On May 19, the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education (Director of Education, Kinjō Hiromasa) announced additional certified holders for the prefecture designated intangible cultural property “Okinawa karate and kobujutsu”. The newly recognized masters are:
Takara Shintoku (90 years old, Uechi-ryū)
Iha Seikichi (87 years old, Shōrin-ryū)
Nakahodo Tsutomu (86 years old, Uechi-ryū)
Iha Kōtarō (81 years old, Kobujutsu)
Maeshiro Morinobu (75 years old, Shōrin-ryū)
Kikugawa Masanari (74, Gōjū-ryū)
Related newspaper articles (In Japanese):
Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe
National special invitation exemplary demonstration (Part II)
(Published on September 21, 1969)
The agile action of Mr. Shimabukuro
Shimabukuro Zenryō Hanshi (Head of Shōrin-ryū Seibukan Dōjō)
Ānankū
A small man of approximately 150 cm (1). Having been a fan of karate since his childhood, he was a mischievous student who, using the classroom wall as a substitute for makiwara, was looking forward to drilling holes while the teacher was in the staff room. In 1933, he moved from Kubagawa Shuri City to the current district of Jagaru in Chatan Village.
While working in the confectionery wholesale in Jagaru from the age of seventeen, Shimabukuro Hanshi visited the home of karatedō master Kyan Chōtoku sensei who lived at that time next to Hija bridge in Kadena Village. Shimabukuro Hanshi recalls “For 8 years until the age of 24 years old, I travelled by bicycle to receive the master’s instruction. The hard karate life of those days is a happy memory of my young years.”
Although he runs the Shōrin-ryū (1) Seibukan Dōjō in Jagaru, there are also many foreigner students due to the area. Foreigners park their deluxe cars next to the entrance of the dōjō. Shimabukuro Hanshi said, “It's a difference of times. We didn't dream of it when we were young. A dōjō is a good thing.” Regardless of his small body, huge foreigners are being conditioned. The eldest son, Mr. Zenpo (27 years old) is also a Renshi instructor. While he works at a foreign trading company, he absorbedly acts as his father’s assistant to instruct the students in the evening.
Shimabukuro Hanshi will perform Ānankū, which he learned from Kyan sensei. It seems that Ānankū is based on the motto “the quickest possible movement”, and this kata is a favorite of Shimabukuro Hanshi. Rather than being a powerful performance, Shimabukuro Hansi's agile movements in performing Ānankū may be noticed by small build persons. He is 61 years old.
[Correction] In the introduction of Nagamine Hanshi, it was written that Nagamine Hanshi received instruction from both Matsumora Kōsaku and Matsumura Sōkon. Correctly it should have say that he received instruction from direct students of these masters, namely Motobu Chōki and Kyan Chōtoku.
Notes:
- Five shaku is approximately 152 cm.
- This Shōrin-ryū can also be pronounced Sukunai-hayashi-ryū to differentiate it from the Shōrin-ryū founded by Chibana Chōshin.
- In the book 'Shorin Ryu Seibukan - Kyan’s Karate' by Shimabukuro Zenpo and Dan Smith, it is written: "He did not start karate training until he was 27 years old. (...) He continued to train until the war came to Okinawa in April of 1945".
During the Muromachi era, five to six hundred years ago, Zeami left the splendid words “Makoto no Hana - a genuine flower” and “Jibun no Hana - a flower of the hour” in one of his treatises on drama known as Fūshikaden. (1)
To put it simply, the flowers of the season are sometimes described as “a charm of only a moment” while the genuine flowers are “a charm that never scatters.”
Now, I would like to mention that there is a deep philosophy that is shared in both Zeami's art theory and karate.
At that very moment, the karate of Okinawa has become an official discipline of the Tōkyō Olympics, and it seems that the concerned people are very pleased. However with this opportunity, I sincerely hope that all karate leaders will firmly grasp the essence of karatedō, and while handing it to the future generations will convey this essence and the pride of the birthplace.
Among nowadays’ karate instructors in Okinawa, it appears that there are groups that promote traditional karate and sport karate.
Sport karate is literally about a youthful power and performance that charms those who watch it and thus can be compared to a "flower of the hour". In such inclination, I believe that one will likely tend to be fixated with victory or defeat, and will easily link up with the honor of a gold medal and money.
On the other hand, even if after having bloomed a flower of an instant when young one makes lifelong assiduous efforts, the beauty that will emanate from this cultivation is the “genuine flower”. As this beautifully coincides with the Fūshikaden treatise, I am in admiration with the wisdom of Zeami's words.
A genuine flower… “The secret resides in training the heart and mind” (2).
Traditional karate is not just a mere technique or a bout. Through the strict training and tempering that is karatedō, one aims at improving his/her character and harmonizing into one the mind, technique and body. (3)
I perceive that in this word “genuine flower” resides a deep philosophy and the heart of zen.
Also, in history, those like Yagyū Munenori and Yamaoka Tesshū all embodied this genuine flower. (4)
While money, honor and power prevail in the world of sports, I cannot disavow sport karate at all. However nowadays, as people lose their heart being swayed by material things, I would like people to again realize the essence of Okinawa’s traditional karate and thus contribute to the development of Okinawa's culture and education.
Hopefully, karate leaders of Okinawa will touch even a part of Zeami's philosophy, will pursue it in depth to become well acquainted with it.
Note of a Zen priest
Notes:
- Zeami (1363 – 1443) is said to be the greatest playwright and theorist of the Japanese Noh theatre. With his father, he is considered as the creator of the Noh drama. He lived during the Muromachi era (approximately 1336 – 1573)
- In Japanese “Ōnmyō ha renshin ni ari”. It deeply resembles Gōjū-ryū Yagi Meitoku sensei’s favored quote “Ōkumyō zai renshin” that is displayed at the Meibukan hombu dōjō in Kume, Naha City.
- This is similar to Matsubayashi-ryū Nagamine Shōshin sensei’s teaching: “Ken zen ichi nyo (Karate and zen in oneness)”.
- Yagyū Munenori (1571 – 1646) was a swordsman who founded one of the most renowned schools of Japanese swordsmanship, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū. Yamaoka Tesshū (1836 – 1888) was a famous samurai who played an important role in the Meiji Restoration.
Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe
National special invitation exemplary demonstration (Part II)
(Published on September 21, 1969)
The theorist of the karate world
Kushi Jokei Hanshi (Matsubayashi-ryū dōjō instructor)
Wankan
He is a direct disciple of Nagamine Shōshin Hanshi. An expert in Okinawa sumō, Kushi Hanshi was a classmate of Nagamine Hanshi at Naha Commercial School (1). At that time, Mr. Nagamine was already devoting himself to the training of karate. Following his repeated suggestions, Mr. Kushi became fascinated by karate, a lifelong learning sport. Since then he received instruction from Mr. Nagamine, and today, he is passionate about teaching the juniors at the Nagamine Dōjō as a Matsubayashi-ryū instructor.
Blessed with a solid physical strength, he is a sumō wrestler who before the war won three times the Naminoue Dedicatory Sumō Tournament. Even in karatedō, he was able to greatly improve his skills because of his predisposition. In 1944, on the recommendation of the Okinawa branch of the Butokukai, he was supposed to go to the title/rank examination board in Kyōto, but the war didn’t allow him to do so. Said to be the theorist of the Okinawa karate world, the writing activities of Kushi Hanshi in the field of karatedō are also always receiving much attention from related parties.
Sportification of karatedō as it can be seen on the mainland have been criticized for losing the essence of karate. At the demonstration, he will display his favorite kata Wankan (Wankwan). Wankan is said to be a “Tomari type of Tī” but the creator is unknown. However, it is said to be a kata that has a long history. This is because the new kata, such as Pin-an and the likes created by Mr. Itosu Sōkō (2) start from the left. However Wankan starts from the right, like Kūsankū, so it is presumed to be an old kata.
One characteristic of this kata is that it contains many makite (machidī) techniques, in which the performer catch the hand that attacked and without letting it escape strikes a deadly blow. It is said to be a kata particularly suitable for people with large body, and the dynamic performance of Kushi Hanshi is interesting. He was born in Tomari, Naha and is 61 years old.
Notes:
- At that time, Naha City Business School. Today, it is the Okinawa Prefectural Naha Business Senior High School, located next to Matsuyama Park in Naha City.
- As written in the original text. Most likely to be Itosu Ankō.
- Part two of the article introducing Shimabukuro Zenryō sensei will soon be available.
On October 10, 1969, the Nippon Budōkan hosted the “1st All Japan Karate Championships” sponsored by the All Japan Karate Federation.
On that date at the Tōkyō venue, Okinawa karate figures from the birthplace Okinawa performed a special invitational exemplary demonstration titled " Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe" (Okinawa Public Evening).
Prior to the Tōkyō demonstration, a demonstration was held at the Okinawa Times Hall on September 25. Taking advantage of this performance, a special feature was published in the Okinawa Times in three parts, and 6 masters were introduced.
With the permission of the Okinawa Times, we are introducing this series, which is an important asset of Okinawa Karate.
Posted on September 20, 1969: “Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe” (Part I)
Kaneshima Shinsuke (Tozan-ryū) / Nagamine Shōshin (Matsubayashi-ryū)
Posted on September 21, 1969: “Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe” (Part II)
Kushi Jokei (Matsubayashi-ryū) / Shimabukuro Zenryō (Shōrin-ryū)
Posted on September 22, 1969: “Okinawa Kōkai no Yūbe” (Par III)
Higa Yūchoku (Shōrin-ryū) / Yagi Meitoku (Gōjū-ryū)
