What were the kobujutsu teachings of Master Gichin Funakoshi's original Ryukyu kenpo?

Master Funakoshi evidently knew bojutsu and saijutsu, although there is no specific direct mention by him detailing any kobujutsu kata that he practised. I read, albeit not from an authoritative source in itself (a forum), that he may have known Tenryu no kon[bo], and that this was his favourite bo kata. Within the feed, Mr Bob McMahon mentions that Master Funakoshi also taught Sunakake no kon. However, he adds that his research has, most definitely, determined that precise origins often remain uncertain. Certainty can be found in an interview with Master Gima Shinkin, stating that Gima learnt Tenryu no kon directly from Master Gichin Funakoshi. You can examine a photo of Master Gichin Funakoshi demonstrating a bojutsu movement on his own, which must surely be presenting a posture from a bo kata. The particular technique, seen at an angle as if the manoeuvre is meant to be performed diagonally, looks as though it could well be from Tenryu no kon, although there are several konbo kata which include a similar posture. With that, of course, it could actually be from a different kata. Unfortunately, there seems to be no description. 

Otherwise, Master Gigo Funakoshi at least knew what could be one of the two Sakugawa no kon, seen in a few pictures of his bojutsu form. I am uncertain as to whether it could be Matsukaze no kon, the bo kata created by Masters Gigo and Okano. It looks more like one of the classical exercises. Whether or not he learnt it from his father is unknown, if it is one of the old forms. It would certainly be logical that Sakugawa no kon was a kata which Master Gichin Funakoshi knew. But there is logic and then there are facts. Mr Bob McMahon also mentioned in the forum feed about Master Gigo Funakoshi knowing Shushi (Shuji) no kon additionally. In Keio University karate the students practise Sakugawa no kon and Shushi no kon, so this possibility is interesting as well as plausible.

Now, Master Gichin Funakoshi had a chance encounter with Master Sueyoshi, the bojutsu expert who devised Sueyoshi no kon. Master Funakoshi explains that they ended up discussing karate and the art of stick fighting, but he did not state anything about having learnt Sueyoshi no kon (comprising Shuji no kon and Choun no kon, not a kata called Sueyoshi no kon or Soeishi no kon) as a result, sooner or later. Perhaps he did, but reading that he did learn the kata is not valid, since there is no actual evidence to suggest that he was taught by Master Sueyoshi. Surely he would have thought to record such a fact while he was noting their "meeting", and as he mentioned Master Sueyoshi founding his own school of bojutsu.

There is a DVD that presents footage of the sensei of Keio University karate demonstrating some kobujutsu kata within their lineage of Shotokan karate. It is Keio-ha Shotokan karate, I suppose, because it includes other kata outside of the "standard" Shotokan "syllabus", such as suparinpei. The kata displayed are Sakugawa no kon, Shushi no kon, and [what you could call] heian / pin'an [shodan / nidan] no sai ("sai no kata"), as well as pairwork with these weapons. When stating the history of their kobujutsu, the teachers are unsure of details, so cannot say for certain that Master Gichin Funakoshi was the one who taught these kata to the students of Keio University. Though, knowing that Master Gigo did practise at least [what looks like] Sakugawa no kon, there appears to be some direct link to seito Funakoshi karate.

 

Saijutsu kata is another story. I don't personally agree with the way the sai is applied in heian [shodan] (pin'an [nidan]). It is not realistic. Perhaps Master Gichin Funakoshi did not practise any sai kata, and only studied pairwork using sai against a bo, as photos illustrate. He did study under Master Aragaki (Niigaki), who was a noted kobujutsu expert and who even devised his own weapons kata such as Aragaki no sai. Master Funakoshi learnt Aragaki's unarmed kata niseshi and unsu (probably sochin, too, though he did not perpetuate Aragaki sochin in his kenpo). Therefore, he may well have been taught kobujutsu by Master Aragaki, additionally. But, again, this is not known fact.

From years ago, I decided to apply the karate kata that definitely fully suited certain weapons / tools, so as to practise the kobujutsu most evident in Funakoshi karate, even if the original intent was actually just for partial weapons use by defending from beginning empty-handed, but then to just apply other techniques completely unarmed. It may not be known with absolute certainty, but there are various sources I have noted that inspired me to go about studying particular karate kata with certain implements. While you can (and perhaps should) apply any karate kenpo kata to kobudo with one or more weapons, they do not all fit perfectly. Those that indicate, for example, some use of the staff, offer definite clues, while others show positions that compare with "actual" kobujutsu kata of the sai and kama, for instance. However, niseshi, for example, is noted to be a saijutsu kata. It works well as such, but I wouldn't say significantly so. 

However, if kata other than Tenryu no kon should be avoided in the absence of solid evidence, the kobujutsu of Master Funakoshi's Ryukyu kenpo is mostly simply kumibo and kumisai, following the teachings presented by Master Gichin Funakoshi himself. Yet, that doesn’t mean that other teachings can’t be added by anyone. Gichin Funakoshi himself sent Gigo Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama, for instance, to learn from others such as experts in Okinawa, and Master Kenwa Mabuni, respectively. Karate must be allowed and encouraged to continue to grow.

S. R. Marshall

Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Study Group - Facebook Group

The Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Study Group has a facebook group that you can join, though you must be approved to become a member and be able to discuss the topic via the group with the group.

Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Study Group in Essex - Studying the Okinawan Origins of Japanese Shotokan Karate

I have decided to start a free (i.e. no fees) karate study group for Okinawan Funakoshi-ha Shorin Ryu karate kenpo & kobujutsu, called the Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Study Group (or the Funakoshi Karate Study Group), as an extension of my research into the Okinawan origins of Japanese Shotokan karate. Visit the link below or the dedicated page on this web-page for more details.

Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Study Group

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Shotokan Karate Magazine (July 2015, Issue 124): Master Gichin Funakoshi's Real Knowledge of Karate Kenpo, by Sean R. Marshall

Check out the latest issue of Shotokan Karate Magazine (July 2015, issue 124) for an article I wrote called "Master Gichin Funakoshi's Real Knowledge of Karate Kenpo".

http://www.shotokanmag.com/magazine.html

• Interview: Sensei Jan Knobel, 8th Dan - Bob Sidoli
• Communication - Brian Gonsalves,
• The Challenge Of Relaxation For New Students - Tony Cuffie
• Vanishing Point: When What You See Becomes What You Are - Mike Clarke
• A Vehicle For Change, A Mirror For Life - Jeff Hutchings
• Hip Replacement And Resuming Karate Training - Katsu Tiru Jr.
• Master Gichin Funakoshi's Real Knowledge of Karate Kenpo - Sean R. Marshall

Editor: John Cheetham

List of Karate Research

Articles

Master Gichin Funakoshi's Real Knowledge of Karate Kenpo:

Shotokan Karate Magazine, Issue 124, July 2015

The Okinawan Origins of Japanese Shotokan Karate:

Shotokan Karate Magazine, Issue 120, July 2014

Online Copy of the Article

Three articles centred around "Itosu gojushiho karate kata":

Part One: Itosu Gojushiho (Useshi/Ueseishi): The Evidence of Master Itosu's Version of the Kata

Part Two: Itosu Useshi (Gojushiho) Variants: Master Kanken Toyama's "Koryu Useshi"

Part Three: An Analysis of Gojushiho/Useshi Kata: Matsumura Useshi and the Various Itosu Useshi

The Evidence of the "Okinawan Fist": Teachings of Master Anko Shishu (Yasutsune Itosu)

Jion Kata

Chibana-ha Shorin Ryu Karate Passai Kata: Matsumura No Passai - "Tawada Passai"

The Evidence That Master Seisho Aragaki Taught Master Gichin Funakoshi

The Dance of Okinawa and Its Relationship with Karate

(originally written as the application article for The Culture Trip Ltd, before being accepted to write for them [when they first started their website] - I have updated the piece for my own publication)

More to be published, both independently and with magazine publishers.

Scripts

Origins of Shotokan

(script for narration)

Productions

Origins of Shotokan - sold by Kamikaze Karategi
(documentary film {2013} - Marshalls' Art-Productions)

English Karate (Eigoban Karate): What Is Kara-te?

Do you need to travel to Japan or Okinawa to authenticate your Japanese or Okinawan karate, respectively? Why? It would be a nice trip, for a holiday, but it is the luxurious way to further study karate. Can everyone afford such travelling? Of course not! Or, at least, not too often. I live so far from the orient. Such a journey is a goal, but an expensive one. On the topic of training, I can undergo the same training and practice in my own garden and house. Karate has been in other places such as England for numerous decades. There is Okinawan karate, Japanese karate, and other countries' karate, for instance English karate (Eigoban karate). 

In a true sense, naming depends on the extent to which karate has changed in a lineage in England, from its original state, as to how much it is actually English over remaining Japanese or Okinawan. Most schools are vastly Japanese, adhering to the way they (the teachers) were taught by their Japanese instructors, thinking that great changes are not possible because there is a curriculum to which they must conform. There is actually no curriculum; truthfully, there are various kata, each of which is karate kenpo. Shotokan karate is not 26/27 kata, plus kumite. It is 15 kata, 26 kata, over 30 kata, or just a handful, as well as the intricate bunkai for each, which is the real kumite (kumiti) element of kenpo karate study. Of course, for traditional martial arts there is also the matter of conditioning methods. Learning in Okinawa, for example, is nice, but is not necessary to seek understanding of karate and life in a true way. It is over-rated because it is a nice idea, comprising an essence; It is a luxury. How do you learn Okinawan karate, or any martial art? You train, practise, and study hard, every day, relentlessly, persevering through any difficulties in training and in life, for years, and for your entire life. That is karate. Forget about whether it is "Japanese", "Okinawan", or, indeed, "English". Karate is effort. It is gongfu - "great effort". And if you put forth real effort in England, learning from English teachers, then you may be studying English karate, but moreover, in the grand scheme of it all, you are simply studying "kara-te" (Chinese-hands). Eigoban karate is just a derivative.

The Evidence That Master Seisho Aragaki Taught Master Gichin Funakoshi

I read in an article that Master Gichin Funakoshi was taught by Master Seisho Aragaki, in addition to the various other masters who Funakoshi listed to have instructed him. The source, which I cannot recall now, did not state support of the allegation in any capacity. So I thought that it may simply be an error, as is so often seen, from the person who might claim to be an author or writer, or even researcher, based on reading the English edition of Master Funakoshi's text, "Karate-Do: My Way of Life", noting the name "Master Niigaki", and simply presuming that name to actually be "Aragaki". However, the other day I thought to search for the name "Niigaki" in "Jeffrey's Japanese to English Dictionary Server" (which is a very good source for Japanese language), and check the ideograms used to write the name "Niigaki", if they appeared in the search, with the characters used to write the "Aragaki" of Master Seisho Aragaki. Simply reading the English pronunciation of what started as Chinese symbols is not the best way to know for certain if, in this case, the name is meant to be, or could be, different, even if it would be a case of that difference merely being down to the existence of various alternatives of the verbalising of the name in question. And this has turned out to indeed be the case. The rule really is to check the oriental characters used, for yourself, because even when the manuscript has been very accurately and articulately translated, as with the English edition of "Karate-Do: My Way of Life", there can still be issues on the simple basis of the choice of translation made by the particular translator at the time, which may have differed at either a different time or if made by a different translator. So, it is evident that the names "Niigaki" and "Aragaki" are the same, since the characters used for their true writing are the same in both cases. And then, based on comparison with some other Aragaki's noted as karate-men, regarding their respective dates of birth (and death), and in relation to the similarities between Master Funakoshi's niseshi and unsu kata, and Master Mabuni's niseshi and unsu kata (with sochin differing on account of Funakoshi having perpetuated his version of Kudaka sochin, as is clear when compared with the illustrations of Kudaka sochin in the book "Essential Shorinji Ryu karate-do" by Masayuki Hisataka), and with the important point that it is noted (by Patrick McCarthy in volume two of the text "Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts") that Mabuni learnt (regarding karate kenpo only, and not worrying about kobujutsu in this article) niseshi and unsu, and re-learnt sochin, from Master Seisho Aragaki who corrected Mabuni's version of sochin which he apparently learnt from Master Itosu, (It makes sense that Itosu could have known at least a similar version, on account of his lineage linking to either the Chinese Zhaoling quanfa master called Ason, or Master Waishinzan, also of Zhaolingquan {Shorei-ryu kenpo}, each being noted as a teacher of Master Nagahama, Ason in "Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu", and Waishinzan in "Karate-Do: Kyohan", both by Master Gichin Funakoshi. Whichever is correct, unless they both instructed Nagahama {who was a teacher of Itosu}, there is a definite link to Shorei-ryu kenpo {though that in itself does not mean that Itosu must have known a version of sochin kata}. Seisho Aragaki {and Norisato Nakaima, who is relevant because Ryuei Ryu karate includes a version of niseshi which bears similarities to Aragaki niseshi, though is also notably different} learnt from Master Waishinzan {as well as Master Ru Ruko}.), Funakoshi perhaps studied the set of kata from Itosu, but must have at least also learnt them (whether sochin was included or not) from Aragaki, as they were Aragaki's noted and perpetuated speciality, aside from his knowledge of kobujutsu. That would prove Funakoshi's niseshi and unsu to be of Aragaki's lineage, slightly altered (perhaps by Master Gichin Funakoshi, yet there is a version of unsu that was uploaded online by Juan Beltran Rodriguez which is more alike Funakoshi's than Mabuni's!), but very similar to Mabuni's versions, which would suggest that they are at least close to Aragaki's originals, if these two lineages teach some similar kata as they do, like the version of sesan which Funakoshi perpetuated, the origins of which can be supported by the kata's existence in similar form within Mabuni Shito Ryu. Additionally, Master Hironori Otsuka's niseshi performance further reinforces my overall point, since his kata were a combination of Funakoshi karate and Mabuni karate, evidently for the vast majority. 

I must note that Sensei Patrick McCarthy has at least mentioned Funakoshi to have been taught by Aragaki in an article published on his blog for his organisation, International Ryukyu Karate Research Society, which was about Master Seisho Aragaki. I am not the first to note this point, and I may not be the first to know of, or provide, evidence. Nonetheless, the supporting documentation, if you will, is detailed here in this article, to solidify the claim of Seisho Aragaki's teaching of Gichin Funakoshi, from the founding basis written by Funakoshi in "Karate-Do: My Way of Life". Therefore, it is certainly not some groundbreaking note. It originates from the name chosen for Aragaki for the English translation of the aforementioned book, happening to differ from writing "Aragaki". Had that not been the case, there would not have been an issue for later discussion all these years down the road. 

I would note that Master Yuchoku Higa taught sochin and unsu, and that his sochin is very similar to Mabuni's, though not identical. Kyudokan unsu, on the other hand, is completely different. (Mark Bishop noted in his second edition of "Okinawan Karate" that Master Higa learnt Aragaki sochin from a certain Master Akamine, and niseshi from a Master Kokuba, but that he taught neither of these forms. Though this text was published in 1999, it must be pointed out, since there is not yet a third edition, that evidently sochin was taught, and that a version of unsu was, too, though niseshi appears to have not been transmitted by Higa. I would add, however, that Mr Bishop's book is an excellent manuscript, regardless of this point.) Higa's differing version of sochin does at least further prove (like with Ryuei Ryu, similarly, for niseshi) there to be variations of the same kata Seisho Aragaki transmitted, supporting the note of Aragaki only correcting Mabuni's sochin (though he taught niseshi and unsu to Mabuni, additionally). Sometimes not all the kata taught by a master were passed on to this or that person, so Nakaima only learnt niseshi, apparently, and Higaonna only learnt sanchin and sesan from Aragaki, it would seem (unless he chose to forget the others). Nakaima's niseshi is quite similar to Aragaki's, as previously mentioned, so it must have similar lineage, which is supported with evidence of their respective lines of transmission linking to Masters Waishinzan and Ru Ruko (again, as already noted). Whoever changed the kata, whether in China by a Chinese, or otherwise, sochin could have been the only one of the three which are a set for Aragaki's line, that Itosu knew, as is true for the kata of Kudaka lineage (regarding sochin) and the niseshi that Master Nakaima transmitted in his school which later became known as Ryuei Ryu, as well as Master Otsuka being affected in the same way, only learning one of the three kata. They do not always have to remain as a set, and clearly did not. 

Sean R. Marshall

The Evidence of the Origins of the "Okinawan Fist": Teachings of Master Anko Shishu (Yasutsune Itosu)

It appears evident that the "Okinawan fist" (clenching your hands into a fist that does not bend the third knuckle of the index finger on each hand, before wrapping the thumb over the fingers between the second and third knuckles, as tight as possible), as opposed to the standard fist (the common formation of a fist which is ancient throughout the world), was definitely used by karate-master Anko Itosu (as he is commonly known), and is not supported to have been used by Master Sokon Matsumura. Students of Master Itosu, including Masters Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, Choki Motobu, and Chotoku Kyan, can all be seen in pictures that illustrate them clenching this alternate fist formation. The Japanese fist form is the standard version, as is the Chinese. But both types are (were) practised in Okinawa. Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu karate use the standard fist. They are both more recently linked with China, in terms of their complete, or mostly complete, lineages. The hard evidence to support my claims, is presented here, regarding what I have found to-date, and what seems to potentially conclude the issue to the furthest extent possible. 

Master Gichin Funakoshi shows how to make a fist on page 24 (specifically) in his book, Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu. It is the Okinawan version.

Master Kenwa Mabuni illustrates clearly enough the use of the Okinawan fist, even with a kata he learnt from Master Kanryo Higaonna - seipai - on page 54 of Seipai no Kenkyu: KoboJizai Karate Kenpo.  

Master Choki Motobu can be seen in images of his techniques, clenching the same alternate version of fist. See the footage of his son, Sensei Chosei Motobu, performing Master Choki Motobu's techniques, here. Specifically, go to 5 minutes 24 seconds to see the Okinawan fist being clenched. Otherwise, it can be seen that Chosei Motobu and his training partner form that alternate fist.

Master Chotoku Kyan shows what can be identified as what must be the Okinawan formation (with gaps rather than seeing the curled index fingers).

Master Chomo Hanashiro appears to also show, at least clearly enough in one image, that he formed the Okinawan fist. It is in a clearer version of the picture of Hanashiro demonstrating one of the front-snap kicks in the kata "jion" illustrated in the book, "An Overview of Karate-Do", by Genwa Nakasone (translated by Sensei Mario McKenna). The photo can be found on page 4 of the paperback edition of the translated text, but only a version of the photo which is made clearer by using computer editing actually shows what I sought. Only just, can it be identified that Master Hanashiro formed the "Okinawan fist", because there was/is just enough light to see the finger-nail of the index finger of his left hand, meaning that it was in the alternate fist rather than the standard fist. One way to cross-check is to find this picture on "Google Images", save it, and auto-correct it. A version that I found online was better lit than that which was printed in the translation of the book for which the photo was originally used. 

And Master Shinpan Gusukuma, though not seeming to present photographic evidence that is closer or angled ideally, does appear to have also utilised the same alternate fist, based on the side view always showing a gap where his training-partner does not always show (instead, clearly illustrating a commonly-clenched fist). Considering this "Okinawan fist" taught by Master Itosu seems to have taken precedence over the standard fist in various cases which involve a range of different teachers [of varying lineages], specifically for the practitioners mentioned, it would come as no surprise that Master Shinpan Gusukuma, too, chose to use the "Okinawan fist". Pictures of Gusukuma can also be found in "An Overview of Karate-Do".

Master Choshin Chibana can be noted here as not using the Okinawan fist, at least for some kata, and perhaps just those not of Master Itosu's lineage. However, it would seem that he simply chose - from a younger age than later photos that definitely illustrate the ordinary fist - to use the fist formation which he appears to have learnt from his first teacher, Master [Shimboku? / Shimbuku?] Tawada, who had studied under Master Sokon Matsumura.

Master Hohan Soken's fist form can be clearly observed here, also with naihanchi kata (like Master Chibana). It, too, presents the standard fist, based on the fairly clear photographic evidence. Master Soken was taught karate by Master Nabe Matsumura, Sokon Matsumura's grandson and student. 

Therefore, it would appear that in perhaps most cases when Itosu was one of the teachers, the students perpetuated the fist form which must have been taught by Itosu. (Though, Japanese karate, at least for the vast majority {excluding Master Tsutomu Ohshima}, seems to "only" use the standard fist, per the choice of Japanese practitioners - if not influenced by their original Okinawan sources to do so - such as Master Nakayama of the Shotokan lineage, who briefly noted  his thoughts on the difference between forming the two styles of fist, on page 15 of "Best Karate: Comprehensive". He knew both versions, but he decided to use the common fist.) In some cases of instruction from other teachers, and otherwise within the most pure Matsumura lineage, the standard fist was either chosen or only known, respectively, as the evidence indicates. It would, therefore, appear proved that the "Okinawan fist" is at least via Master Itosu, and possibly only from him (maybe, plausibly, actually of his innovation). That is a very possible reality because of his noted focus on punching and gripping development. And perhaps it is more relevant for the element of grip, since it seems to mainly find practical use as a vital-point-pressing grip against the inside of the opponent's forearm, with the thumb applying pressure to a particular nerve, while the rest of your hand holds the attacker's wrist. Form this alternate version of the fist, without application, and it feels as though you are practising to grip in that particular way, squeezing the nerve. It is like it is the other natural fist, but the natural gripping-fist as opposed to the natural striking [ordinary] fist ("ordinary" referring to a standard sort of fist instead of a fist such as any of the versions of forming the index-finger one-point fist). The Okinawan fist also finds solid use for the chuko ippon-ken, as it supports the formation of this hand form much more than the common way of holding the middle-finger one-point fist. That could even be a, or another, good reason to form the fist with the index finger held in the same way as the Okinawan fist, since it is quick to change between hand forms, just as it is with the common versions of both hand-forms. Another application is to enable stronger use of the first knuckle of the thumb as a weapon, because the Okinawan fist-form reinforces the thumb, preventing it from alternatively being pushed inwards if its first knuckle was utilised. I do not subscribe to the notion of the ability to punch being strengthened with the "Okinawan fist". I personally feel that the standard fist is better for punching, mainly due to the index finger being folded and appearing to definitely be more supported in such a position. On this basis, I choose to use both fist-forms. 

Regardless of application, though, it would appear true that the formation is from Master Itosu, but it is difficult, and possibly impossible, to completely conclude that its origin started with Itosu, without a little more photographic evidence (which does not appear to exist, to my present knowledge) depicting really all of the various masters of the same time as Master Itosu, clearly illustrating their clenched fists, for our comparison. The topic is not such a problem, of course, because it is really only a minor detail of overall karate-research, in reality. But it is interesting, as others similarly believe, and it would be nice to know the definite, complete, origins of this differing method of forming a fist (and chuko ippon-ken). However, it cannot currently be said that it is Master Itosu's fist-form, because he may have learnt it from one of his teachers, such as Master Gusukuma or Master Nagahama, since Master Sokon Matsumura appears to have not taught it, as Masters Tawada and Hohan Soken apparently evidently both did not use the alternate fist. Consequently, I call it the "Okinawan fist", without knowing with absolute certainty whose hand form it was originally. 

Sean R. Marshall

Styles Of Karate: Okinawan Shorin Ryu (Southern-style Shorin-ryu; Northern-style Shorei-ryu), and Okinawan Shorei-ryu

I previously read in Bruce Clayton's book, "Shotokan's Secret", that "Unante", written by John Sells, illustrates Master Anko Itosu's letter to the Japanese Ministry of Education. Specifically, in "Unante", it is apparently highlighted that Master Itosu wrote "Shorin Ryu" with the characters which mean "Enlightened-forest Style", rather than those meaning "Shao-forest Style". The first ideogram, "enlightened", is also used by Master Itosu for "Shorei-ryu", which is common. "Unante" is rather expensive these days, so I have not yet been able to purchase a copy. However, I recently bought Mario McKenna's translation of Genwa Nakasone's "An Overview of Karate-Do". In this invaluable text, Itosu's letter is wholly presented, and it can indeed clearly be seen that Itosu did in fact write "Shorin Ryu" (or "Shorin-ryu", depending) with the symbol for "enlightened" when penning "Sho". This, then, surely proves that it was at least considered by Master Itosu (possibly first) that "Shorin-ryu" (Shao-forest Style) and "Shorin Ryu" were different in that Shorin Ryu karate kenpo was a style that combined northern and southern Chinese martial arts, therefore meaning that a combination of the names for northern and southern Chinese "boxing" was appropriate to the end of highlighting the differing, Okinawan, style. As a result, I call Shorin Ryu karate "Enlightened-forest Style Chinese-hands", with such historical support, as I have previously noted in some of my work. It is its own "style" of Okinawan karate, separate to the styles of Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu. 

Now, breaking down the styles for different body-types is true, because there are pure Chinese references of such a practice, for example in Sifu Wong Kiew Kit's text, "The Art Of Shaolin Kung Fu", on page 38, in the first paragraph under the sub-title "The Spread of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu". The descriptions are precise with respect to those outlined by Master Gichin Funakoshi, for instance. 

As I similarly explained in one article, entitled "The Okinawan Origins of Japanese Shotokan Karate", published in issue 120, in July 2014, of Shotokan Karate Magazine, there are Chinese and Okinawan versions of kenpo (northern-Chinese Shaolinquan, and southern-Chinese Shaolin which is Zhaolingquan; in Okinawa there is Ryukyu kenpo which is karate or karate kenpo, and the various kata (quan) relate to the relevant styles of Chinese origin, except that pure Shorin-ryu would be northern Shaolin-liu, and that does not exist in an entirely comparable Okinawan version). Therefore, there is Okinawan Shorin Ryu which is a combination of principles found in the northern and southern Chinese styles, though, overall, appears to lean slightly further to northern Shaolin, hence calling it Shorin Ryu (it is usually described as being northern Shaolin, but this is clearly not precise, upon examination). Okinawan Shorei-ryu is southern Shaolin (Zhaoling-liu), and is more purely of the southern style, as can be seen by comparison between southern Chinese martial arts and the Okinawan schools of Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu, as well as the Higaonna side of Mabuni Shito Ryu. 

However, as I described in the article I referenced, there are further necessary details. Shorin Ryu is overall. It consists of both Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu origins. Some kata appear more as Shorin-ryu, so they are "southern-Chinese Shorin-ryu" kata. Whereas Shorei-ryu kata in Shorin Ryu are not the same as Okinawan Shorei-ryu, so they are "northern-Chinese Shorei-ryu" kata. That results in Shorin Ryu being much more different to simply saying Shorin-ryu as opposed to Shorei-ryu, as if there are only two styles in Okinawa (completely besides "udundi" - the other karate). You have to look closely at the kata to find the detailed, and therefore more true and whole, origins of the overall styles. And actually, that supports the notion of being able to study just one or a few kata to learn karate, because clearly you would in fact be studying their respective styles, and so would actually be learning, for example, Okinawan Shorei-ryu with the kata seiyunchin, southern-style Shorin-ryu with the kata passai, and northern-style Shorei-ryu with the kata naihanchi. And in the process of studying the latter two, you would also learn the overall style linked with those two, being Shorin Ryu, which should perhaps be called Okinawan Shorin Ryu for definite distinction. 

So, Shorin Ryu is descended from Chinese martial arts, and is related to Shaolin, like Wudang taijiquan is. Thus, the writings in the Bubishi are related to Shaolin, with perhaps some closer than others. But they are also closely related to southern-Chinese martial arts (Zhaoling-liu or Shorei-ryu, both using the same characters meaning "Enlightened-spirit Style", and more so representing a style rather than a temple, though temples were/are "involved" in the southern Chinese arts, too).

The "six ji hands" explained in the Bubishi, are found in both northern and southern Chinese martial arts. They are not just of northern Shaolin, though their origins do relate to the Shaolin Temple. 

But all this separation starts to give me a headache, after a while. It is all just kenpo, or karate kenpo; Chinese kenpo, or Ryukyu kenpo karate. There are differences between styles, but all are just versions of kenpo/quanfa. That is why it is alternatively called Ryukyu kenpo. 

Kaigen

Jion Kata: From Itosu Jion, To Hanashiro, Chibana, Higa, Mabuni, Miyahira, And Funakoshi Jion Variations

Mabuni jion is like a combination of Hanashiro jion and Funakoshi jion. Hanashiro jion and Higa jion (Kyudokan jion) are very similar to one another throughout, though not identical. Something of a combination of the jion most similar to Hanashiro jion, and that of Mabuni or the Shidokan version, without various alterations found in Funakoshi jion, would seem to be closest to Itosu jion. Shidokan (Miyahira) jion is like Funakoshi jion in various sections, more than Hanashiro jion or Higa jion are, though overall it is like Hanashiro jion and Mabuni jion combined (rather than saying Hanashiro jion and Funakoshi jion). Therefore, Hanashiro jion and Higa jion relate to each other, and Miyahira jion, Mabuni jion, and Funakoshi jion have relation to one another, while all the versions of jion are related to each other, stemming from Itosu jion primarily, with other influences as is clear to observe (whether between comrades, or from different teachers as with Master Yuchoku Higa of Kyudokan Shorin Ryu). Funakoshi jion appears to be the most differing version of jion kata originating from Itosu jion. 

Kaigen