This history is to be used as a guideline of
Ryukyu Kempo. The forward history includes accounts of my own
studies and information from texts. The editions from where this history comes from is provided
at the the end so proper credit is given. Please use this
information for your further studies. This is not to be taken as a contest
of who-knows-what. Take in and enjoy.
Michael P. Andrews, Chief Master Instructor
Andrews Karate Institute
Brief History of Ryukyu Kempo
In 1393, [an economical and cultural] Chinese mission
was established in Naha’s Kuninda district, which was where the
“Thirty-Six Families” settled. This was important because it
established how the Chinese fighting arts were first systematically
transmitted into Okinawa¹, which
was known as the “Great Liu Chiu” in Chinese. It is also noteworthy
that there was the first recorded contact with the Chinese was
during the Sui Dynasty in 607 A.D. The settlement at Kume has been
referred to as Okinawa’s “window to Chinese culture.” It has been
historically noted that Chinese martial arts were introduced to
Okinawa by the Thirty-Six Families. Okinawan Pechin (Ryukyu
Samurai or Okinawan Samurai)
had a rudimentary form of unarmed hand-to-hand combat that included
striking, kicking, elementary grappling, and escape maneuvers that
allowed them to subdue adversaries even when disarmed.
In Okinawan society the people were divided into ten
classes:
Princes, Aji, Oyakata, Pechin, Satunushi-Pechin, Chikudun,
Satunushi, Saka Satunushi, Chikudun Zashiki and Niya.
Princes are the royal kings, brothers, and uncles who were generally district
chieftains. The Aji were feudal lords. Oyakata were
upper samurai, Pechin and Satunushi-Pechin were middle-class
samurai. The other classes were sons and brothers of upper and
middle Shizoku (keimochi, or privileged classes). The
Niya were
commoners.²
Early Karate History
The roots of karate are perhaps as old as man;
therefore, it is difficult to trace the exact origins. Much of the
karate we have today was handed down by word of mouth and surrounded
by secrecy. As with most feudal states, the sons of the warrior
class and upper class officials received martial arts training;
however, only the first son was allowed to take his father’s place.
Although the second and succeeding sons had to
accept lower positions, the martial arts training they had received
was still a part of their heritage. This led to the spread of karate
through the both the bushi and common class as these offspring and
Pechin from fallen castles lived outside of the castles. The
intervention by Japan in 1609 began with the invasion of the Satsuma
Clan, a province in Southern Japan. Although trade and governmental
affairs were controlled by the Shimazu Clan, the Okinawans still
retained a loose form of government; however, military or martial
arts training had to go underground.
Early in Okinawan history, the Chinese referred to the Okinawan
islands as Liu Chiu and the fighting methods as Liu Chiu
Ti (Hand of Ryukyu). Okinawans have referred to their fighting
methods as Te, Ti, or Bushi Te. Te and
Ti refer to the "use of the hand" and Bushi Te refers
to "warrior’s hand." Modern karate is a blend of Chinese and Okinawan
ideas developing out of three regions of Okinawa that developed
distinct styles: Naha, Shuri, and Tomari.
Naha-Te, through the merchant class, developed around the
city of Naha, the trade center of the Ryukyu Islands. As a result of
trade with China, Naha-Te received much Chinese influence. This
influence can be seen in the more fluid, circular movements and
emphasis on the health aspects of karate.
Shuri-Te practitioners were of warrior
or aristocratic descent, since Shuri was the seat of the government.
Although the fighting techniques in Shuri-Te were less influenced by
Chinese karate; the philosophy and spirituality that developed were
from Chinese ideas. Part of a warrior's education was the Chinese
classics.
Tomari-Te originated in the port town
of Tomari, a fishing village in southern regions of Okinawa. The
techniques are more direct and emphasize power and
strength. Because of the location as a seaport, there were many fights
and tests of techniques. Former bushi and their dependents who lived
here were called upon to test their skills almost daily.
In 1507 a weapons ban
was instituted by King Sho Shin, which led to an increased need by
landowners for an effective means of defending themselves and their
property. In February of 1609 the Satsuma (the southern clan of
Japan) invaded Okinawa. The campaign lasted from February to May.
Some may wonder how a country of Pechin can be overrun in
three months, but we must remember that there was an initial weapons
ban two hundreds years prior to 1609. The original weapons ban was
in 1409. Okinawa was conquered in merely three months not because of
the weapon bans, but because the King had ordered that there was to
be no resistance among his people. This ideology still has its roots
in today's politics of Okinawa’s strong belief in life preservation.
One example is that there are military bases allowed on Okinawa’s
soil but nuclear weapons are barred.
During Okinawa’s
270-year military occupation, eclectic fighting traditions evolved,
some of which applied the principles of self-defense to a myriad of
domestic implements. It was largely because of this phenomenon that
Kobudo evolved. Evidently while studying in Japan, some of Okinawan
Pechin were schooled in Jigen-Ryu Ken-Jutsu (a very aggressive
combat methodology of the Satsuma samurai) and, in so doing,
affected the evolution of Okinawa’s indigenous fighting methods
upon returning to their homeland. The art of the Bo (six-foot staff)
of “Toudi” Sakugawa, Chikudun-Pechin Kanga, and Tsuken
Chikudun-Pechin Koura (1776-1882) did not surface until after
they returned to Okinawa from studying in Satsuma. Among the many
Pechin to make the journey from the Ryukyu Kingdom to Satsuma during
the later part of the Nineteenth Century was Matsumura
Chikudun-Pechin Sokon. Perhaps better known as Bushi Matsumura, he came
to be known as the Miyamoto Musashi of the Ryukyu Kingdom. In many
ways, Matsumura is considered the “great-grandfather” of the karate
movement that surfaced in and around Shuri. Matsumura first learned
the native Okinawan fighting traditions under the watchful eye of
“Toudi” Sakugawa and later, while serving as a security agent for
three consecutive Ryukyuan kings, studied in both Fujian and
Satsuma.
Karate (Sport), Ryukyu
Kempo (Life Protection)
The word “karate” is known by almost all Americans, which
translates to (as Americans understand it) kicks and chops. Not much
of the word karate is associated with the art self-preservation,
which originated in Okinawa, based on indigenous Okinawan
fighting methods. What people need to realize is that karate is the
modern incarnation of an older art called Ryukyu Kempo to-de
Jitsu.
Karate is a modified, popular version of Ryukyu
Kempo. The reformation of Ken-Jutsu to Kendo, Jujitsu to Judo,
and Ryukyu Kempo to Karate. This transformation eliminated
deadly striking techniques and adopted rules for safe competition.
Techniques in kata, or forms, were altered, making
them more aesthetic and expansive. The modern art can be used with
effectiveness in self-defense, but it is primarily designed for
self-development and sport. This is not a bad thing. Karate in its
present form is a safe and beneficial practice for millions around
the world.
Karate practitioners must know that karate in its
present form was altered to be safe for grade school children in
1922. In the 1960’s and late 70’s the percentage of
practitioners was 100% adults. In recent years the percentage
has leaned toward almost 100% children. This is because the
explanation or dissemination of kata were “children’s
explanations.”
Everywhere there were striking applications, the word
“block” was used for safety. That is why when you see most
karate schools today and you observe the instruction, they would be
teaching how to block. There are no blocks in karate.
The classical art of Ryukyu Kempo is an art that was
taught prior to entering the school system in Okinawa in 1922.
The art preserved the method of angle and direction of how to strike
different areas of the human body.
At Andrews Karate
Institute we teach the art of Ryukyu Kempo
(life protection art), as we believe this is important for society
today. Some of the reasons as to why this art is valuable include:
the right to protect oneself from harm, and the right to protect
family and loved ones.
As people today and
those who cannot protect themselves are targeted for mistreatment,
especially children and the elderly, the art of Ryukyu Kempo
becomes extremely important.
The art of Ryukyu
Kempo’s foundation lies within understanding the human body from
the psychological to the physical.
The Physical - All men are equal, but
where that equality ends is size and strength. The common
denominator between all people is the nervous system. Ryukyu
Kempo relies on knowledge of the nervous system and is not based
on size or strength (as is the foundation of other styles of karate,
whether intended or not), but in application of technique.
The human body has lungs, a spleen, liver, gall bladder, stomach,
kidneys, bladder, intestines, and a heart. How these organs
communicate is through the nervous system. The nervous system is the
only way to enter pain directly into the human body. The pain signal
is given highest priority, therefore the understanding on how to
exploit the nervous system to create pain which causes compliance,
is the fundamental foundation of Ryukyu Kempo. Pressure points are
the only way to gain access to the nervous system. The knowledge of
accessing the nervous system in this manner is contained within the
kata of Ryukyu Kempo.
Note that in modern karate, the main benefits
are touted towards health and relaxation and that you may learn
self-defense, whereas
the main focus of Ryukyu Kempo is
self-defense, and the side benefits are health and relaxation
because you know how to defend yourself.
Ryukyu Kempo remains
aligned to the basic root of Okinawa’s fighting system, shedding
modern concepts of sport fighting for the practical aspects of
self-defense. Ryukyu Kempo represents the fighting spirit of the
Okinawan warrior and their concepts for application of technique.
Ryukyu Kempo is the Old Way of Karate; it is not a sport, but a way
of life that can be applied as a guide to better living and
understanding.
Ryukyu Kempo continues to teach karate’s ideals as they
have always been taught. Emphasis on makiwara training, fighting
full contact using bogu gear, kata training, Tuite, Kyusho-Jitsu and
Kobudo. These are of the utmost importance and special detail is
given to teaching these techniques so that they will never be
forgotten, even though the bushi class no longer exists.³
Weapons of Ryukyu Kempo (Kobudo)
Originally, Ryukyu Kempo Kobudo existed for the sole
purpose of self-defense in direct response to various practical
necessities. For example, professional security escorts of the day
(Ryukyuan bodyguards) needed to be well-versed in combative
technologies. A combative technology of the day would have been, for
example, the choice of wood used for wooden weapons (i.e. weapons
made from teakwood cannot be cut through by the period’s bladed
weapons). Note that today's purpose of Okinawan Kobudo is
to enhance the empty hand techniques.
Definition of
Ryukyuan bodyguards’ weapons training included: position of the grip
(high for sport, low for combat, as pertains to Nunchaku),
tai sabaki (footwork), specific method of contact with the
forearm instead of the ribcage or outside of the arm as is
mostly taught (as pertains to the Bo), and specific knowledge
of anatomical structures for bladed weapons. The professional
adaptation from traditional bladed weapons (which were banned) were
made into everyday implements such as the Bo and Sai. It is not
commonly known that for example, Okinawan masters traveled to Japan
to study a specific style of Ken-Jutsu and reflected its techniques
back to the Bo, which was allowed for use by the Pechin.
History of Andrews Karate
Institute
This is a list of the incredible teachers that have and still has a
great influence in my martial arts studies.
His instructors include (in order of study):
-
Sensei
Mike Mamos (5th Dan, Shorin-Ryu)
-
Sensei
Ken Mayhan (1st Dan, Taekwondo)
-
Shihan
Peter Bernath (7th Dan, Aikido)
-
Grandmaster Ed Lake (8th Dan, Ryukyu Kempo)
-
Grandmaster George A. Dillman (9th Dan, Ryukyu Kempo)
-
Professor Helen Chao
(Professor
of Acupuncture)
-
Grandmaster Jack Hogan (9th Dan, Ryukyu Kempo)
-
Sensei
Rick Dermo (3rd Dan, Kendo)
