The Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Kenpo Kenkyukai (Research Society & Study Group) is dedicated to studying and researching, in particular, Master Gichin Funakoshi's Okinawan Shorin-ryu karate kenpo teachings. For authoritativeness, Master Gichin Funakoshi's old Okinawan karate, his later developed karate, Master Gigo Funakoshi's karate, the developments of Shoto-kai, & every other karate kenpo lineage, are all considered.
On the 3rd of July, 2024, Kenneth Yoshinobu Funakoshi passed away at the age of 85 (by the English ageing method). Though he reached a great age, I am deeply saddened by his passing, as I knew I would be when it eventually happened.
Born on the 4th of September, 1938, in Honolulu, Hawai’i, he began Jūdō training in 1948. Later, he was in the US Air Force for a time, and began training in Shōtōkan Karate in 1960 under Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa. Subsequently, Funakoshi learnt from Hidetaka Nishiyama, Masataki Mori, Tetsuhiko Asai, and Masatoshi Nakayama.
In 1969, Sensei Funakoshi was appointed Chief Instructor of JKA – Hawai’i. He moved to San Jose in 1986, and in 1987 he founded his organisation, the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association (FSKA), with the purpose to faithfully follow Master Gichin Funakoshi’s 20 Guiding Principles of Karate. Gichin Funakoshi was a cousin of Kenneth Funakoshi whose father, Yoshio Funakoshi, actually learnt directly from Gichin Funakoshi when still living in Okinawa before migrating to Hawai’i. Hence, Kenneth Funakoshi was of Okinawan descent.
After Sensei Funakoshi was awarded 9th Dan in Shōtōkan Karate in 2001, I was lucky enough to learn from him in seminars in the UK, from around 2005 to 2010. During this period, he was already approaching 70, and then was over 70 years old. Yet he was able to charge ahead of everyone else in the room, all of whom were younger. He was exceptionally powerful and sharp, highly skilled and knowledgable, and an excellent teacher, speaking clearly and loudly to vast numbers of eager students. We would drill up and down the training hall following the principle of “spirit first, technique later”. Sensei Funakoshi, whom we called “Shihan”, always talked about the principles laid down by his relative, Master Gichin Funakoshi. He discussed “respect” at length, and taught us many things in the public and semi-private seminars we attended. I was even fortunate enough to receive the particular Karate school’s “Outstanding Student” award directly from Sensei Funakoshi, which came in the form of a Japanese sword plaque that I kept for a year.
In “martial arts”, unfortunately some teachers don’t know much, in truth. This is evident in too many cases, sadly. In the case of Master Kenneth Yoshinobu Funakoshi, it was entirely the opposite. He was a Karate-man who really knew real Karate and how to fight skilfully and powerfully. In terms of his complete knowledge of Karate, his sons, Sensei Kyle Funakoshi and Sensei Kevin Funakoshi, continue to transmit the teachings of their branch of Funakoshi Karate taught to them by their father, Kenneth Funakoshi.
Shihan always said, “Strong mind, strong body,” among other wise sayings. You will always be missed, Sensei, but not ever forgotten. Be at peace. 🙏🏼☯️
Sensei Funakoshi performing the kata “Sōchin”, one of the kata I learnt from him.
In a real fight, which is a matter of life-or-death, you need to be very quick. In particular, your hands need to be sharp, instantly acting and reacting. You cannot delay or hesitate; you have to be decisive and confident, although not over-confident or egotistic. You cannot afford to be negligent in your training each day. You have to diligently focus yourself every single day, training earnestly whenever possible, forging your mind, body, and spirit [of character and the essence of life at one with the Universe and the Creator of everything, given various terms depending on the culture or belief system, the Christian term, in English, being “God”]. In fact, on the topic of the training of the “spirit” in the fighting arts, religion and philosophy are so often seen intertwined in so many schools, traditionally not separating fighting, but instead even going so far as to include an element of worship. Of course, these days, I certainly wouldn’t discuss beliefs in any specific way in classes, as they are personal and every person should be respected for who they are and what they believe.
Joki Uema performing Yabu gojūshiho
Certainly, forms on their own are no good. They have plenty of practical purposes, but actual fighting skills require more than just the artistic methods of practising fighting techniques individually. To be able to actually fight, you have to develop the skills of using both hands together, applying leg and arm techniques simultaneously, utilising multiple techniques and multiple levels for attacks, and not only recognising the importance of speed in actual conflict, but understanding how to properly apply both yin and yang in accordance with your opponent/s, as well as being agile and flexible to enable swift movement in any direction without delay, avoiding even being so much as touched by your attacker’s fist or, indeed, weapon, measuring distance and having perfect timing, waiting until the last moment, and always, even if sometimes shifting back, advancing towards the enemy strategically, employing clever tactics based on the principles of actual fighting. This is real authentic karate / karati – Okinawan Shaolin boxing.
My first martial arts teacher, Sensei Tyrone Abdul of Tikan jūjutsu, from Jikishin jūjutsu
Two photos from Gigō Funakoshi’s “Ten-no-Kata” showing fudō-dachi
There are many different stances and postures in karate. Often in old karate, some version of T-stance (chōji-dachi) was used. Obviously that means it has genuine benefits for actual fighting, as opposed to always standing in some form of front stance when fighting, ready to move forwards or back, left or right, up or down. You can shift between zenkutsu-dachi, kokutsu-dachi, and naihanchi-dachi seemlessly with minimal movement, simply turning on the heels, in the old way that Gichin Funakoshi practised. Particularly from an open chōji-dachi, you can easily defend in multiple directions. However, you can use your hips better in a regular front stance, when attacking with the rear fist aiming forwards. But what about to the open side, for instance? Therefore, an angled naihanchi-dachi is better for mutiple directions with minimal movement. This is like fudō-dachi, but high, so, because a low stance is useful at times, shifting between naihanchi-dachi and fudō-dachi is certainly advantageous, although always only in accordance. In actual fighting, it’s ideal to use minimal movement to change direction, apply maximum power using the body’s mechanics, shift your weight as necessary between yin and yang, be heavy, light, or strategically one then the other, depending, and move dynamically very actively when necessary, suddenly shifting the entire body swiftly, and always not allowing your opponent/s to so much as touch you with their attacks. All of the classical stances are useful, including the version of chōji-dachi in which the heels are in line. However, as with Gichin Funakoshi, you shouldn’t stick to one stance or kind of stance. Moving in accordance, every posture is valuable. But I feel that the different types of chōji-dachi, fudō-dachi, and naihanchi-dachi (the “horse” stance) are particularly applicable.
The various postures from Funakoshi karate that are, or relate to, chōji-dachi, by students at Tōkyō University
Kanei Uechi chōji-dachi
Isao Obata with a bō – a Funakoshi karate front-stance is sometimes actually chōji-dachi
Gichin Funakoshi using chōji-dachi, with the same technique as a student at Tōkyō University above
Gichin Funakoshi’s front and back stances, from “Karate Jutsu” (“Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu”), 1925
From Shigeru Egami’s 1970 “Karate-Dō: For the Specialist”
Gichin Funakoshi using a natural-style posture that is like a relaxed chōji-dachi
Kenneth Yoshinobu Funakoshi fudō-dachi from the kata sōchin
Gigō Funakoshi fudō-dachi – it looks like a front stance, but it’s noted that it is the immovable stance
Keiō karate sōchin including one version of fudō-dachi
Kenneth Funakoshi sōchin including the other version of fudō-dachi (otherwise called sōchin-dachi)
The Funakoshi Okinawan Karate Kenpō Kenkyūkai is a research and study group dedicated to Funakoshi karate. However, to be truly authentic in approach, there is no segregation, in reality. All karate lineages are considered, along with other styles, whether related to old-style karate or not. My school, Matsuyoshi-juku Shōtō-ha Shōrin-ryū Karate Kenpō to Kobujutsu, is, likewise, dedicated to Funakoshi karate. But, again, that doesn’t mean that it is only concerned with what has been compiled in the past as the content of this or that Funakoshi karate lineage. Indeed, it is evident that the various Funakoshi karate lines teach different things to one another. It isn’t a matter of them all teaching the same content. This is even true amongst the same general type of Funakoshi karate, such as Shōtōkai, in which we can see one line teaching 15, or so, kata, and another teaching many more. The point here is that it isn’t true to say that Funakoshi karate comprises this and that kata, as such. Of course, it can’t be Funakoshi karate without teaching what Gichin Funakoshi and / or Gigō Funakoshi taught. But any school can include additions and variations. That’s exactly the situation that exists. You could even select a handful of kata and only practise and teach those, and it would still be legitimately Funakoshi karate.
The old forms like kūsankū, gojūshiho, sēsan, jitte, and many more, were developed through actual fighting, often in matches, but also in street situations in various cases, and they are ultimately related to the ancient Chinese military. In the same way, techniques in karate like those found in tuidi, are from actual fighting and are derived from the ancient Japanese military and Okinawan grappling called tigumi. Although we don’t practise in a militaristic way in my school, discipline is a quality of the military, and our methods are related to the military. This is why it is important to preserve the old ways; not for the sake of it, but because they were developed from war, hardship, and actual fighting in matches and in the street. That makes the techniques and methods genuinely useful, as opposed to many, though not all, modern ideas that are often either not based on actual fighting, or are based on competitive and prize matches, meaning that they have removed the element of the real danger of losing your life. Without that, the techniques may be good to a point, but they will lack what is required to fight effectively in a life-or-death street-fight that happens at random, as they do. Just like the old days, people with military experience who have fought in war are good modern examples of people with actual fighting experience, as well as those who have had to defend themselves in the street.
Many people with martial arts schools these days have experience of fighting in competitions, and know how to win with strategy and tactics. These teachings can be useful, still, for the street, but, again, I would argue that it’s dangerous to rely on techniques not aimed at life-or-death conflict. Actual fighting is different and requires something more. People such as police officers would appreciate this point. When I was a teenager, I competed for a couple of years before realising that, for me, there was no point in fighting for trophies. The only other competition I entered after the age of 17 was when I was 20, and it was aimed at being more of a demonstration for the school I was a member of, and assistant instructor with, at the time. Following this, I left that side of martial arts behind, for good, although not forgetting the tactics I had been taught.
For my school, Matsuyoshi-juku Shōtō-ha Shōrin-ryū Karate Kenpō to Kobujutsu, my real fighting experience is from actual situations. The reason I want to share this is because I feel that it is necessary for a martial arts teacher to understand actual fighting, and therefore to be able to provide support for why they have their own school in which there teach, as the basis, fighting. From the age of 18, aside from a couple of incidents in which I was attacked during high school, first when I was 11, and then at 15 years old, I have experienced many different situations, against individuals and multiple opponents. I’ve had to defend, grapple, avoid being tripped, strategically escape, purposefully reposition the direction of the Sun, simply stand ready to react if necessary, release from a grip and create distance, and more. What I’ve learnt from these experiences, coupled with having studied strategy and tactics, is not limited to proving certain techniques from kata such as naihanchi and kūsankū to be evidently useful, but is, additionally and generally, that distance and timing are critical, along with speed, accuracy, agility, a strong stance, the effective application of the principles of hard and soft, and, even in the street, strategy and tactics. People should always avoid fighting at all reasonable costs. Although, it cannot be denied that actual experience in anything always enables real learning and understanding. In all of the actual situations I’ve experienced so far in my adult life, I was the defender, and in all cases I avoided being hit, and, when actually making contact, I didn’t use excessive force, as I didn’t need to. You only need to apply the amount of force necessary, minimising to be efficient. Stamina is very important in actual fighting, and a key aspect of retaining stamina is to simply be efficient, although physical fitness and correctly regulated breathing are highly necessary as well. In my opinion, real martial arts, whether old-style or newer, should be mainly concerned with how to effectively defend in random situations of life-or-death. Hence, my philosophy in my school is to be mainly concerned with life-or-death situations, and how to effectively and efficiently defend yourself, also using strategy and tactics, as a last resort.
Koryū is defined in Japanese martial arts as being anything created before the Meiji Restoration in 1868. After 1879, at the latest, including for the Ryūkyū Kingdom, new martial arts creations would be classed as gendai. However, that doesn’t mean that koryū disappeared. If someone learnt a method created before the Meiji Restoration, they were still studying koryū bujutsu. The reasons I would argue that the time period goes up to 1879 are that the Ryūkyū Kingdom became Okinawa Prefecture completely by 1879, and the rebellion in Japan against the new regime ended by that time, if we are to generalise to simplify. Therefore, a lot of what is practised in Funakoshi karate, for example, is koryū, even in the lineages with more changes from what Gichin Funakoshi himself taught, in my opinion. Although, the fewer the changes, the closer the versions are to the koryū kata and methods originally learnt by Funakoshi in Okinawa from just after the archipelago became part of / a prefecture of Japan.
Kata such as the Pin’an series and Meikyō are gendai, in that case, although they are based on koryū kata. Whereas kata and methods such as Kūsankū, Jion, Sēsan, Naihanchi, Jitte, Chintō, and many others are koryū, as they were created before the Meiji Restoration. However, I would also argue that it doesn’t matter too much as to if you practise koryū kata or gendai kata, so long as they are effective and based on actual fighting experience. That being said, the reason koryū methods are good, still, is because they were developed through actual fighting of all kinds, from battles to street-fights, and refined by many experts over centuries or longer. Therefore, it makes sense to keep these traditions alive.
Gichin Funakoshi taught one passai, which he learnt from Anko Itosu, at least mainly, if not entirely, as others such as Kanken Toyama, Kenwa Mabun, and Chosin Chibana learnt a version of passai from Itosu that is basically the same, with some variations (wherever each of their differences actually came from…). Whether or not he did know other versions, he at least knew of others, such as the passai that is taught in several lines of Funakoshi karate, called passai [sho]. He was also at least aware of Tomari passai, as another of his teachers, Anko Asato, noted that it is a practical kata, during an interview between Funakoshi and Asato.
Passai [sho] was apparently also taught by Itosu, and is said to have been created by him. However, there are other passai that bear similarities. One is called koryu passai. Another name for it is Gusukuma passai. While there is yet another Gusukuma passai, which has various similarities, the former, otherwise known as koryu passai, suggests that it is an old passai. If that’s true, it may be that passai [sho], which is a variation of koryu passai, might be Itosu’s version of koryu passai.
The passai taught by Funakoshi is called passai [dai] when separating it. Based on comparison with other passai, it appears to be a combination of Ishimine passai and Tomari passai. Ishimine and Tawada learnt from Sokon Matsumura. There are similarities between Ishimine passai and Tawada passai, so we know from them which techniques are most likely from Matsumura. Nonetheless, Funakoshi-ha passai [dai] must be Itosu’s combination of Ishimine passai and Tomari passai, which I think is interesting.
Anko Asato, for example, learnt a range of martial arts, including Jigen-ryu kenjutsu, archery, horsemanship, various other weapons arts, and empty-handed fighting. He had more than one teacher, as he was apparently taught Jigen-ryu swordsmanship by the same teacher who instructed Sokon Matsumura. But Asato was taught ti by Sokon Matsumura and no one else. Anko Itosu learnt such kata as gojushiho from Matsumura, evidently, so Asato surely must have also learnt gojushiho.
There are two points that I want to make here. The first is that what we call “karate”, as if “karate” is really a martial art in itself, used to just be whatever martial arts a person learnt from wherever. Ti (te in Romanised-Japanese) means hands or skills. It’s just a reference to martial arts. If you learnt some Chinese boxing method from someone, in Okinawa or elsewhere, it would become part of your ti. If you learnt jujutsu in Japan, that would also become a part of your “Okinawan” martial arts. Karate/karati is a mixture of various methods and arts. Therefore, the same rule applies now. Of course, you wouldn’t call your martial arts “karate” unless you learn something that is called “karate”. But if you also study jujutsu, kenjutsu, Chinese boxing, or any other fighting method, depending on how you want to approach it, that might become a part of “your” karate, in the same way as the old masters.
The second point I want to make is just that if Asato probably learnt everything Matsumura had to teach, which included gojushiho, and apparently taught Gichin Funakoshi everything he knew, even saying that he would tell Funakoshi about anything he discovered concerning his later research into ground fighting, with the purpose of having Funakoshi teach Asato’s son, then Funakoshi must have been very trusted, close with Asato, and taught a lot more than he generally passed on to his students. Logically, you would think he had to have been taught such methods as gojushiho, if Asato was being so thorough. I wonder, in order to find evidence if it exists, if Asato’s son did learn everything from Funakoshi, and if he transmitted it to anyone, and if that lineage continues to this day. It doesn’t really matter if a person knows or teaches certain kata, as each kata is a system of techniques, and, as Asato and Kenwa Mabuni noted, you only need a few – between 2/3 and 5/6. And it’s true that you can’t specialise in more than this amount. Each system is so complex and difficult to master, so you need to focus your practice if you want to have any hope of becoming truly skilled and knowledgeable. But, as a matter of interest in clarifying what koryu karate was/is, I wonder if there is a school somewhere, perhaps in mainland-Japan or Okinawa, where the complete teachings of Master Asato can be found. And I wonder if that would include Jigen-ryu kenjutsu and other arts, or, indeed, if not everything was taught to Funakoshi, for whatever reason, or if he simply decided what he wanted to practise and teach, and excluded certain methods. Unfortunately, while I wonder these things based on logic, the evidence may not exist to prove anything more either way.
While there are, of course, others who have read this magazine article before, or who were training in karate at the time, it still isn’t information that is popularly known. Instead, the general consensus is that Master Gichin Funakoshi did not know any kobujutsu kata. However, the evidence otherwise is found in an interview with Master Shinkin (Makoto) Gima, published in Fighting Arts Magazine in the 1980s, and written in 1977, with the interviewers being Liam Keeley and Morio Higaonna. During the interview, Gima states that he learnt Tenryū no Kon, a bōjutsu kata, directly from Gichin Funakoshi. That is absolute proof that can perhaps go along with the photo of Gichin Funakoshi performing a bō technique on his own, which must have been from a bōjutsu kata.
Additionally, during the interview there is other interesting information such as Gima practising koryū gojūshiho as his favourite karate kata. He didn’t state that it was from Funakoshi, but he did also learn from Kanken Tōyama and, more so, Yabu Kentsū, who both practised koryū gojūshiho as their favourite kata.
Tangshouquan (Tang-hand Boxing) is a kind of Chinese boxing that must date back to the Tang dynasty. They use the same ideograms as those used in Okinawa (Ryūkyū) for karate kenpō before they changed to mean “Empty-hand”. Whether or not there is a direct relationship, I’m not yet sure. Based on Master Sakugawa being called Tōdi or Karati (Karate) Sakugawa, the use of the term “karati” or “tōdi” dates back around 200 / 250 years or so, at least. However, does it date back to the time of the Tang dynasty? I don’t know, but perhaps further examination of Tang-hand boxing will reveal something. Or maybe not. … See the film footage below.
Matsuyoshi karate kenpō is a lineage of Funakoshi karate. It is focused on the Okinawan style that Gichin Funakoshi learnt, and taught in the early 1920s in Japan. But it also, importantly, includes the later teachings of Gichin Funakoshi, as well as Gigō Funakoshi’s further developments of his father’s ever-evolving way of practising karate. They each practised a bit differently yet also similarly to one another. Ultimately, they both influenced the various lineages that originate from Gichin Funakoshi’s line. These days, some schools are more complete than others. But if you learn from one or more good teachers, you will learn whatever martial art it is, effectively &, therefore, authentically.
Matsuyoshi is Shō and Gi / Yoshi, as in Shōtō and Gi-chin / Gi-gō / Yoshi-taka / Yoshi-nobu etc. It is after Gichin Funakoshi and the entire relevant Funakoshi family, out of respect and to reflect how the teachings strive to follow authentic Funakoshi karate. But I use the characters for Chinese-hands and include kenpō in the name as what is studied in authentic karate is Chinese boxing, with influences from Japanese and Chinese martial arts (directly), as that is what karate is; a mixture of martial arts, with a focus on Chinese boxing over everything else. It’s just an altered style of practising southern Shaolin boxing. Yet, it isn’t particularly different to actual southern Shaolin style. For the most part, it’s basically identical. That is, “genuine” karate is just the same. Sport karate and half-baked versions of karate are not like the authentic Chinese systems. There are many clubs that give a bad name to real martial arts of all kinds. The purpose of Matsuyoshi karate kenpō is to strive to study authentic Funakoshi karate, or in other words, authentic Funakoshi Okinawan-Chinese boxing.
The Chinese and Okinawan versions of minghequan 28-steps (nepai kata)
Karate, like jūjutsu and quanfa / kenpō, etc., has had various names in its history. We call it karate, as if karate is the name of a martial art. But if you were to take techniques from a jūjutsu school and turn them into an intricate kata (or potentially more than one), that would be the same as a karate kata. It or they would still be jūjutsu, but it or they could hold its or their own name/s as the karate kata do. That or those kata would be a kind of jūjutsu. The same is true for Chinese boxing, or quanfa / kenpō. Some systems have just one form, while others have multiple, and even many, forms. In each case, it is a kind of quanfa. Karate developed by learning various methods and combining them. So there are a range of systems that are all different kinds of karate. You could learn one, or a few, for example, and have learnt karate, or Ryūkyū kenpō, or te / tī, just the same as someone learning a few other kata. That would be equal to two people each learning a different kind of jūjutsu, or learning a different kind of Chinese boxing. Karate is like the term gongfu – when applied to the fighting arts – or like quanfa. After all, the old version of the name “karate” meant “Chinese-hands”. Karate is either just Chinese boxing, or it is the Okinawan style of Chinese boxing, with Okinawan and Japanese influence (Japanese not just being in more recent times, but from ancient times).
Some examples of training in Matsuyoshi-den Shōtō-ha Shōrin-ryū Karate Kenpō to Kobujutsu.
Including:
Hojo Undō
• Striking finger-tips into sand / gravel
• Finger-tip press-ups
• Gripping Jars (Nigiri Game / Niji’in Gāmi)
• Iron-body + Recovery Methods (Dit Da Jow use was not shown, although I don’t believe it is entirely necessary as a practice. However, the principle of using treatments to help the healing process is useful for martial arts and health. But care must be taken with ingredients used.)
• Striking Heavy Bag
• Striking Wall
• Stamina
• Suburi Bokken
Kata
• Naihanchi (I, II, III)
• Sēsan
• Passai
• Ōkan
• Kūsankū
• Gojūshiho
• Passai nu Bō
• Kūsankū nu Bō
Kumiti (Kumite)
• Kata no Bunkai
*Note: Not all applications are shown. My training partner, a practitioner of Wudang Taiji Boxing, with about 13 years of experience at the time of filming, has bad knees, so certain application were omitted, and some she was more resistant to, such as the hip throw. In some cases, she was less resistant, which enabled cleaner illustrations of such techniques, especially considering showing techniques without applying maximum force, so as to demonstrate using softness in defence in karate, with counter-attacks being very controlled.
I have closed Bushoru.org, which was intended to be a more official home for my group. It wasn’t really working as I wanted it to, so I decided to keep the site as this original blog, which is much easier to manage.
Gichin Funakoshi Performing Keriage, Illustrated in Karate Jotatsu Ho, by Yasuhiro Konishi (1956)
Gichin Funakoshi Specifically Noting Using the Sword-foot in Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu (Karate Jutsu)
Gichin Funakoshi’s keriage (keage / rising kick / side rising-kick / side snap-kick / side-up kick) was different to the modern version usually seen. In an article for Black Belt Magazine, Tsutomu Ohshima, a student under Gichin Funakoshi, stated that he had asked Isao Obata, his senior, about the side-up kick, to which Obata replied by enquiring as to if Ohshima had seen the way their teacher, Funakoshi, had performed it. That is how Obata had continued to practise it, and Ohshima realised that it was a better way physiologically.
“For a long time there was confusion about the right way to perform the side-up kick. When Master Funakoshi was showing us how to do it, he just made a small, low motion with his foot, exactly like the front snap kick except with the body facing to the side. Many of us assumed he did the kick that way because he was old. At that time, we thought the side-up kick should be delivered higher, with the knee turned in, which looked fancier but was harder to do. That was the way I practiced it when I came to the United States.
“I practiced that way for many years, but I began to develop problems with my back. Finally Senior Obata, the first captain of the Keio University karate club, was visiting this country (at my invitation) and I mentioned this to him. I said, “You know, I think there is something wrong with the side-up kick. If you perform it this way, it is very bad for the back.” Obata said, “Of course. That’s not the way to do the side-up kick. Didn’t you see how the Master did it?” Master Funakoshi was showing us the right way all along, but we didn’t understand what was wrong with our own way until many years later.”
Images from the books Karate Jutsu (English translation of Gichin Funakoshi's Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu, 1925, by John Teramoto), and Karate Kenpo Zen by Mutsu Mizuho, 1933, as well as from footage of Hironori Otsuka performing wansu.
In Funakoshi karate, wansū was later (by 1935) called enpi, meaning “flying swallow”. It is a relatively swift and light form, and resembles the flight of a bird, specifically a swallow. In Chinese martial arts, and as wansū was originally Chinese, as with many of the Okinawan karate kata, any bird system is within the crane / white crane style as a matter of generality.
In Karate Jutsu, and therefore in Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu, Gichin Funakoshi used kanji for wansū when listing the kata, and katakana later when describing it. There are only a few kata listed with kanji, such as gojūshiho and kūsankū, despite the fact that sēsan, for instance, is known to be “13 [hands / skills]” for certain. It must be, then, that the kanji for wansū were known, unusually. Was it someone’s name, or were they chosen in Okinawa (Ryūkyū) a long time ago?
Apparently wansū was [potentially] a system taught in Tomari village in 1683 or from the 1600s. There are a few versions, so it may have been a system of techniques that were formalised by various experts in Okinawa, or there was one kata / quan which was changed over time by several exponents.
The ideograms used by Gichin Funakoshi in Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu are not listed in Collins Chinese Dictionary within W and J, as in Wang Ji. Those meaning “prince” are different characters, and are written “wángzi” (the “i” has an upsidedown arrow above it) when Romanised. Andreas Quast wrote an article about wansū. However, with respect, the characters used for Wang Ji are different to those used by Gichin Funakoshi and Mutsu Mizuho, so, assuming accuracy of the characters written by Gichin Funakoshi, wansū is not from that Wang Ji. Additionally, again with respect, and also considering that Quast’s article is from 2015, and a researcher might form one conclusion at one point, but a different one later with further research, the article states that Gichin Funakoshi used only katakana for the name wansū, while he actually used kanji in his kata list and katakana in addition when describing the kata later, as I have already noted. Mutsu Mizuho, a student of Gichin Funakoshi’s, used the same characters as his teacher, but Hironori Otsuka seems to have used different symbols that mean “late” based on the translation provided by Google Translate, which seemed to manage to accurately scan the symbols. In Collins Chinese Dictionary, the first symbol used by Otsuka reads as “wan” (with an upsidedown arrow above the “a”) and means “late”, but the second character doesn’t appear anywhere you would think it should, such as ji, shu, su, shou, zhi, zi, and others. However, they’re different to the ideograms used by Gichin Funakoshi, so I would suggest that they are incorrect. Also according to Google Translate, the kanji noted by Gichin Funakoshi and Mutsu Mizuho are Wāng Jí in Mandarin, meaning Wang Ji in English. So even with different symbols there is a similarity to the suggestion that wansū is Wang Ji. Though, of course, the accuracy of the characters is important. Therefore, I would suggest that wansū is named after a Chinese person called Wang Ji who was an expert in Chinese boxing and who taught some Okinawans, maybe in the 1600s.
It is a myth that karate is a hard martial art in the sense
that it only uses hard techniques. It appears hard, but that is because it is
related to a variety of so-called hard methods, such as Southern Shaolin. The
karate text, Bubishi, does not specify a difference between Northern and
Southern types of gongfu, instead simply noting Shaolin. While the old masters
disagreed over the idea that karate kata were descended either from Shorin-ryu,
using the characters for Shaolin, or Shorei-ryu, using the ideograms for
Zhaoling, supposedly referring to the, or a, Southern Shaolin Temple, the
commonality is that both are a kind of Shaolin boxing. In other words, the sort
of gongfu seen to be harder or external, when compared with Wudang boxing
which, while descended itself from Shaolin, is viewed as being softer or
internal. Although, both Shaolin and Wudang actually teach hard and soft
techniques and methods, as the concept of yin and yang runs deep in Chinese
history and culture.
According to Kanken Toyama (Oyadomari) in
his Introduction to Karate-Do: Its Inner Techniques and Secret Arts (1956 –
translated into English in 2019 by Tobey Stansbury), there are no such styles
as Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu in karate, only hard and soft. However, there are
general northern and southern types of Chinese boxing, discussed traditionally
in quanfa through the saying, “Northern legs, southern hands”. Northern-style
gongfu is usually formed in patterns that require a lot of space to perform,
because they are based on the military patterns used for weapons such as
different kinds of swords and the spear. Whereas, southern gongfu is more civilian
based, hence the term “civil fighting arts”. Also, as with other parts of
China, the terrain and weather differ in the south. Therefore, southern boxing
often moves less than northern boxing, and sometimes not much at all. Stances
are not necessarily narrow, but there is more emphasis on solidity while using
the hands and body. Okinawan kenpo, or in other words, karate, is generally
more like the southern kind of Chinese boxing, though there are a range of
influences which have contributed over the centuries to making Ryukyu kenpo
unique to Okinawa. Nonetheless, experts such as Gichin Funakoshi are supported
in their theory on Shorin-ryu (Northern-style Shaolin boxing) and Shorei-ryu
(Southern-style Shaolin boxing; Zhaoling boxing) with, for instance, Wong Kiew
Kit’s 1996 book, The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu, stating on page 38 that “Southern
Shaolin Kung Fu is characterised by solid stances, powerful arms and elaborate
hand techniques, in contrast with the elegant jumping, extensive movements and
wide range of kicking attacks of the Northern Shaolin version.” This is
completely separate from karate, so masters like Gichin Funakoshi were not
wrong in distinguishing between different broad types of boxing; one that is
lighter, and one that is heavier. Master Funakoshi noted that both should be
studied, and this advice fits perfectly with the study of yin and yang as yin
is light while yang is heavy.
In Collins Chinese Dictionary, the character
for yin refers to the negative and the shade, while the symbol for yang refers
to the positive and the Sun, and is masculine. Gichin Funakoshi, in his 1925
text Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu, translated into English in 2001 by John
Teramoto, described yin and yang in relation to the use of the hands as he had
been taught by his teacher, Anko Asato, as noted in Karate-Do Ichiro
(Karate-Do: My Way of Life), Master Asato always emphasising the differences
between yin and yang. According to the English version, entitled Karate Jutsu, shinite
is the dying hand, female hand, or yang hand, while ikite is the living hand,
male hand, or yin hand. This seems odd or an incorrect translation or typing
error, as yin is female and yang is male. Yet the same sort of description is
given in later books by Gichin Funakoshi, including Karate-Do Kyohan (1935 –
translated in 2005 by Harumi Suzuki-Johnston) and Karate-Do Kyohan (1958 –
translated in 1973 by Tsutomu Ohshima). It cannot, then, be a mistake. I think
it must either mean that both hands can change between types depending on the
situation, or that the living hand is soft and the dying hand is hard.
Regardless, yin is soft and yang is hard, but they rely on each other and are
interrelated and constantly changing, with no beginning or end. This is a
fundamental aspect of Taoism, referring to the beginning of the Universe and
the creation of everything. Indeed, the hand gesture in which you place the
open left palm over the closed right fist is a physical representation of yin
and yang, meaning balance, peace and to stop fighting. That same posture is the
manifestation of the Chinese character for martial (wu in Mandarin, bu is
Japanese and Okinawan). There are quite a number of karate kata that employ
this position, such as jion, jitte, wansu, passai, naihanchi (in a different
manner), and many more.
Gichin Funakoshi stated in Rentan Goshin
Karate Jutsu that karate contrasts to jujutsu in that it can be considered a
“hard” martial art. However, he goes on to write that hard and soft co-exist,
and that grappling techniques can be considered soft which is fundamental to
karate if the student seeks to become truly skilful. Furthermore, Funakoshi
stated in the same text, on page 37 of the English edition, “... the ancient
expression [which] says, ‘Battle exists in the interval between the normal and
the abnormal – without knowing that the abnormal becomes normal, and the normal
changes to the abnormal, how can victory be achieved?’” Immediately following
this, it reads, “Yin and yang have no beginning, action and stillness are not
apparent; unless one knows the Way, who can hope to gain victory?” And then the
end of the paragraph talks about the cardinal principles, which are the same,
albeit later described in a more succinct and refined way, as the three
cardinal points of karate noted by Master Funakoshi in other works, including
in his Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate which were first published in
Karate-Do Taikan in 1938 by Genwa Nakasone, and translated into English in 2003
by John Teramoto. The principles are: Hard and soft application of power,
stretching and contraction of the body, and fast and slow application of
technique, all of which are clearly based on the opposites of yin and yang.
In Karate-Do Tanpenshu (2006), by Patrick
and Yuriko McCarthy, there is an article written by Gichin Funakoshi in 1934
entitled Stillness & Action / Yin & Yang. Funakoshi details the concept
of yin and yang to a degree that shows the reader that he clearly had a great understanding
of this ancient Chinese notion of opposites in the Universe. Indeed it is the
foundation of Chinese martial arts, with some styles such as taijiquan and
taiji mantis going so far as to name their systems after it, taiji referring to
yin and yang after there was nothing in the Universe. The taijiquan classics,
including the Treatise by Master Chang San-feng, written around 1200 AD
according to T’ai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao, 1977 / 1990, the Treatise by
Master Wong Chung-yua, written circa 1600 AD, and the Treatise by Master Wu
Yu-hsiang, who lived from 1812 to 1880, all discuss the principles of yin and
yang when explaining the key points to know regarding the method of Long fist
that is commonly known as taijiquan. Karate could also be called something like
taiji karate (although that could be viewed as being incorrect as it is a
combination of languages). Yet, it already is, in a manner of speaking.
Taikyoku is taiji, but in Japanese. The three taikyoku kata in Funakoshi karate
were developed by either Gigo Funakoshi or his father or both together. In the
1958 Karate-Do Kyohan by Gichin Funakoshi, he wrote about taikyoku being the
first and last kata of a real student of karate. That is because the basics are
fundamental and difficult to master. Yet, taikyoku is taiji and therefore yin
and yang, so the teachings of the natural opposites of life and existence are
supposed to be taught as the foundations and most important lessons in karate.
Morinobu Itoman also discussed yin and yang in Okinawan karate in his 1934
book, The Study of China-hand Techniques, translated by Mario McKenna into
English in 2012. From pages 154 to 156, there is a section called The Way of
Opposites, and the first line reads, “Martial strategy is the way of
opposites.” The third sentence is: “If my opponent employs one strategy, then I
employ its opposite.” In sumo wrestling, I have seen several exponents who were
small and comparably light defeating much larger wrestlers by using the skills
found in soft power, harmonising to use their opponent’s strength against them.
Hence, all complete martial arts study yin and yang; soft and hard; opposites.
In physical practice, the theory of yin and
yang applies in many ways from a pure perspective. If there is no weight on one
foot, it is completely yin, while the foot bearing your weight is fully yang.
The free leg, or yin leg, can be most efficiently employed for kicking or
stepping. Meanwhile, the arms and hands are yin on the outside and yang on the
inside, yet can be applied in a multitude of manners. For example, checking the
opponent’s attack, rather than blocking it in a raw sense, is yin defence. A
counter-attack would be yang. All of the various methods of blending with the
opponent’s assaults are yin, as they are soft. If, on the other hand, I use a
defensive technique in a striking fashion, that is yang. For instance, instead
of blending with the attack, I can essentially hit the advancing arm or leg. In
addition, rather than just crudely blocking in such a way anywhere, I can
select a location, preferring a soft target to a hard one, particularly when
using the bones of my own arm. You need stamina and efficiency in fighting, as
well as accuracy and speed, but you also need to utilise yin and yang and use
your mind to strategise and fight with intelligence. It is better for longevity
in a situation and in life to block hard to a soft point such as the upper arm,
as opposed to connecting bone with bone more so on the inside and outside of
the forearm near the wrist or by the elbow. Iron-body training is great, and
you should be confident that you will not be easily hurt, coupled with your
ability to evade and your skills in defence. But to rely solely on an iron-like
physique is a mistake. As Master Anko Asato taught Gichin Funakoshi, “Think of
the hands and feet as swords.” And as Master Funakoshi also wrote in his 20
precepts, “Do not think of winning; think, rather, of not losing.” Hence, focus
on defence and do not let your opponent so much as touch you. In addition to
this, employing the three cardinal points, as previously noted, as well as
moving in accordance, the principles of yin and yang can be applied skilfully
and with intellect, enabling, as with the case of certain sumo wrestlers, a
small person to defeat someone much larger, no matter how intimidating they may
appear.
This essay was written for my 5th Dan exam, which I passed in early January 2022.
![Yoshitaka Funakoshi jump, probably in kusanku [sho] (kanku [sho])](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1wGAB1ZkSCft3_g90N4C3yw31f_Wa24-OZk0Xd8IhdSL19qZ6mtzjN8sbiFU2oep84WxzjeaBgSybEnEyJvT_Xz6jNJvOEugXET2-NCgB5drCe0q1xDWYtff71jFmwReauBPXZe_tw06srpVm3ruWj4_Y_4jdFG3aEgirP12btmfFD7otrumaxg6/s264/IMG_6909.jpeg)
