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Okinawan Arts TE
One of the first recognized fighting systems on Okinawa was a martial art known simply as te, meaning "hand". Te originated in the 16th century and was formed primarily because of the prohibition of weapons imposed on the Okinawan population by their Japanese rulers in the late 1500s. Te is considered indigenous to Okinawa, but it is generally accepted that there was a great influence from other Asian nations, especially China.
One of the first acknowledged masters of this empty-handed fighting form was Shungo Sakugawa (1733 - 1815), who got a great deal of his martial training from a monk named Peichin Takahara. Sakugawa eventually taught the style to Soken Matsumura, one of the greatest martial artists who ever lived. While the Sakugawa - Matsumura connection was the root of the majority of karate styles developed on Okinawa (and later Japan), many other systems were created without any influence from Matsumura or Sakugawa.
Three main training centers developed on Okinawa around the 18th century. One was in the ancient capital of Shuri, where the royalty and other nobles lived. A second center formed in Naha, the island's main port. The third was in Tomari. Each of these cities eventually developed its own distinct style.
SHURI-TE
Even though Sakugawa was one of the first te masters, because he taught in the capital city of Shuri, he is also considered one of the first masters of shuri-te as well. Sakugawa was almost 70 years old when a young boy named Soken Matsumura started training with him. Matsumura became the best student Sakugawa ever produced, and after Sakugawa's death, Matsumura became one of the most prominent instructors of shuri-te.
TOMARI-TE
Tomari was located near the small village of Kumemura (Kume City), which was inhabited by a number of military men with a variety of martial arts skills. Included among these skills were "external" arts descended from the Shaolin Temple, as well as "internal" systems that had their origins elsewhere.
While shuri-te was influenced almost exclusively by the harder shaolin external style, tomari-te included a mixture of both external and internal systems. One of the first recognized tomari-te masters was Kosaku Matsumors, who taught the style in the utmost secrecy. Thus, only a few of Matsumora's students ever became prominent enough to pass on his style.
Another important tomari-te instructor was Kokan Oyadomari, whose claim to fame is that he was the first instructor of the great Chotoku Kyan.
NAHA-TE
Of the three major Okinawan styles of the time, naha-te had the greatest influence from the internal systems of China, as well as the least contact with the external shaolin tradition. The greatest naha-te master was Kanryo Higashionna. There is evidence that Higashionna took some lessons from Matsumura of the shuri-te style, but only for a short period. Higashionna was still quite young when he moved to China, where he stayed for many years. When he returned to Naha, he opened a school which emphasized breathing patterns prominent in the internal Chinese styles. Higashionna had many great students who went on to become famous in their own right, Chojun Miyagi and Kenwa Mabuni among them.
SHORIN-RYU
Shuri-te and tomari-te eventually evolved into one style called shorin-ryu, which recognizes the influence of the Shaolin Temple. "Shorin" is the Japanese word for "shaolin." It was around the Matsumura era that the two art forms blended into one style. One of the biggest exponents of this newly named style was Yatsutsume (Anko) Itosu, who was one of Matsumura's finest students.
SHOREI-RYU
Naha-te eventually became known as shorei-ryu at the height of Higashionna's popularity. It was also at this time that the style started to change its direction slightly from being purely an internal fighting system. This was due mainly to the influence of Choki Motobu. Even though Motobu's style was considered naha-te, he actually had no real connection with Hagashionna. When Motobu became the leader of shorei-ryu, he started to develop it in a new direction, primarily because of the extensive training he received from Anko Itosu of shuri-te, as well as Matsumora of tomari-te. Motobu developed quite a reputation as a tough street fighter, as well as a great instructor.
SHOTOKAN
Shotokan karate founder Gichin Funakoshi was a student of both Yasutsune Itosu and Itosu's good friend, Yasutsune Azato. Itosu learned his style of karate from Soken Matsumura, and Azato was trained by tomari-te's Kosaku Matsumora. Funakoshi therefore had extensive shorin-ryu (or shuri-te) training, as well as a taste of shorei-ryu karate. It was because of his association with these great instructors that Funakoshi was able to train under a variety of other masters as well.
It wasn't until Funakoshi was living in Tokyo in the 1930's that the founded shotokan. "Shotokan" translates a "Shoto's School." Shoto was Funakoshi's pen name.
SHITO-RYU
When Funakoshi was training with Itosu, one of his friends and classmates was Kenwa Mabuni. Mabuni eventually decided to train in a different style and traveled to Naha to train with Higashionna. Mabuni stayed with Higashionna for many years and even was able to train, for a short period, with Chojun Miyagi. Miyagi had just returned from a training session in China, and Mabuni wanted to pick up any new techniques Miyagi might have learned.
Like Funakoshi before him, Mabuni moved to Japan and founded shito-ryu. "Shito" was a combination of the first character of each of Mabuni's two main instructors' names - Higashionna and Itosu. Mabuni taught a combination of the hard, linear style of Itosu's shuri-te and the softer, circular style of naha-te.
GOJU-RYU
The naha-te Higashionna taught eventually evolved into shorei-ryu and started to resemble styles whose origins developed from the Shaolin Temple. Higashionna's original style was influenced by the fighting system that existed in China prior to the Shaolin tradition, and was on a softer plane than shorin-ryu. Higashionna's student Chojun Miyagi wanted to teach a style similar to the one taught by his instructor, so at Higashionna's suggestion, Miyagi traveled to China to complete his training, concentrating on the breathing techniques of the various internal systems.
Miyagi later returned to Naha and, after a few years, traveled to Japan to teach in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Miyagi's art evolved from the naha-te of Higashionna to what, in 1929, Miyagi called goju-ryu (go meaning "hard", ju meaning "soft").
ISSHIN-RYU
Isshin-ryu founder Tatsuo Shimabuku learned karate from a variety of instructors skilled in many different styles. He studied with goju-ryu's Chojun Miyagi, then with shorin-ryu's Chotoku Kyan, and finally with shorei-ryu master Choki Motobu.
It was during World War II that Shimabuku gained his reputation as a fine instructor. the Japanese officers were so impressed with his teaching that they were able to keep Shimabuku from being conscripted into the military so they could continue training with him.
After the defeat of the Japanese, the American forces stationed on Okinawa took great interest in Shimabuku's karate and trained at his school. Some of Shimabuku's finest pupils were Americans Steve Armstrong, Harold Mitchum and Don Nagel.
In 1954, Shimabuku founded the isshin-ryu system, meaning "one-heart style."
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