Legend Mirror

Understanding our history allows us to more deeply know Karate do. Most of us see Shotokan Karate as a Japanese Art while true, our Okinawan Roots allow us to more deeply understand technical aspects of our art.
 
History plays an exciting role in the development of our art and understanding it reveals to us some of its hidden inner truths.
 
We all know the Funikoshi Sensei brought Shotokan Karate from Okinawa to Japan and it was in Japan we encountered the art, but lets look more deeply into our art.
 
To begin our exploration it is important to understand some Okinawan history and Geography. Okinawa is the largest island in a chain of small islands known as the Ryukyus. 300 miles from southern Japan, 375 miles from Taiwan, 500 miles Foochow on the Chinese mainland. Just understanding this we begin to understand the interrelationships of government and traders. Due to its central location Okinawa enjoyed very strong trade relationships with Japan, China, Korea
 
During military struggles deposed Japanese military would often find safe haven there, but Okinawa unable to be military stronger then Japan and China became tributary State often simultaneously.   
 
In other words don’t beat me up and we will pay you and trade with you what ever we have of value to you.
 
When deposed Japanese Warriors would live in Okinawa they would receive honor from the Okinawan hosts as a result Okinawan warriors would get the opportunity to learn Japanese Martial Arts.  Yet from the Early 1300s probably because Okinawan rulers may have felt over matched by China and Japan made Okinawa officially weapon free.
 
Kantana’s and other know weapons were stored in storage facilities, in the Capital Shuri they were stored famously in the morgue. Martial arts were practiced only in secret but practiced they were, taught at night privately from teacher to student. Even in the Capitol Shuri itself was officially weapons free and the practice of martial arts were banned. Yet its leaders became apt at protecting itself. They built fortified castles and hired administrators who had a regular roles but were secretly the greatest martial artist of the time so when a potential threat accured to a sitting leader to their left and right were their secret body guards.
 
Funakoshi Sensei was the Student of Master Anko Itosu (or Otosu) and Master Anko Azato them selves both the Students of the Great master Sokon (Bushi) Matsumura the head of Security of Shuri Castle (Pictured Above) for fifty years (the center of the government of Okinawa).
 
In many ways Shotokan Karate can be seen as the art of the security forces of Okinawa. Imagine the unique challenges that an unarmed security force has against what is surely armed opponents. Thus the one blow one kill approach of Shotokan karate becomes extremely important. In fact seen though this view a great deal becomes clearer.
 
Add to this Funakoshi Sensei during his lifetime was in the vanguard with his teacher Anko Itosu in bring out Shuri te or Kara te out being a secret art. Itosu and Funakoshi Sensei pushed for Shuri Te to be taught in the schools as a way to strengthen the nation and it was this art that was being taught to school children that Funakoshi Sensei demonstrated to the crown prince in 1921 at Shuri Castle.
 
As a well know teacher/ Professor Funakoshi Sensei had been the point man for Itosu Sensei who himself had been a director of secondary education, and Funakoshi Sensei had the title of the head of the martial arts association when Shuri Te officially became publicly accepted in Okinawa.
 
With the death of Master Itosu in 1915 his students vowed to expand the knowledge of Shuri Te which of course Funakoshi Sensei was one of the Seniors at the time. Imagine the environment in time of militarization the crown price sees a demonstration of Karate at Shuri Castle.