Chinese Culture in Ryukyu Kenpo: Karate (Ryukyu Boxing: Chinese Fighting Arts)

In Chinese boxing (quanfa), you refer to one another as brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. Not father, mother, son or daughter, although your teacher might be like a father or mother in many ways, and, likewise, you may be like a son or daughter. There are those experts of the past who you’d refer to as master, there’s your teacher who is called sifu, and to your sifu you are his or her student. Closer students may be referred to as disciples because they follow all of their sifu’s teachings. Your teacher’s teacher you might refer to as uncle or aunt, although someone simply of equal standing to your teacher may be your older brother or older sister. A person who has just joined your class would be your younger sister or younger brother. In my Chinese boxing class we observe this culture, although we refer to our teacher by his first name, as his teacher has his own students do. That’s to place everyone on equal footing, without anyone seeming to be demanding to be called something other than their name. It does not mean we lack respect for our sifu. On the contrary! In my experience the proof is in the pudding, not in the title. 

Master Funakoshi wrote, in his article entitled “Karate”, written in 1934, and translated into English in “Tanpenshu” by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy, with the 3rd printing in 2006, on page 41 of Tanpenshu, “Younger brothers show respect to older ones, and older brothers display compassion to younger ones. Brothers share everything and learn from each other.” This is a Chinese method, observed by Master Funakoshi within his Okinawan karate. 

In the same book on page 45, in the article entitled “Azato Ankoh: A Short Story About My Teacher”, by Gichin Funakoshi, written in 1934, Master Funakoshi wrote, “Together, Azato and Itosu had diligently studied the martial arts under the strict tutelage of Matsumura Sokon. An advocate of Chinese ways, instruction under that taskmaster was always conducted early in the morning before dawn until the sun came up, without change or observation of holidays.” In addition to showing how Chinese culture and methods were so dominant in karate in Okinawa, the writing also shows that both Masters Azato and Itosu studied under Master Sokon Matsumura, for certain, and therefore Funakoshi karate is closely linked with Matsumura karate. 

Also included in Tanpenshu is the letter which Master Sokon Matsumura wrote to Kuwae Ryosei in 1882 on the 13th of May. Master Kuwae Ryosei is noted as a student of Master Matsumura, however Bushi Matsumura addresses the letter “To: my wise young brother Kuwae”, on page 136 of Tanpenshu. So he refers to his student as his brother, in Chinese fashion yet also with a level of respect as if they are rather equal. Isn’t that interesting?. 

In karati (karate), we might call a teacher sensei or shinshii (Japanese / Okinawan, respectively), like calling a Chinese quanfa teacher sifu. Master Funakoshi noted, in mainland-Japan, that he employed the Japanese method of senpai/kohai (senior/junior). On page 43 of Tanpenshu, in the article called “Karate”, Master Funakoshi wrote, “The senpai/kohai system is the way through which karate’s important message is perpetuated.” But he also clearly followed the culture of seeing his students, colleagues and teachers as a kind of family. That is the Chinese way as taught by Master Matsumura, and that is, therefore, the old Okinawan way, regardless of the Japanese senpai/kohai system.