Okinawan Masters Flashcards
1
Q
Satunushi “Tode” Sakugawa (1762-1843)
A
- Was among the first to blend elements of the original Okinawan art of te with Chinese boxing (tode) to initiate the development of what we know as Karate today
- From Sakugawa comes the kata Kusanku, the bo kata Sakugawa No Kun, and the concept of the dojo kun (dojo etiquette).
- Many historians believe that one of his students was the famous Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura.
2
Q
Machu Higa (1790-1870)
A
- served as a bodyguard for the Ryukyuan royal family for which he was awarded the title Peichin, signifying membership in the Okinawan Shizoku (equivalent to the Japanese Samurai class).
- Was an expert in bojutsu, saijutsu, tonfajutsu, and a pioneer in the early development of Karate.
- According to some historians, among his students was Ufuchiku Kankushiku (Sanda Kin Jo).
3
Q
Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura (1798-1890)
A
- The father of Okinawan karate, he was the first to systematize Shuri-te from which the various Shorin-ryu styles have come down to us today.
- Studied Chinese boxing and Japanese swordsmanship.
- Following retirement from service to the royal family, he taught Karate in Shuri.
- He is credited with having originated or having developed important variations of many of the Shorin-ryu katas practiced today: Chinto, Wansu, Passai, Seisan, and others.
4
Q
Kosaku Matsumora (1828-1898)
A
-Leading practitioner, developer, and teacher of Tomari-te, the karate that developed around Tomari village. Tomari-te has not survived as a distinct system, but many of its katas and techniques are incorporated within the Shorin-ryu styles of today.
5
Q
Itosu “Anko” Yasutsune (1830-1910)
A
- He is considered to be the father of modern Karate because he simplified many of the ancient katas, created several new ones of his own, and pioneered teaching methods that would revolutionize the art by making its study easier and less dangerous for future generations.
- In 1901, he first introduced Karate into the physical education curriculum of the Okinawan public school system. This was a crucial step in transforming the public perception of Karate as a feudalistic killing art to one in which the emphasis was on health and spiritual well-being.
- Created the original Pinan(peaceful mind) katas, shodan through godan, practiced today in various forms by virtually all Shorin-ryu styles.
6
Q
Sanda Kinjo-Ufuchiku (1841-1926)
A
- A Karate and Kobudo expert who served as personal bodyguard to the last of Okinawa’s reigning kings, Sho Tai, until the king’s fall from power in 1879.
- Following his service with the royal family, he was appointed Ufuchiku (police commissioner) of Shuri and taught his techniques to the police force while slowly developing and perfecting his own system known as Ufuchiku Kobujutsu.
- Upon his death, Ufuchiku passed stewardship of his system to his senior student, Shosei Kina.
7
Q
Kanryo Higashionna (1851-1915)
A
- Good friends with Yasutsune Itosu
- Leading developer and master of Naha-te, he laid the foundation for Goju-ryu which was subsequently formalized by his senior student, Chojun Miyagi.
- Credited with introducing and popularizing the kata Sanchin on Okinawa, as well as the Sanchin method of breathing.
- Among his most important students were Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-ryu, and Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito-ryu.
8
Q
Nabe Matsumura (1850?-1943?)
A
- Little is known of him except that he was a prominent Karate master of his time and that, as the grandson of Sokon Matsumura, he became successor to the family system when Sokon died, thereby serving as a link between the old masters and those of the present day.
- Taught very few students, the most important of whom was his nephew, Hohan Soken.
9
Q
Yabu Kentsu (1865-1945)
A
- A prominent Shorin-ryu master known for his fighting ability. It is said that he never lost a fight, beating even the great Choki Motobu in a famous challenge match. He never hurt an opponent except in war.
- One of the first ever to teach Karate in the Okinawa school system(under Itosu’s supervision).
- Fought on the Chinese mainland as a sergeant in the Japanese army during the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95). From this experience came his ferocious fighting style as well as the nickname “The Sergeant” which remained with him for the rest of his life.
- Among his students was Shigeru Nakamura, founder of Okinawa Kempo.
10
Q
Chomo Hanashiro (1867-1944)
A
- Master of Shorin-ryu
- Like Yabu, he was one the first to teach Karate in the Okinawa public school system under Itosu’s supervision.
- He was known for his strength and flawless technique.
- As a teacher, he was known for his emphasis on fundamentals. His favorite kata was Jion.
11
Q
Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957)
A
-Called the father of Japanese Karate, he founded Shotokan, one of the most popular styles of Karate in the world today.
-Unlike most Karate masters of the time, he was well-educated and brought a refined, philosophic approach to Karate that attracted the attention of intellectuals on the Japanese mainland.
-In his teaching, he emphasized basic technique, kata training, and perfection of the individual through “do” or “the way”.
-He is credited with the famous saying:
Karate ni sente nashi
or
“There is no first attack in Karate”.
12
Q
Chotoku Kyan (1869-1945)
A
- A legendary master even during his own lifetime, he was an important teacher who fathered a long line of Shorin-ryu styles.
- Nicknamed “Chan Migwa” (small-eyed one) because of his permanent squint, he was small and thin but became an expert in techniques such as side-stepping and body changing that would be most advantageous for a small man.
- Among his students were Shoshin Nagamine (founder of Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu), Zenryo Shimabukuro(who carried on Kyan’s art), and Tatsuo Shimabuku, founder of Isshin-ryu.
- His favorite katas were Passai, Chinto, and Kusanku.
- He was known for his evasive tactics, and though often challenged, was never defeated in a fight.
13
Q
Chosin Chibana (1885-1969)
A
- While Gichin Funakoshi was busy developing Shotokan on the Japanese mainland, he, another former student of Yasutsune Itosu, was busy in Okinawa, trying to preserve the katas of his teacher intact.
- Studied with Itosu for 13 years. Itosu was the only teacher he had. Taught Karate exactly as Itosu had taught it to him. He later officially named the style Kobayashi Shorin-ryu to differentiate it from the Shorin-ryu styles that had come down from Chotoku Kyan.
- He always believed that Karate should be taught as an art and not as a sport or as a mere form of exercise.
- He continually strived to better himself, and, even upon his death at the age of 84, believed he still had much to learn.
14
Q
Chojun Miyagi (1888-1952)
A
- Built upon the Naha-te of his teacher Kanryo Higashionna, to develop his own style, Goju-ryu.
- After his master’s death, he began to take on students and develop Higashionna’s karate into his own style blending in new elements he’d learned in China.
- Named his style Go-ju, meaning hard-soft.
- Created the katas Gekisai ichi and ni and the kata Tensho.
15
Q
Kenwa Mabuni (1890-1952)
A
- One of the first Okinawan masters to teach on mainland Japan, he founded Shito-ryu, one the four main styles of Karate studied in Japan today, named in tribute to his teachers, using the Chinese character shi (“ito” in Itosu) and to (“higa” in Higashionna), to form Shito-ryu.
- Taught throughout Okinawa, and in 1929, moved permanently to Japan where he taught regularly at Japanese universities and police departments.
