| Japan annexed the nominally independent
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| | In 1806, Tode Sakukawa (1782-1838), who
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| Ryukyu island group in 1874 after
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| | had studied pugilism and staff (bo)
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| centuries of strong Japanese influence
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| | fighting in China (according to one
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| over the kingdom's affairs following the
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| | legend, under the guidance of Koshokun,
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| invasion by the Japanese Satsuma clan in
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| | originator of kusanku kata), started
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| 1609. The relationship between Okinawa
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| | teaching a fighting art in the city of
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| and Japan is complicated. For purposes of
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| | Shuri that he called "Karate-no-Sakukawa"
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| discussing karate, it is convenient to
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| | (at that time meaning "China hand of
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| speak of Okinawa and Japan as separate
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| | Sakakawa"). This was the first known
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| entities. The question of whether karate
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| | recorded reference to the art of karate
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| is Japanese or Okinawan is somewhat akin
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| | Around the 1820's, Sakukawa's most
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| to asking whether the luau or the hula
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| | significant student, Sokon
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| dance are American traditions or Hawaiian
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| | Matsumura(1809-1899) taught a synthesis
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| ones: They developed in Hawaii prior to
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| | of te (Shuri-te and Tomari-te) and
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| when Hawaii became one of the United
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| | Shaolin (Chinese) styles. It would become
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| States, and so are usually described as
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| | the style Shorin-ryu.
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| Hawaiian, not American. The case is
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| | Anko ItosuMatsumura taught his karate to
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| similar for karate, which is originally
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| | Anko Itosu(1831-1915), among others.
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| of Okinawan origin.
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| | Itosu adapted two forms he learned from
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| The Okinawan martial art "ti" was
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| | Matsumara, namely kusanku and chiang nan,
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| practiced by Okinawa royalty and their
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| | to create the ping'an forms ("heian" or
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| retainers for centuries before, and
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| | "pinan" in Japanese, as the symbols can
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| alongside, later Chinese influences. For
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| | be read differently) as simplified kata
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| the most part there were no particular
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| | for beginning students. In 1901 he was
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| styles of "ti", but rather a network of
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| | instrumental in getting karate introduced
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| practitioners with their own individual
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| | into Okinawa's public schools. These
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| methods and eclectic traditions. Early
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| | forms were taught to children at the
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| styles of karate are often generalized as
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| | elementary-school level. Itosu is also
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| Shuri-te, Naha-Te and Tomari-te, named
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| | credited with taking the large naihanchi
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| after the three cities in which they
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| | form ("tekki" in Japan) and breaking it
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| emerged, although these are not concrete
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| | into the three well-known modern forms
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| distinctions. Each area (and the teachers
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| | naihanchi shodan, naihanchi nidan and
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| who lived there) had particular kata,
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| | naihanchi sandan.
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| techniques, and principles that
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| | Itosu's influence in karate is very
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| distinguished their local version of "ti"
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| | broad. The forms he created for beginners
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| from the others.
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| | are common across nearly all forms of
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| Members of the Okinawan upper classes
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| | karate. His students included some of the
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| were sent to China regularly to learn and
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| | most well-known karate practitioners,
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| study a variety of disciplines, political
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| | including Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni,
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| and practical; this exchange was not too
| |
| | and Motobu Choki. He is sometimes known
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| different from the practice of exchange
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| | as the "Grandfather of Modern
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| students today. The incorporation of
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| | Karate."[citation needed] In addition to
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| empty-handed Chinese kung fu occurred
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| | the three early "ti" styles of karate, a
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| partly because of these exchanges.
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| | fourth Okinawan influence is that of
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| Estimates of the Chinese influence in
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| | Kanbun Uechi (1877-1948), who, at the age
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| modern karate styles (or schools) vary
| |
| | of 20, went to Fuzhou in Fujian Province,
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| considerably, and there are no clean
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| | China, to escape Japanese military
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| divisions among 'styles'. To this day
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| | conscription. While there, he studied
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| karate styles from some areas bear a
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| | under Shushiwa, the leading figure of
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| striking resemblance to Fujian martial
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| | Chinese Nanpa Shorin-ken at that time.[1]
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| arts such as Fujian White Crane, Five
| |
| | He later developed his own style of
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| Ancestors, and Gangrou-quan (Hard Soft
| |
| | karate and brought it to Japan, though
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| Fist, pronounced "Gojuken" in Japanese),
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| | the style itself was neither taught in
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| while some karate looks distinctly
| |
| | Okinawa nor rooted in Okinawan "ti".
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| Okinawan.[citation needed]
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|
