THE OKINAWAN CONNECTION
10.31.2012
The Okinawan connection that relates to us is between the years of 1867-1925, the golden years of karate. As we all know, the Chinese had a huge influence in the art of “TODE”. I would like to start with Master Itosu (1830-1915). Master Itosu was 37 years old during this time period; he had been training with Master Matsumura and a few other teachers for 30 or more of these years. Being in the prime of his life, and very active in martial arts, he learned from all the top marital artists of this time period. This is the first connection that we have to Chinese Martial arts. Master Toyama started training around 1897 with Mr. Itarashiki, and then with Master Itosu, who was still training with Master Matsumura. After Master Matsumura died in 1901, Itosu became the head teacher, and Master Toyama stayed with him until Itosu died in 1915.
Master Toyama had a number of teachers besides Master Itosu. He also trained with Iwah, Aragaki, Higashionna and Gokenki, who were Chinese based marital artists. During this period, Toyama started to train with Yabu, Kentsu (a student of Master Matsumura and senior student of Itosu). It was Yabu who taught most of the classes for Itosu when Itosu became to old to teach.
Master Yabu (1866-1937) is one of the true hidden masters of Okinawan karate. While Yabu didn’t start his own style of karate, he was a big influence on the local karate men. Master Yabu was called Sergeant, a nickname he picked up from serving in the Japanese/Chinese war. Also, he was the first Okinawan to enlist in the Japanese army. It was Master Yabu who really set the standards for teaching karate to a group of students, and was involved in helping Master Itosu when karate was first introduced to the public schools. Folklore has him fighting in 60 death matches.
Our style of karate came from a great time in Okinawan history. Sensei Toyama learned both styles of karate; the fast hard linear of “Shuri-te” , and the soft, circular form of the Chinese based art “Naha-te”. He felt that both were the true karate of Okinawa. The Okinawan connection between the years of 1907 to 1924 was a great period for karate. Master Toyama was 20 to 35 years old and was able to train with all the top teachers, not just in karate, but in Kobudo(weapon art).
In 1915 when Itosu died, Sensei Toyama was 28 years old, and had been training for 20 of those years. At this time, most of the karate men trained together and exchanged ideas and kata. These karate men would be the ones that passed on karate to the world. There were only nine men who went to Japan to teach and spread karate. Toyama was one of these men, and he was also one of only three men to train with Itosu and Higashionna, the two top figureheads of karate.
In 1925 Master Toyama moved to Taiwan to work as a school teacher. While he was there, he trained in some Chinese martial arts. In 1931 he moved to Japan and opened his dojo calling it “The Shudokan”. Sensei Toyama always taught the “Shuri-te” line of karate as the main karate in his dojo, and passed on the advanced” Naha-te” kata to his top students along with the Chinese arts he had learned in Taiwan. 1936 was when the ”Meeting of the Masters” was going on in Okinawa. This was organized by Toyama and a student of his named Nakasone.
Mr. Nakasone would go on to be an author and publisher of the first karate books. In 1946 he was asked by the Okinawa government to try and unify Japanese karate and Okinawan karate. He was given the authority to promote and organize karate under the A.J.K.A. (All Japan Karate Association). This didn’t go very well, as most of the karate men in Japan had their own association and schools, and didn’t feel the need to join Toyama.
As we can see the Okinawan Connection is long and full of history from the time when karate was just starting to grow in the world. We (you) should be very proud of our history as our karate is a part of the birth and growth of karate. As Master Toyama always said, “our karate is Okinawa seito-ryu (the pure form of karate from Okinawa).” We should not label styles or name our system. Our dojo is named KEI SHIN KAN, our karate is Okinawa Seito Ryu.
see you in the dojo