojiro Tani organized the Shuko-kai, where he taught tani-ha shito-ryu. Ever innovative, the Shuko-kai, under the present leadership of Shigeru Kimura in the United States, appears somewhat different in technique from the other shito-ryu groups.

Technically, the karate of most shito-ryu factions looks pretty much the same. Not surprisingly, there are minor differences in the kata between the various groups, mostly due to the proclivities of their founders. Regardless, all shito-ryu looks a lot like shorin-ryu in application. A long, linear style, even its goju-ryu-type kata (those derived from Higashionna) are performed in a lighter, more angular and rangy fashion than they are in schools derived from naha-te alone. Shito-ryu is much like Shotokan in that it relies heavily on the reverse punch and front kick. The style also seems to place a strong emphasis on sparring. In so doing, Shito-ryu stresses speed, and fighting is generally initiated from a higher, more upright stance than Shotokan employs. On the other hand, because the style has so many kata, a great deal of time is spent perfecting any one of its 40 to 60 forms.

Mr. Chojiro Tani was born in Kobe, Japan in 1921 and began studying the art of Karate during Junior High School at the Gojo School of Karate. He entered Doshisha University in 1940 and furthered his studies of karate under the direction of Kenwa Mabuni. In 1948 he opened the Shukokai School of Karate in Kobe, Japan, where he taught Tani-ha Shito-Ryu. He also organized clubs in Kyoto University and Osaka College of Economics, Tottiro University and Kobe University Medical School.

Outside of Japan, Sensei Tani's style spread mainly in Europe (Kofukan International). Shigeru Kimura (8^th Dan), one of the students of Chojiro Tani then promulgated Shukokai to the United States, whilst Yoshinao Nambu continued to teach in Europe.

Shukokai Karate enters Australia.

Sensei Alan Murdoch first introduced the Shukokai Karate style to Australia. Sensei Murdoch was a student of Sensei Tommy Morris (7^th Dan located in Scotland) who in turn was a student of Sensei Shigeru Kimura.

Sensei Joe Templin trained with Shigeru Kimura, Tommy Morris and Alan Murdoch for many years and was graded to 3^rd Dan by Sensei Tommy Morris. After achieving the title of Sensei, Joe opened his first dojo in Endeavor Hills, and later his second dojo in Prahran, now located in Armadale.

Calling his school Chikara Shukokai Karate, Sensei Joe has strived to teach people, both young and old, the vast knowledge that he has amassed over his many years of training.

The Chikara Dojo's operate under Sensei Tommy Morris's Kobe Osake International organisation and all Black Belt and above gradings are done by Sensei Tommy himself.