Sunday, November 23, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
History of Muay Thai
The following history of Muay Thai is re-printed with permission from a hand-out distributed by Ajarn Chai Sirisute at the 2000 Oregon Muay Thai Camp.
Muay Thai started way back in the medieval ages when wars were fought with bows and arrows, swords, and pikes. And in hand-to-hand combat arms, legs, knees, and elbows were also used as weapons. This sport which was included in military training was made famous by King Nareusan 1560 A.D. During one of the many battles between Burma and Siam he was captured. The Burmese knew of his prowess as the best unarmed fighter in the realm and gave him a chance to fight with their best for his freedom. Upon his return to Siam he was hailed as a hero and Siamese-style boxing, as it was called then, was soon recognized as a national sport. Boxing in this style reached its zenith of popularity about two hundred years ago, i.e., in the reign of Prachao Sua (King Tiger), when it was indulged in by all classes of the population.
From those days up until the early part of this century, the fighters, particularly those in provinces, used horsehide strips and later help in lieu of gloves. It was also a practice at one time to grind pieces of glass into the help if both contestants agreed. Since these practices were obviously dangerous to the fighters' health, regular boxing gloves were introduced about 50 years ago and have been used ever since.
To the Thais, Muay Thai is regarded as a prestigious national sport. Thai boys will in one or another way, intentionally or unintentionally, learn how to box Thai style. Even Thai girls will know enough of the basic principles and to be able to use it for self-defense when necessary.
Muay Thai, called Thai Boxing by foreigners, is our national sport and is now getting more popular in many countries, especially in Japan where a large numer of young Japanese are now being trained to fight professionally. But in Japan this fighting is called "Kick Boxing." At present "Kick Boxing" is internationally known as a Japanese martial art. Surely the true name, "Muay Thai" should be retained internationally as the Japanese terms Kendo, Judo, or Karate have been.
There is no [clear] evidence to show the time of origin of Thai-Style boxing. It can only be assumed that Thai boxing existed since the Thai emigrated from the South of China. [Further archaeological work needs to be done in this area, both in the Thai and English languages.]
The [Tai tribe] immigrants had to hide from attackers and met with resistance from local people. In short, they had to fight endlessly for their survival. By the time they managed to settle in the "Gold Promontory", the Thais had gone through to countless battles and many lives had been lost. The ancient weapons consisted only of spears, swords, pikes or bows and arrows. But in hand-to-hand combat weapons become clumsy, and elbows, knees, feet and fists became more practical. This must have been extremely successful, as it was then developed into a form of martial arts used in battle, and this was the origin of Muay Thai.
When the Thais finally settled down and built a city, and extended their territory to become a large country, there was a need for an army to defend the country. Soldiers in those days had to learn Muay Thai along with the use of traditional weapons. Thus there was also the need for Kru Muay, or teacher of Thai boxing. Various tactics for attack and defense were developed, called "boxing tactics". Later, laymen began to take up this form of fighting, as a form of self-defense, and as a handy qualification to become a soldier, which would also lead to further advancement depending on their ability and talent.
During the Ayudhya period, which was a period of consecutive fighting against the neighboring countries of Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam, history records state that King Sri San Petch or Khun Luang Sorasak known as Phra Chao Sua (The Tiger King) often boxed incognito in various up-country temple fairs. He is said to have been a skilled boxer, and enjoyed the sport so much that he often disguised himself thus in order to test his skill against villagers and thus became quite a legend in his own time.
When Ayudhya fell in 1767 A.D. many Thais became prisoners of War. In 1774 the King of Burma held a festival to celebrate the Chedi containing the Bhuddha's relics in Rangoon, with various forms of entertainment and festivities. This included a boxing display for the King by a Boxer named "Nai Khanom Tom" a prisoner of war from Ayudhya. Pit against Burmese boxers, Nai Khanom Tom defeated 10 Burmese opponents in a row, and also became quite a legend.
During the reign of King Tak Sin the Great, the King had a close aid-de-amp named "Phraya Pihai Dab Hak" who had studied the art of Muay Thai with many famous teachers and displayed his talent for the King. As a result, he was chosen to become a soldier, and was later promoted to the position of Chao Muang (governor) with his name recorded in history.
In the Ratanakosin Period, Muay Thai was still a national art form, with competitions in annual national festivities. Time-keeping was done by floating a pierced coconut shell. When the coconut sank, a drum would be beaten to signal the end of a round.
In 1788, during the reign of King Rama I, two french brothers arrived in Thailand by boat, having defeated many boxers across the Indo-China Penninsula. King Rama I consulted the Crown Prince, his brother, who offered to find boxers to fight against the Frenchmen. Phraya Phra Klang would accept the challenge, settling the bet at 50 chang (4,000 bhat). The Crown Prince chose a boxer named Muen Plan of the Royal Guards. The match was held in the grounds of the Grand Palace. Muen Plan wore full battle regalia--bare-chested, seeped in magic charms, cabalistic writing and oils to ensure invulnerability. When the fight began, the large French fighter tried to attack, aiming for the neck and collar-bone. Muen Plan defended himself with Muay Thai. The other Frenchman, seeing his brother making no progress became frustrated, and pushed Muen Plan's back to stop him from backing away. Members of the Royal Guards saw this break of boxing etiquette and proceeded to help Muen Plan tackle the two Frenchmen until they had to be carried back to the boat. They set sail the next day, with no thought of ever challenging a Thai Boxer again.
During the reign of King Rama V, Thai boxing matches were widely popular, boxing matches were held for the King's pleasure, ad skilled boxers received titles from the King, for example Muen Muay Mee Chue from Chaiya, Muen Muay Man Mudh from Lopburi, Muen Cha-ngad Cherng Chok from Korat. Also in this period boxing camps were established. Members of the royal family sent out talent scouts to recruit potential boxers from up-country and arranged matches between camps. Winners would receive money and valuable prizes. This period could be called the Golden Age of Muay Thai.
Wall picture "Scene from the court life" --Prince Ransit palace (17th century),
shows a Muay Thai match, accompanied by the music orchestra (right).
During the reign of King Rama VI, Thai boxing matches became more widespread. Matches that used to be held in make-shift rings in any available courtyard became a standard raised ring surrounded by ropes. The first ring was built in 1921 at Suan Kularp field. Although standard rings were available, boxers still bound their hands with rope. Foreign boxers came to take on Thai boxers. An important free-style match took place between Young Harntalay and Chin Chang from China which attracted a huge crowd of spectators. The result was that Young Harntalay floored Ching Chang with a beautiful kick. In this period, they also had referees in the ring, and kept time by the clock. These innovations were probably adopted from abroad.
Rope binding was needed until 1929 when boxing gloves took its place. Earlier at the Lumpini Park Ring, a Filipino boxer gave an international style boxing exhibition with boxing gloves. Later, gloves were also used in student boxing matches called "Muay Farang", and in professional international boxing between Thai and foreign boxers. This led the organizers of Thai-Style boxing to see that gloves are less dangerous than rope-binding, and decided that gloves should be adopted in Muay Thai, but fighting with elbows, knees, feet and fists would still be allowed.
This old Thai Boxing text, written on traditional Khoi paper, may be the oldest extant example of such a book. It illustrates both defensive and offensive techniques and postures used in old style Thai Boxing. It was compiled at least 170 years ago during the reign of King Rama III. Reprint from Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus.
Although many improvements or changes were applied from the type of ring, breaking each bout into rounds, using the minute-system of time-keeping, and using gloves, one aspect of Thai-style boxing remained the same--the jock strap. Originally, the jock-strap consisted of a triangular-shaped pillow tied to the waist, with a strap tied behind from between the legs. The pillows were red or blue color according to the boxer's corner. These pillows were used until one boxer went to Malaysia and saw foreign boxers use jock-straps. He brought the idea back to Thailand, and since then jock-straps have replaced the triangular pillows.
During the reign of King Rama VII, in the revolutionary period, permanent boxing stadiums were established both in Bangkok and in the provinces. They gradually disappeared in 1942 during World War II. After the war, boxing stadiums sprang up like mushrooms overnight. Skilled boxers from up-country flocked to Bangkok to take part in tournaments. Finally the first standard boxing stadium was established--the Rajdamnern Stadium, in 1945. Rules were set, and later on regular bouts were set at 5 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a two-minute interval between rounds. The weight was taken down in stones like race-horses, and later converted into kilograms.
In the early days, the match-maker system was used; the stadium officials would organize matches providing cup or talent jackets as prizes. Matches were not classified into weight groups until many years later when the pound system replaced stones and kilograms. International names were given for each weight group, such as flyweight and bantamweight. Matches were arranged to select a champion for each class, following the international style.
Muay Thai is still developing, but what remains unchanged is the use of the pipe and drums as musical accompaniments for the matches, and is considered a unique characteristic of Muay Thai. Muay Thai has been initiated under many names, which have not received prolonged interest because the original has already became known world-wide.
Many additions have been made to the regulations of Muay Thai. It is forbidden now to hit the private parts since this technique has become quite infamous as a form of attack and is considered debasing for the fine art of Thai boxing. Muay Thai remains a national art form. If all parties concerned help to uplift and conserve this form of martial arts, and pass it onto following generations, it will remain a valuable possession of the Thai nation.
Books on Muay Thai and/or Muay Thai History
Sources on the history of Muay Thai history in English are limited. There is much information available in the Thai language on both Muay Thai and Krabi-Krabong that needs translation. [We need someone to translate Ajarn Sumai's book on Krabi-Krabong into English!!!] I have dug up a couple of sources which I hope you enjoy.
Re-enactment of a Thai battle.
A Brief History of Thai Boxing By Thawat Watthana
Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus, published by Mr. Panya Kraitus, Phuket, Thailand, 1988. ISBN 974-86841-9-9. This is a rare English language text on Muay Thai that I highly recommend to any serious student of Muay Thai. In addition to being an excellent historical source, this book also has a great deal of technical information on the mechanics and strategy of Muay Thai. The following are selected excepts from this book.
Origins of Thai Boxing
Nai Khanom Tom
Cover of Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting
by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus.
Thai Boxing Dynamite: The Explosive Art of Muay Thai by Zoran Rebac, Paladin Press, Boulder, CO, 1987. This book focuses mostly on Muay Thai technique and training methods. It has quite a bit of good information on the technical aspects. Mr. Rebac is also more skilled as an English language writer than Mr. Kratius, so it is easier to read. It has a short chapter on the origins of Thai Boxing that contains an interesting depiction of a Muay Thai match at the 17th century court.
Cover of Thai Boxing Dynamite: The Explosive Art of Muay Thai
by Zoran Rebac
Canadian TBA instructor Mike Sweeney has a web page on Muay Thai history which quotes two interesting sources: 1) the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC and 2) Microsoft's Encarta '98 Encyclopedia. The latter makes an assertion that Thai Boxing is over 2000 years old, a statement for which I know of no corroborating evidence. [I would like to pursue this question on a future trip to Thailand: what archaeological evidence, writings or other primary historical source material on Muay Thai or Krabi-Krabong is available that re-dates the Burmese invasion 1767?]
USMTA's Web Page. They have a lot of Thai history as well as very good content on Krabi-Krabong.
Muay Thai started way back in the medieval ages when wars were fought with bows and arrows, swords, and pikes. And in hand-to-hand combat arms, legs, knees, and elbows were also used as weapons. This sport which was included in military training was made famous by King Nareusan 1560 A.D. During one of the many battles between Burma and Siam he was captured. The Burmese knew of his prowess as the best unarmed fighter in the realm and gave him a chance to fight with their best for his freedom. Upon his return to Siam he was hailed as a hero and Siamese-style boxing, as it was called then, was soon recognized as a national sport. Boxing in this style reached its zenith of popularity about two hundred years ago, i.e., in the reign of Prachao Sua (King Tiger), when it was indulged in by all classes of the population.
From those days up until the early part of this century, the fighters, particularly those in provinces, used horsehide strips and later help in lieu of gloves. It was also a practice at one time to grind pieces of glass into the help if both contestants agreed. Since these practices were obviously dangerous to the fighters' health, regular boxing gloves were introduced about 50 years ago and have been used ever since.
To the Thais, Muay Thai is regarded as a prestigious national sport. Thai boys will in one or another way, intentionally or unintentionally, learn how to box Thai style. Even Thai girls will know enough of the basic principles and to be able to use it for self-defense when necessary.
Muay Thai, called Thai Boxing by foreigners, is our national sport and is now getting more popular in many countries, especially in Japan where a large numer of young Japanese are now being trained to fight professionally. But in Japan this fighting is called "Kick Boxing." At present "Kick Boxing" is internationally known as a Japanese martial art. Surely the true name, "Muay Thai" should be retained internationally as the Japanese terms Kendo, Judo, or Karate have been.
There is no [clear] evidence to show the time of origin of Thai-Style boxing. It can only be assumed that Thai boxing existed since the Thai emigrated from the South of China. [Further archaeological work needs to be done in this area, both in the Thai and English languages.]
The [Tai tribe] immigrants had to hide from attackers and met with resistance from local people. In short, they had to fight endlessly for their survival. By the time they managed to settle in the "Gold Promontory", the Thais had gone through to countless battles and many lives had been lost. The ancient weapons consisted only of spears, swords, pikes or bows and arrows. But in hand-to-hand combat weapons become clumsy, and elbows, knees, feet and fists became more practical. This must have been extremely successful, as it was then developed into a form of martial arts used in battle, and this was the origin of Muay Thai.
When the Thais finally settled down and built a city, and extended their territory to become a large country, there was a need for an army to defend the country. Soldiers in those days had to learn Muay Thai along with the use of traditional weapons. Thus there was also the need for Kru Muay, or teacher of Thai boxing. Various tactics for attack and defense were developed, called "boxing tactics". Later, laymen began to take up this form of fighting, as a form of self-defense, and as a handy qualification to become a soldier, which would also lead to further advancement depending on their ability and talent.
During the Ayudhya period, which was a period of consecutive fighting against the neighboring countries of Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam, history records state that King Sri San Petch or Khun Luang Sorasak known as Phra Chao Sua (The Tiger King) often boxed incognito in various up-country temple fairs. He is said to have been a skilled boxer, and enjoyed the sport so much that he often disguised himself thus in order to test his skill against villagers and thus became quite a legend in his own time.
When Ayudhya fell in 1767 A.D. many Thais became prisoners of War. In 1774 the King of Burma held a festival to celebrate the Chedi containing the Bhuddha's relics in Rangoon, with various forms of entertainment and festivities. This included a boxing display for the King by a Boxer named "Nai Khanom Tom" a prisoner of war from Ayudhya. Pit against Burmese boxers, Nai Khanom Tom defeated 10 Burmese opponents in a row, and also became quite a legend.
During the reign of King Tak Sin the Great, the King had a close aid-de-amp named "Phraya Pihai Dab Hak" who had studied the art of Muay Thai with many famous teachers and displayed his talent for the King. As a result, he was chosen to become a soldier, and was later promoted to the position of Chao Muang (governor) with his name recorded in history.
In the Ratanakosin Period, Muay Thai was still a national art form, with competitions in annual national festivities. Time-keeping was done by floating a pierced coconut shell. When the coconut sank, a drum would be beaten to signal the end of a round.
In 1788, during the reign of King Rama I, two french brothers arrived in Thailand by boat, having defeated many boxers across the Indo-China Penninsula. King Rama I consulted the Crown Prince, his brother, who offered to find boxers to fight against the Frenchmen. Phraya Phra Klang would accept the challenge, settling the bet at 50 chang (4,000 bhat). The Crown Prince chose a boxer named Muen Plan of the Royal Guards. The match was held in the grounds of the Grand Palace. Muen Plan wore full battle regalia--bare-chested, seeped in magic charms, cabalistic writing and oils to ensure invulnerability. When the fight began, the large French fighter tried to attack, aiming for the neck and collar-bone. Muen Plan defended himself with Muay Thai. The other Frenchman, seeing his brother making no progress became frustrated, and pushed Muen Plan's back to stop him from backing away. Members of the Royal Guards saw this break of boxing etiquette and proceeded to help Muen Plan tackle the two Frenchmen until they had to be carried back to the boat. They set sail the next day, with no thought of ever challenging a Thai Boxer again.
During the reign of King Rama V, Thai boxing matches were widely popular, boxing matches were held for the King's pleasure, ad skilled boxers received titles from the King, for example Muen Muay Mee Chue from Chaiya, Muen Muay Man Mudh from Lopburi, Muen Cha-ngad Cherng Chok from Korat. Also in this period boxing camps were established. Members of the royal family sent out talent scouts to recruit potential boxers from up-country and arranged matches between camps. Winners would receive money and valuable prizes. This period could be called the Golden Age of Muay Thai.
Wall picture "Scene from the court life" --Prince Ransit palace (17th century),
shows a Muay Thai match, accompanied by the music orchestra (right).
During the reign of King Rama VI, Thai boxing matches became more widespread. Matches that used to be held in make-shift rings in any available courtyard became a standard raised ring surrounded by ropes. The first ring was built in 1921 at Suan Kularp field. Although standard rings were available, boxers still bound their hands with rope. Foreign boxers came to take on Thai boxers. An important free-style match took place between Young Harntalay and Chin Chang from China which attracted a huge crowd of spectators. The result was that Young Harntalay floored Ching Chang with a beautiful kick. In this period, they also had referees in the ring, and kept time by the clock. These innovations were probably adopted from abroad.
Rope binding was needed until 1929 when boxing gloves took its place. Earlier at the Lumpini Park Ring, a Filipino boxer gave an international style boxing exhibition with boxing gloves. Later, gloves were also used in student boxing matches called "Muay Farang", and in professional international boxing between Thai and foreign boxers. This led the organizers of Thai-Style boxing to see that gloves are less dangerous than rope-binding, and decided that gloves should be adopted in Muay Thai, but fighting with elbows, knees, feet and fists would still be allowed.
This old Thai Boxing text, written on traditional Khoi paper, may be the oldest extant example of such a book. It illustrates both defensive and offensive techniques and postures used in old style Thai Boxing. It was compiled at least 170 years ago during the reign of King Rama III. Reprint from Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus.
Although many improvements or changes were applied from the type of ring, breaking each bout into rounds, using the minute-system of time-keeping, and using gloves, one aspect of Thai-style boxing remained the same--the jock strap. Originally, the jock-strap consisted of a triangular-shaped pillow tied to the waist, with a strap tied behind from between the legs. The pillows were red or blue color according to the boxer's corner. These pillows were used until one boxer went to Malaysia and saw foreign boxers use jock-straps. He brought the idea back to Thailand, and since then jock-straps have replaced the triangular pillows.
During the reign of King Rama VII, in the revolutionary period, permanent boxing stadiums were established both in Bangkok and in the provinces. They gradually disappeared in 1942 during World War II. After the war, boxing stadiums sprang up like mushrooms overnight. Skilled boxers from up-country flocked to Bangkok to take part in tournaments. Finally the first standard boxing stadium was established--the Rajdamnern Stadium, in 1945. Rules were set, and later on regular bouts were set at 5 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a two-minute interval between rounds. The weight was taken down in stones like race-horses, and later converted into kilograms.
In the early days, the match-maker system was used; the stadium officials would organize matches providing cup or talent jackets as prizes. Matches were not classified into weight groups until many years later when the pound system replaced stones and kilograms. International names were given for each weight group, such as flyweight and bantamweight. Matches were arranged to select a champion for each class, following the international style.
Muay Thai is still developing, but what remains unchanged is the use of the pipe and drums as musical accompaniments for the matches, and is considered a unique characteristic of Muay Thai. Muay Thai has been initiated under many names, which have not received prolonged interest because the original has already became known world-wide.
Many additions have been made to the regulations of Muay Thai. It is forbidden now to hit the private parts since this technique has become quite infamous as a form of attack and is considered debasing for the fine art of Thai boxing. Muay Thai remains a national art form. If all parties concerned help to uplift and conserve this form of martial arts, and pass it onto following generations, it will remain a valuable possession of the Thai nation.
Books on Muay Thai and/or Muay Thai History
Sources on the history of Muay Thai history in English are limited. There is much information available in the Thai language on both Muay Thai and Krabi-Krabong that needs translation. [We need someone to translate Ajarn Sumai's book on Krabi-Krabong into English!!!] I have dug up a couple of sources which I hope you enjoy.
Re-enactment of a Thai battle.
A Brief History of Thai Boxing By Thawat Watthana
Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus, published by Mr. Panya Kraitus, Phuket, Thailand, 1988. ISBN 974-86841-9-9. This is a rare English language text on Muay Thai that I highly recommend to any serious student of Muay Thai. In addition to being an excellent historical source, this book also has a great deal of technical information on the mechanics and strategy of Muay Thai. The following are selected excepts from this book.
Origins of Thai Boxing
Nai Khanom Tom
Cover of Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting
by Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus.
Thai Boxing Dynamite: The Explosive Art of Muay Thai by Zoran Rebac, Paladin Press, Boulder, CO, 1987. This book focuses mostly on Muay Thai technique and training methods. It has quite a bit of good information on the technical aspects. Mr. Rebac is also more skilled as an English language writer than Mr. Kratius, so it is easier to read. It has a short chapter on the origins of Thai Boxing that contains an interesting depiction of a Muay Thai match at the 17th century court.
Cover of Thai Boxing Dynamite: The Explosive Art of Muay Thai
by Zoran Rebac
Canadian TBA instructor Mike Sweeney has a web page on Muay Thai history which quotes two interesting sources: 1) the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC and 2) Microsoft's Encarta '98 Encyclopedia. The latter makes an assertion that Thai Boxing is over 2000 years old, a statement for which I know of no corroborating evidence. [I would like to pursue this question on a future trip to Thailand: what archaeological evidence, writings or other primary historical source material on Muay Thai or Krabi-Krabong is available that re-dates the Burmese invasion 1767?]
USMTA's Web Page. They have a lot of Thai history as well as very good content on Krabi-Krabong.
History of Shorin Ryu
-History of Okinawan Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Karatedo-
Okinawa, Japan birthplace of modern day karatedo and kobudo. The following is a compilation of different sources of information about the evolvement of Kobayashi Shorin Ryu and Okinawan Kobudo. Historians believe that the art of Okinawa Te, first originated independently of any other combat system. it is also believed that this system on unarmed combat can be traced back over 1000 years. Because the islanders were of not of wealthy status, weapons were scares. Also the islands own un-unification gave rise to many aggressive warlords, each battling for supremacy of the island. As a result these circumstances rendered a strong incentive for the evolvement of unarmed combat.
By the mid 1340's, Okinawa entered into a trade relationship with China. This trade and political friendship allowed the Okinawan people to observe the different aspects of China, and were thus exposed to Chinese boxing systems. Furthermore, by the late 1300's, in a tributary relationship, 36 Chinese families and businessmen settled on Okinawa. These families brought with them a variety of skills, including Chinese martial arts.
Through the 1400's, the island experienced much turmoil. At first the island was unified by King Sho Hashi in 1429. At this time the Okinawan's were still able to posses weapons. However in 1470, King Sho Hashi destroyed the former dynasty and made due with his own. Soon all arms were banned on the island, in fear that the reign might be over thrown. As a result, the emphasis on the fighting arts further progressed. The main villages of Okinawa are credited with the main styles that emerged from Okinawa Te. From the village of Shuri, came Shuri Te. From the village of Naha, came Naha Te. Finally from the village of Tomari, came Tomari Te.
Beside empty hand combat, the Okinawan's also began the practice of Kobudo (weapons). Because of King Sho Hashi's ban on the traditional weapons (such as the samurai sword), the Okinawan's began using their everyday farming implements as weapons. From this practice the most commonly thought of weapons became known as the: Bo (six foot staff), the Eku (six foot oar), the Kama (grass or cain sickle), the Tonfa (utility handle), and the Nunchaku (horse bit, and even rice flail). However because the Okinawan's never restrained the practice of survival, it is conceivable that these particular weapons might not have been the only weapons practiced. In fact the Zen Okinawan Kobudo Renmei (Matayoshi Kobudo), makes use of the Kuwa (Japanese Hoe), the Timbei and Rochin (Shield and dagger), as well as the Nunti (Japanese like spear).
These styles of unarmed and armed combat were practiced in secrecy for years. Differences between Te styles suggest the different influences of various Chinese styles. Shuri-Te seem to utilize the external system of Shaolin boxing. While Naha-Te incorporates the use of internal Taoist techniques. Tomari-Te appears to be a mix of both internal and external fighting systems. These variances alone, are responsible for the evolvement the different systems into the distinct martial art styles they are today.
In 1609, Okinawa was seized by the Japanese Satsuma Samurai clan, for refusing to recognize Japan's newest Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. As a result, the Shogunate banned the Okinawa people from carrying weapons. This only further fueled the importance of further developing the martial arts as a means of survival.
Although at this time the Japanese had banned all trade relationships with other countries. The Japanese still, however, allowed Okinawa to trade with China.
As a result, around the mid to late 1700's a Chinese diplomat named, Kusanku, moved to Okinawa for 6 years. During his stay he began teaching the Chinese system of Ch'uan-Fa. As these influences became introduced into the different local martial arts, they gradually became known as Tode (or Chinese Hand). By the 1800's these styles were again re-named. Shuri and Tomari-Te formed the basis for Okinawan Sho Rin Ryu, while Naha-Te formed Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu.
Although Kusanku is often believed to be a culmination of different Chinese officers, he is often referred to as one person. As is recorded, Tode Sakugawa began studying under Kusanku-sensei. The teachings of Kusanku enabled Sakugawa to combine the essence of both Te and Chinese Boxing principles. These principles form the basis of modern day Shorin Ryu.
The following is a record of the lineage of Shorin Ryu Karatedo. Each master featured was the direct instructor of the next. Listed art the names of the kata's each instructor was either known for or even intruduced into the system.
(no available photograph)
Kusanku = Kusanku Kata
Tode Sakugawa = Passai Kata
Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura = Passai Kata & Chinto
Ankoh Yasutsune Itosu = 5 Pinan Kata, Naihanchi Nidan, Naihanchi Sandan, Passai Sho, Passai Dai, Kusanku Sho, Kusanku Dai.
Itosu-sensei was such an incredible instructor, that in 1903, he became the first martial artist to introduce karate-do into the public schools of Okinawa. His students include Gichin Funakoshi-sensei. It was not until the late 1800's that Funakoshi-Sensei termed the essence of Te as "Karate-Do" meaning, "The Way of the Empty Hand." Funakoshi-sensei later founded ShotoKan Karate.
Chosin Chibana = Gojushiho Kata
As Sho Rin Ryu began to branch further and further, and other styles evolved from Itosu-sensei's karate. An attempt was made by one of Itosu-sensei's students to preserve his instructors teachings. Itosu-sensei's most loyal and dedicated student, Chosin Chibana-sensei, renamed the style Kobayshi-Ryu (Shorin Ryu - "Young Forest Style") to indicate that he taught Itosu-sensei's original style.
Shuguro Nakazato = Shorin Ryu Shorin Kan
Chibana-sensei's most notable student, Shuguro Nakazato-sensei, who became the head of Shorin Ryu-Shorin Kan branch of Kobayashi. Chibana-sensei's other most notable student, Katsuya Miyahira-sensei, became the head of Shorin Ryu-Shido Kan branch of Kobayashi
Nakazato-sensei first began training in Shito Ryu Karate-do (1935-40), under Seiichi Iju-sensei.
While training in Shito Ryu, Nakazato-sensei also began training in Kobudo, under Seiro Tonaki-sensei (from 1936-40).
Nakazato-sensei then entered the Japanese Army, it was during this time that he taught bayonet techniques.
By the end of World War II, Nakazato-sensei returned to Okinawa, and became a disciple of Chibana-sensei.
In 1951 Nakazato-sensei opened a dojo together with Chibana-sensei, naming it Chibana Dai Ichi Dojo.
Then in 1955, he opened the Sho Rin Kan dojo, which he presently operates.
Until 1958, Nakazato trained in bojitsu under Tonaki-sensei's son, Masami Chinen-sensei, of the now famed Yamani-Chinen Ryu Bojitsu style.
Nakazato-sensei believed that Chibana-sensei had taught Anko Itosu-sensei's style without altering it. However, because Itosu-sensei's style had little kumite, Nakazato-sensei took it upon himself to add the Kihon and Fukyu kata.
Okinawa, Japan birthplace of modern day karatedo and kobudo. The following is a compilation of different sources of information about the evolvement of Kobayashi Shorin Ryu and Okinawan Kobudo. Historians believe that the art of Okinawa Te, first originated independently of any other combat system. it is also believed that this system on unarmed combat can be traced back over 1000 years. Because the islanders were of not of wealthy status, weapons were scares. Also the islands own un-unification gave rise to many aggressive warlords, each battling for supremacy of the island. As a result these circumstances rendered a strong incentive for the evolvement of unarmed combat.
By the mid 1340's, Okinawa entered into a trade relationship with China. This trade and political friendship allowed the Okinawan people to observe the different aspects of China, and were thus exposed to Chinese boxing systems. Furthermore, by the late 1300's, in a tributary relationship, 36 Chinese families and businessmen settled on Okinawa. These families brought with them a variety of skills, including Chinese martial arts.
Through the 1400's, the island experienced much turmoil. At first the island was unified by King Sho Hashi in 1429. At this time the Okinawan's were still able to posses weapons. However in 1470, King Sho Hashi destroyed the former dynasty and made due with his own. Soon all arms were banned on the island, in fear that the reign might be over thrown. As a result, the emphasis on the fighting arts further progressed. The main villages of Okinawa are credited with the main styles that emerged from Okinawa Te. From the village of Shuri, came Shuri Te. From the village of Naha, came Naha Te. Finally from the village of Tomari, came Tomari Te.
Beside empty hand combat, the Okinawan's also began the practice of Kobudo (weapons). Because of King Sho Hashi's ban on the traditional weapons (such as the samurai sword), the Okinawan's began using their everyday farming implements as weapons. From this practice the most commonly thought of weapons became known as the: Bo (six foot staff), the Eku (six foot oar), the Kama (grass or cain sickle), the Tonfa (utility handle), and the Nunchaku (horse bit, and even rice flail). However because the Okinawan's never restrained the practice of survival, it is conceivable that these particular weapons might not have been the only weapons practiced. In fact the Zen Okinawan Kobudo Renmei (Matayoshi Kobudo), makes use of the Kuwa (Japanese Hoe), the Timbei and Rochin (Shield and dagger), as well as the Nunti (Japanese like spear).
These styles of unarmed and armed combat were practiced in secrecy for years. Differences between Te styles suggest the different influences of various Chinese styles. Shuri-Te seem to utilize the external system of Shaolin boxing. While Naha-Te incorporates the use of internal Taoist techniques. Tomari-Te appears to be a mix of both internal and external fighting systems. These variances alone, are responsible for the evolvement the different systems into the distinct martial art styles they are today.
In 1609, Okinawa was seized by the Japanese Satsuma Samurai clan, for refusing to recognize Japan's newest Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. As a result, the Shogunate banned the Okinawa people from carrying weapons. This only further fueled the importance of further developing the martial arts as a means of survival.
Although at this time the Japanese had banned all trade relationships with other countries. The Japanese still, however, allowed Okinawa to trade with China.
As a result, around the mid to late 1700's a Chinese diplomat named, Kusanku, moved to Okinawa for 6 years. During his stay he began teaching the Chinese system of Ch'uan-Fa. As these influences became introduced into the different local martial arts, they gradually became known as Tode (or Chinese Hand). By the 1800's these styles were again re-named. Shuri and Tomari-Te formed the basis for Okinawan Sho Rin Ryu, while Naha-Te formed Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu.
Although Kusanku is often believed to be a culmination of different Chinese officers, he is often referred to as one person. As is recorded, Tode Sakugawa began studying under Kusanku-sensei. The teachings of Kusanku enabled Sakugawa to combine the essence of both Te and Chinese Boxing principles. These principles form the basis of modern day Shorin Ryu.
The following is a record of the lineage of Shorin Ryu Karatedo. Each master featured was the direct instructor of the next. Listed art the names of the kata's each instructor was either known for or even intruduced into the system.
(no available photograph)
Kusanku = Kusanku Kata
Tode Sakugawa = Passai Kata
Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura = Passai Kata & Chinto
Ankoh Yasutsune Itosu = 5 Pinan Kata, Naihanchi Nidan, Naihanchi Sandan, Passai Sho, Passai Dai, Kusanku Sho, Kusanku Dai.
Itosu-sensei was such an incredible instructor, that in 1903, he became the first martial artist to introduce karate-do into the public schools of Okinawa. His students include Gichin Funakoshi-sensei. It was not until the late 1800's that Funakoshi-Sensei termed the essence of Te as "Karate-Do" meaning, "The Way of the Empty Hand." Funakoshi-sensei later founded ShotoKan Karate.
Chosin Chibana = Gojushiho Kata
As Sho Rin Ryu began to branch further and further, and other styles evolved from Itosu-sensei's karate. An attempt was made by one of Itosu-sensei's students to preserve his instructors teachings. Itosu-sensei's most loyal and dedicated student, Chosin Chibana-sensei, renamed the style Kobayshi-Ryu (Shorin Ryu - "Young Forest Style") to indicate that he taught Itosu-sensei's original style.
Shuguro Nakazato = Shorin Ryu Shorin Kan
Chibana-sensei's most notable student, Shuguro Nakazato-sensei, who became the head of Shorin Ryu-Shorin Kan branch of Kobayashi. Chibana-sensei's other most notable student, Katsuya Miyahira-sensei, became the head of Shorin Ryu-Shido Kan branch of Kobayashi
Nakazato-sensei first began training in Shito Ryu Karate-do (1935-40), under Seiichi Iju-sensei.
While training in Shito Ryu, Nakazato-sensei also began training in Kobudo, under Seiro Tonaki-sensei (from 1936-40).
Nakazato-sensei then entered the Japanese Army, it was during this time that he taught bayonet techniques.
By the end of World War II, Nakazato-sensei returned to Okinawa, and became a disciple of Chibana-sensei.
In 1951 Nakazato-sensei opened a dojo together with Chibana-sensei, naming it Chibana Dai Ichi Dojo.
Then in 1955, he opened the Sho Rin Kan dojo, which he presently operates.
Until 1958, Nakazato trained in bojitsu under Tonaki-sensei's son, Masami Chinen-sensei, of the now famed Yamani-Chinen Ryu Bojitsu style.
Nakazato-sensei believed that Chibana-sensei had taught Anko Itosu-sensei's style without altering it. However, because Itosu-sensei's style had little kumite, Nakazato-sensei took it upon himself to add the Kihon and Fukyu kata.
Nunchaku: A History
In a popular myth which has been repeated in book after book, we have been told that the nunchaku was originally a rice flail which was converted by Japanese farmers into a deadly weapon to fight against samurai. This myth, however, is incorrect on all four points: The nunchaku was not a Japanese weapon, it was never used as a rice flail, it was not developed by villagers and it was never used against samurai.
Syllables "nu-n-cha-ku"
The nunchaku, as we know it, comes from Okinawa (Uchina), today a part of Japan. Okinawa lies almost midway between Taiwan and the Japanese "mainland", and is the largest island in the Ryukyu (literally "rope") archipelago, a 650 mile long chain of small islands between southern Japan and Taiwan.
Okinawa today is part of Japan, but the Okinawans are not Japanese and have their own culture and language, although the latter is gradually being replaced by Japanese. The Japanese language does not even contain a word for the nunchaku. When one needs to write "nunchaku" in Japanese he may do it in one of two ways: He may use katakana, the syllabic/phonetic alphabet used in the Japanese language to write foreign and loan words, writing the syllables "nu-n-cha-ku". Or, instead, he may use the Chinese characters for "two member stick" (or "double part baton"), which is pronounced "shuang jie gun" in Chinese, "nun cha kun" in Okinawan and "so setsu kon" in Japanese.
Many think that the nunchaku has descended from the rice flail (utzu), but this is erroneous. To understand why, imagine that you want to use the nunchaku to thresh rice stalks laying on the ground. In order for the swinging arm of the nunchaku to land flatly, you would have to bend over with your head close to your knees or kneel on the ground. In the former position, every time you swing up the flailing arm you might be struck on your back, while the latter position is not really functional as anyone who has had to kneel on rice can tell you. The actual Okinawan flail, like the European flail, has a handle as long as a man's height to make the threshing process easier. So the belief that the nunchaku descends from the Okinawan rice flail is definitely baseless. Another reason for this error, besides the obvious resemblance of the flail to the nunchaku, may be the existence of the a combat flail (uchibo), which really is a modified rice flail, among the weapons of Okinawan kobujutsu.
Characters "nun cha kun"
There are a few more rational beliefs about the nunchaku's prototype. The most credible version (attested to by a number of Japanese masters of kobudo) is that the nunchaku descends from an Okinawan horse bit (muge). Initially the handles of the bit were curved as you can see in the photo. Later it was changed to the straight-handled weapon that we know today.
There also exists versions of the nunchaku's history which state that it was once a night-watchman's rattle or a tool for barking banana trees (the best fabric on Okinawa was produced from banana bark). Finally, one additional version, supported by such experts as Miyagi and Ikeda, says that the nunchaku was copied from a Chinese weapon brought to Okinawa by Chinese immigrants. Indirect evidence of this version is the fact that the word used for "nunchaku" is borrowed from the Chinese language.
How did a farmer's tool evolve into a deadly weapon and who used it? To answer these questions let's take a tour through Okinawan history.
In 1429 king Sho Hashi, founded the Sho dynasty by uniting three principalities of Okinawa, Hokuzan, Nanzan and Chuzan, creating the Ryukyu kingdom with the city of Shuri as its capitol. Sho Hashi now had a region with a number of united domains, not a single country. Each lord sat in his own castle, governed his fiefdom by himself, had his own army, imposed his own taxes, and had his own code of law and courts. The process of uniting these domains into a united country was completed after about 50 years by one of Sho Hashi's successors, king Sho Shin who turned the domains into a single country with one government, one army, and a single code of laws, like today's modern countries.
To reduce the possibility of a revolt in Okinawa, Sho Shin gathered all the princes (aji) in Shuri and declared a prohibition against carrying weapons. Only the king's army and nobles were allowed to carry weapons and no one but the king could possess considerable amounts of weapons. As a result, the king's army became the only one on Okinawa.
In 1609 the Ryukyu kingdom which, until then, had existed as an independent country, was occupied by the Japanese princedom of Satzuma and became its vassal until 1879 when, after the Meiji revolution, Okinawa was annexed by Japan. However, during all the years between 1609 and 1879 the Japanese presence on Okinawa was minor; there were only a few dozen samurai for the whole country and most of them lived in the city of Shuri. The Japanese government confirmed Sho Shin's decree against weapons and also added prohibitions against importing weapons and the possession of firearms. However, the legends about the total disarmament of the Okinawan population are no more than legends. Okinawan nobles were still allowed to carry their swords and members of the royal family and princes were even allowed to have rifles for hunting.
In karate books it is often written that farmers developed Okinawan martial arts, but this does not make any sense. Okinawa was never a rich country and, after the onset of the Japanese occupation in the 17th century, it became poverty-stricken. Farmers had to work from sunrise to sunset just to feed themselves. Villagers just didn't have the time or the vigor to practice fighting and to develop sophisticated martial arts.
It was the nobles who developed Okinawan martial arts. The aristocrats (kazoku) practiced fighting arts mainly as a pastime, but for "serving nobles" (shizoku) knowledge of the martial arts was a must as many of them served the government as army or police officers, tax collectors, and so on. If we look at the genealogy of any style of Okinawan karate or kobujutsu, we see that the founder of the style is the scion of a noble family, or that he learned martial arts from a noble.
"Sorry," one who is familiar with Okinawan kobujutsu weaponry may say at this point, "but if the martial arts of Okinawa were really developed by nobles who were allowed to carry swords and spears, why did they develop fighting techniques with sickle, oar, hoe and other farmer's and fishermen's tools?" The author of this text also asked himself this question and then he asked experts in Okinawan history. Here is the answer:
"Serving nobles" on Okinawa, as you may guess from their title, served the government as military and police officers or as state officials. They protected and kept "law and order" and received wages from the king. They had no other source of income as the law prohibited them from any other occupation. At some point in time, this wage became insufficient to feed their families and many of them were reduced to beggary. In 1724, in order to solve this problem, the nobles were granted permission to become merchants, farmers, or craftsmen. Many of them left the state service and had to move into villages with their families just to feed themselves. After a century and a half, following the Meiji revolution, Okinawan nobles (as well as Japanese samurai) had their privileges revoked, including the right to carry swords, and they were deprived of their wages. If you read "Gone with the Wind" you will surely remember the story of the aristocrats of yesterday who had to become shopkeepers and bakers to survive. And so it happened to the aristocrats on Okinawa. Members of the royal family worked as teamsters and night watchmen. Princes became hewers of wood and sellers of pigs in the marketplace. Many of the nobility moved into villages. The farmers, of course, weren't happy to meet their new neighbors and they tried to drive them off the villages' lands. These efforts often resulted in fighting. The number of thieves and robbers also increased in the country where food was a valuable. As a result, "farmer-princes" had to refresh their fighting skills.
The nobility, of course, would have preferred to fight with their swords rather than with their bare hands, but they were prohibited from carrying weapons. But what does a warrior do when he can't use his weapons? He arms himself with anything in reach. Shaolin monks developed fighting techniques with slippers and baskets; ninjas learned to kill their opponents with chopsticks. And Okinawan nobles, deprived of their arms, also developed weapons from any improvised means they could.
Staffs and sticks of different lengths (the six foot rokushakubo, four foot jo, three foot hanbo, etc.) always were used as auxiliary weapons, so they were adopted first. Sickles (kama), oars (eku), hoes (kuwa), gaffs (nunti-bo), millstone handles (tonfa) and other objects that could effectively be used in a fight were also not forgotten. Two sticks connected by rope caught someone's eye. A warrior swung them, pictured himself bashing an opponents head - and nunchaku was born.
The nunchaku wasn't a very popular weapon. We deduce this because no traditional nunchaku kata is known today. By contrast, we currently know more than a dozen traditional staff katas. The lack of popularity for the nunchaku probably came from its low effectiveness when used against the staff or other long-reach weapons, not to mention the sword. On the other hand, one who was skilled in nunchaku usage was easily able to defeat a few opponents who were armed with knives or who were unarmed. The nunchaku was also an easy to conceal weapon, suitable for carrying everyday. So, in Okinawa, the nunchaku was mainly used as a tool for street self-defense against hooligans and robbers.
Weapons similar to the nunchaku exist in many martial arts around the world. To mention only a few of the best know ones: Chinese erjiegun; Philippine tabak-toyok; Korean ssangjulbong; and European combat flails. All these weapons are built like the nunchaku. Some of these are simply imported nunchaku from kobudo. For example, the Philippine chako and tabak-toyok are just the Okinawan nunchaku made from the local Philippine wood. Other martial arts have their own "stick-and-chain" weapons, like the Shaolin sanjiegun or the European combat flail.
The nunchaku is so popular today, that almost any new martial art incorporates this weapon into its training. I have even seen a magazine published by a pseudo-Russian pseudo-ancient martial arts school, which claimed that the nunchaku were a common weapon of ancient Russian warriors, but this is nonsense.
Because of its simplicity of manufacture, its high effectiveness in street combat, and its soaring popularity due to Bruce Lee's films, the nunchaku has had a new birth in our time. Today the nunchaku is one of the most popular weapons after the knife and the baton. But I will tell you more about the nunchaku in our day on the "Nunchaku Today" page.
N.B. I wish to thank my friend Joel Schwartz for helping me with my English.
Syllables "nu-n-cha-ku"
The nunchaku, as we know it, comes from Okinawa (Uchina), today a part of Japan. Okinawa lies almost midway between Taiwan and the Japanese "mainland", and is the largest island in the Ryukyu (literally "rope") archipelago, a 650 mile long chain of small islands between southern Japan and Taiwan.
Okinawa today is part of Japan, but the Okinawans are not Japanese and have their own culture and language, although the latter is gradually being replaced by Japanese. The Japanese language does not even contain a word for the nunchaku. When one needs to write "nunchaku" in Japanese he may do it in one of two ways: He may use katakana, the syllabic/phonetic alphabet used in the Japanese language to write foreign and loan words, writing the syllables "nu-n-cha-ku". Or, instead, he may use the Chinese characters for "two member stick" (or "double part baton"), which is pronounced "shuang jie gun" in Chinese, "nun cha kun" in Okinawan and "so setsu kon" in Japanese.
Many think that the nunchaku has descended from the rice flail (utzu), but this is erroneous. To understand why, imagine that you want to use the nunchaku to thresh rice stalks laying on the ground. In order for the swinging arm of the nunchaku to land flatly, you would have to bend over with your head close to your knees or kneel on the ground. In the former position, every time you swing up the flailing arm you might be struck on your back, while the latter position is not really functional as anyone who has had to kneel on rice can tell you. The actual Okinawan flail, like the European flail, has a handle as long as a man's height to make the threshing process easier. So the belief that the nunchaku descends from the Okinawan rice flail is definitely baseless. Another reason for this error, besides the obvious resemblance of the flail to the nunchaku, may be the existence of the a combat flail (uchibo), which really is a modified rice flail, among the weapons of Okinawan kobujutsu.
Characters "nun cha kun"
There are a few more rational beliefs about the nunchaku's prototype. The most credible version (attested to by a number of Japanese masters of kobudo) is that the nunchaku descends from an Okinawan horse bit (muge). Initially the handles of the bit were curved as you can see in the photo. Later it was changed to the straight-handled weapon that we know today.
There also exists versions of the nunchaku's history which state that it was once a night-watchman's rattle or a tool for barking banana trees (the best fabric on Okinawa was produced from banana bark). Finally, one additional version, supported by such experts as Miyagi and Ikeda, says that the nunchaku was copied from a Chinese weapon brought to Okinawa by Chinese immigrants. Indirect evidence of this version is the fact that the word used for "nunchaku" is borrowed from the Chinese language.
How did a farmer's tool evolve into a deadly weapon and who used it? To answer these questions let's take a tour through Okinawan history.
In 1429 king Sho Hashi, founded the Sho dynasty by uniting three principalities of Okinawa, Hokuzan, Nanzan and Chuzan, creating the Ryukyu kingdom with the city of Shuri as its capitol. Sho Hashi now had a region with a number of united domains, not a single country. Each lord sat in his own castle, governed his fiefdom by himself, had his own army, imposed his own taxes, and had his own code of law and courts. The process of uniting these domains into a united country was completed after about 50 years by one of Sho Hashi's successors, king Sho Shin who turned the domains into a single country with one government, one army, and a single code of laws, like today's modern countries.
To reduce the possibility of a revolt in Okinawa, Sho Shin gathered all the princes (aji) in Shuri and declared a prohibition against carrying weapons. Only the king's army and nobles were allowed to carry weapons and no one but the king could possess considerable amounts of weapons. As a result, the king's army became the only one on Okinawa.
In 1609 the Ryukyu kingdom which, until then, had existed as an independent country, was occupied by the Japanese princedom of Satzuma and became its vassal until 1879 when, after the Meiji revolution, Okinawa was annexed by Japan. However, during all the years between 1609 and 1879 the Japanese presence on Okinawa was minor; there were only a few dozen samurai for the whole country and most of them lived in the city of Shuri. The Japanese government confirmed Sho Shin's decree against weapons and also added prohibitions against importing weapons and the possession of firearms. However, the legends about the total disarmament of the Okinawan population are no more than legends. Okinawan nobles were still allowed to carry their swords and members of the royal family and princes were even allowed to have rifles for hunting.
In karate books it is often written that farmers developed Okinawan martial arts, but this does not make any sense. Okinawa was never a rich country and, after the onset of the Japanese occupation in the 17th century, it became poverty-stricken. Farmers had to work from sunrise to sunset just to feed themselves. Villagers just didn't have the time or the vigor to practice fighting and to develop sophisticated martial arts.
It was the nobles who developed Okinawan martial arts. The aristocrats (kazoku) practiced fighting arts mainly as a pastime, but for "serving nobles" (shizoku) knowledge of the martial arts was a must as many of them served the government as army or police officers, tax collectors, and so on. If we look at the genealogy of any style of Okinawan karate or kobujutsu, we see that the founder of the style is the scion of a noble family, or that he learned martial arts from a noble.
"Sorry," one who is familiar with Okinawan kobujutsu weaponry may say at this point, "but if the martial arts of Okinawa were really developed by nobles who were allowed to carry swords and spears, why did they develop fighting techniques with sickle, oar, hoe and other farmer's and fishermen's tools?" The author of this text also asked himself this question and then he asked experts in Okinawan history. Here is the answer:
"Serving nobles" on Okinawa, as you may guess from their title, served the government as military and police officers or as state officials. They protected and kept "law and order" and received wages from the king. They had no other source of income as the law prohibited them from any other occupation. At some point in time, this wage became insufficient to feed their families and many of them were reduced to beggary. In 1724, in order to solve this problem, the nobles were granted permission to become merchants, farmers, or craftsmen. Many of them left the state service and had to move into villages with their families just to feed themselves. After a century and a half, following the Meiji revolution, Okinawan nobles (as well as Japanese samurai) had their privileges revoked, including the right to carry swords, and they were deprived of their wages. If you read "Gone with the Wind" you will surely remember the story of the aristocrats of yesterday who had to become shopkeepers and bakers to survive. And so it happened to the aristocrats on Okinawa. Members of the royal family worked as teamsters and night watchmen. Princes became hewers of wood and sellers of pigs in the marketplace. Many of the nobility moved into villages. The farmers, of course, weren't happy to meet their new neighbors and they tried to drive them off the villages' lands. These efforts often resulted in fighting. The number of thieves and robbers also increased in the country where food was a valuable. As a result, "farmer-princes" had to refresh their fighting skills.
The nobility, of course, would have preferred to fight with their swords rather than with their bare hands, but they were prohibited from carrying weapons. But what does a warrior do when he can't use his weapons? He arms himself with anything in reach. Shaolin monks developed fighting techniques with slippers and baskets; ninjas learned to kill their opponents with chopsticks. And Okinawan nobles, deprived of their arms, also developed weapons from any improvised means they could.
Staffs and sticks of different lengths (the six foot rokushakubo, four foot jo, three foot hanbo, etc.) always were used as auxiliary weapons, so they were adopted first. Sickles (kama), oars (eku), hoes (kuwa), gaffs (nunti-bo), millstone handles (tonfa) and other objects that could effectively be used in a fight were also not forgotten. Two sticks connected by rope caught someone's eye. A warrior swung them, pictured himself bashing an opponents head - and nunchaku was born.
The nunchaku wasn't a very popular weapon. We deduce this because no traditional nunchaku kata is known today. By contrast, we currently know more than a dozen traditional staff katas. The lack of popularity for the nunchaku probably came from its low effectiveness when used against the staff or other long-reach weapons, not to mention the sword. On the other hand, one who was skilled in nunchaku usage was easily able to defeat a few opponents who were armed with knives or who were unarmed. The nunchaku was also an easy to conceal weapon, suitable for carrying everyday. So, in Okinawa, the nunchaku was mainly used as a tool for street self-defense against hooligans and robbers.
Weapons similar to the nunchaku exist in many martial arts around the world. To mention only a few of the best know ones: Chinese erjiegun; Philippine tabak-toyok; Korean ssangjulbong; and European combat flails. All these weapons are built like the nunchaku. Some of these are simply imported nunchaku from kobudo. For example, the Philippine chako and tabak-toyok are just the Okinawan nunchaku made from the local Philippine wood. Other martial arts have their own "stick-and-chain" weapons, like the Shaolin sanjiegun or the European combat flail.
The nunchaku is so popular today, that almost any new martial art incorporates this weapon into its training. I have even seen a magazine published by a pseudo-Russian pseudo-ancient martial arts school, which claimed that the nunchaku were a common weapon of ancient Russian warriors, but this is nonsense.
Because of its simplicity of manufacture, its high effectiveness in street combat, and its soaring popularity due to Bruce Lee's films, the nunchaku has had a new birth in our time. Today the nunchaku is one of the most popular weapons after the knife and the baton. But I will tell you more about the nunchaku in our day on the "Nunchaku Today" page.
N.B. I wish to thank my friend Joel Schwartz for helping me with my English.
Kendo: The Warrior Way of the Sword
(Disclaimer: Some of these articles that I posted was taken from "Rapid Journal vol. 6 No. 4 page 2, year 2002". The said article was written by Mr. Jacob Reynoso. I do not own this and its ideas. All of this belongs to the author. Enjoy reading!)
Historical Development of Kendo
Kendo is the most respected form of the martial arts in modern Japan, most likely because, as a derivative of feudal sword arts, it is thought of as having tangible links to the samurai. Like most modern martial arts, Kendo can be thought of as a ritualized, sportive version of Japanese combat systems. It has evolved from combat arts of the past, but it has done so in a special way. Kendo has preserved the mental and physical stresses of fighting, but has done so in a system that eliminates the mortal danger of combat. The Way of the sword is the contemporary heir of a board spectrum of Japanese cultural influences that were embedded in the martial traditions of feudal warriors. For the reason, Kendo is considered by serious practitioners to be something more than just a form of exercise or competition, it approaches a type of spiritual disclipline.
Kendo Competition
The object of a Kendo contest is to land two scoring blows on a target area. There are eight target areas: center of the head (men); left side of the head (hidare-men); right side of the head (migi-men); left forerarm (hidare-kate); right forearm (migi-kate); left side of the ribcage (hidare-do); right side of the ribcage (migi-do); the throat (tsuki). All are attacked by cut except the throat, which can be threatend only by a lunge. Conpetition often uses only one withe two hands. All blows are called kiri (cuts) in which a kendoka attacks with the cutting edge of the shinai.
Goals of Training
Different people look for different things in Kendo training. Some seek the exhilaration of exercise and the challenge of hard physical training. Many Kendo students come to the art after exposure to other types of martial arts. They seek to broaden their knowledge of the martial way and, perhaps, to find a closer link to the samurai experience that they believe created these arts in the first pace.
There is room for all these motivations in Kendo. At base, however, it is a special type of martial art. A modern development, it is highly ritualized and codified. It has little immediately practical utility in self-defense. It is an excellent source of aerobic exercise and can present the trainee with an exciting tournament dimension. Most importantly, however, Kendo is a method for disciplining and refining the human spirit. It is this, above all, that it is designed to do.
An excellent summary of the goals of Kendo is provided by the All Japan Kendo Federation.
The concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana.
Thus will one be able to love his country and society, to contribute to the development of culture, and to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
Kendo, in short, is not merely about what you can learn to do. It is about what you can learn to be.
There is room for all these motivations in Kendo. At base, however, it is a special type of martial art. A modern development, it is highly ritualized and codified. It has little immediately practical utility in self-defense. It is an excellent source of aerobic exercise and can present the trainee with an exciting tournament dimension. Most importantly, however, Kendo is a method for disciplining and refining the human spirit. It is this, above all, that it is designed to do.
An excellent summary of the goals of Kendo is provided by the All Japan Kendo Federation.
The concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana.
The purpose of practice Kendo is: To mold the mind and body, To cultivate the vigorous spirit, And through correct and rigid training. To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo, To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor, To associate with others with sincerity, And forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.
Thus will one be able to love his country and society, to contribute to the development of culture, and to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.
Kendo, in short, is not merely about what you can learn to do. It is about what you can learn to be.
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