Funakoshi vs Motobu – How Two Fierce Rivals Shared Students
If you stay in the martial arts long enough you'll find someone who doesn't like you (I know, I'm a total buzz kill).
It's true, though. Martial arts affect people in a very profound, fundamental way. Because of that, divergent viewpoints on martial matters can take drastic turns for the worse...quickly.
This isn't a new phenomenon; I imagine a lot of readers have experienced it. In fact, this kind of conflict goes back about as far as karate was recorded. One of the earliest examples is Sokon Bushi Matsumura referring to Palace Hand (Motobu Udundi) as light and formless, a rather incomplete art.
But the feud I'd like to mention today is perhaps one of the most famous - that between Funakoshi Gichin and Motobu Choki. Both are men of great fame and reputation, but in most ways they were diametric opposites.
Two Men of Different Methods
Funakoshi Gichin is the founder of what is now called Shotokan Karatedo. He is commonly referred to as the father of Japanese Karate, and rightly so. No one did more to bring karate to the forefront in Japan, and Funakoshi's efforts to get karate recognized by the Japanese Butokukai were immensely impressive.
Interestingly, among his peers and teachers, Funakoshi was never considered a dominant fighter or technician. He gained his reputation as a gentleman of elegant thought; a man of philosophy, linguistic skill, political acumen, and of course karate talent. As for forms and technique...Funakoshi showed his wisdom there too by associating heavily with one of the great savants in modern history - Mabuni Kenwa. Kenwa's retention of kata was staggering, and many top tier instructors poured knowledge into him like a basin, hoping that he could help pass along their dying arts.
Mabuni, like Funakoshi, was a refined man. Perhaps that is why they got along so well. But standing on the other side of the aisle, gruff and distant and displeased, was a man known for fearsome fighting prowess. This man was Motobu Choki, Motobu Saru the Monkey, and he would prove to be the yang to Funakoshi's ever present yin.
Two Men of Different Means
The development of these two men was as different as their personalities. From a class standpoint, Motobu was of higher dignity than Funakoshi. Funakoshi's family possessed some minor status, but Motobu was from one of the grandest lines on Okinawa. It was his family that retained and passed along Ti, the Palace Hand (now known as Motobu Udundi).
Despite this class difference, the growth of the two men would prove quite opposite from what you'd expect. Motobu Choki, being the third born son, had no right to his families prestigious art. He developed a resentment toward that fact, and often attempted to sneak peeks at his older brother's training. In time Motobu retained techniques and tested them in rougher parts of Naha, whereupon he would engage in fights as frequently as possible. Soon his ego, prowess, and reputation as a ruffian grew.
At first very few teachers would take him as a true student. It took many years of slowly piecing together experience before Motobu Choki began training in earnest underneath instructors like Matsumora Kosaku (Tomari Te), Ankoh Itosu, and Tokumini Peichin. Throughout his growth and maturation, Motobu was always regarded as a fearsome fighter.
On the opposite side was Funakoshi. Funakoshi, while not possessing the remarkable class distinction as possessed by Motobu, was a bright and likable child who befriended the son of Azato Ankoh. Azato was a man of some prestige, both from a karate and governmental standpoint, and he took a liking to young Gichin. From then on, Funakoshi's experience under quality instructor's like Azato, Itosu Ankoh, and Higaonna Kanryo would help him develop into a fine karateka.
While pursuing his martial arts career, Funakoshi also improved his education and schooling, ultimately becoming a teacher himself. Like his instructor Ankoh Itosu, Funakoshi was in favor of Japanese reforms and quickly became a go-to resource for the Japanese on this still rather mysterious art of karate.
Two Men of Divergent Viewpoints
The differences between Funakoshi and Motobu weren't just theoretical; they encountered and disliked one another. Motobu considered Funakoshi to be rather soft and superficial in his understanding karate. He observed the changes Funakoshi was making and decried them as moving away from the true core of Okinawan karate that he had seen from the Motobu line and his other instructors.
Funakoshi, on the other hand, looked upon Motobu with disdain due to his constant rough behavior and lack of social grace. Funakoshi did not believe Motobu was a proper representative of karate.
There were a few alleged meetings between Motobu and Funakoshi, one in which Motobu dared Funakoshi to attempt techniques on him. At every turn Motobu would simply throw Funakoshi down and foil his efforts. This of course could be folklore. One thing that certainly did happen was a boxing match between Motobu and a European Boxer (exact country of origin debated). Motobu apparently knocked the big, bruising boxer unconscious even after the man had defeated all comers prior to Motobu. When the event was reported, Funakoshi's picture was used in Motobu's place as the karate man of prestige.
You might imagine how that went over with Motobu.
All of these factors and many more contributed to the ongoing feud between two of the top karateka of their time.
In and of itself, this is a very interesting study. But there is another layer. Two men of high importance to the development of Japanese karate not only knew about this feud, but studied under both men anyway.
The Brave Konishi Yasuhiro and Bold Ohtsuka Hironori
In Japanese karate circles, these names are well known. Konishi would go on to develop Shindo Jinen Ryu, and Ohtsuka would head Wado Ryu.
Both of these men spent significant time studying under Funakoshi and helped the spread of karate in Japan. Interestingly, they also facilitated and supported Motobu Choki as he spread his own brand of karate knowledge.
By most accounts, it is stated that Konishi and Ohtsuka wished to take their basics, forms, and physical fitness as developed by Funakoshi and augment them with the feared fighting prowess of Motobu. Motobu had also become one of the most famous practitioners of Naihanchi kata (long considered a cornerstone of Okinawa karate) and was a highly sought after resource for understanding the deeper aspects of that particular system.
We needn't stretch our imaginations to realize what Funakoshi and Motobu must have thought about the others influence on these two young men. Yet, the culture of martial sharing on Okinawa was strong. The act of Konishi and Ohtsuka seeking out instructors highly skilled in particular areas was not unusual. In fact, you might say it stuck to tradition.
Of course, when put through a Japanese lens these actions were almost unthinkable. The Ryu/ha of Japanese Koryu arts were highly secretive and exclusive, a habit born from centuries of in-fighting and rigid class identification. The idea of going to another instructor was not smiled upon, especially if one of the headmasters happened to hate the other.
Nevertheless, this is what happened with Konishi and Ohtsuka and they both became highly skilled and refined practitioners.
A Hint of Things to Come
These two masters, Funakoshi and Motobu, were not members of each other's fan club. Yet we see instances of old Okinawan culture poking through - that of sharing and cross training despite frictional differences. At the same time we see the beginnings of Japanese influence as each branch of karate became named, labeled, and sectionalized. Konishi and Ohtsuka lived at an interesting time where their desire to improve their learning began to rub against the trend of modern karate.
This conflict of interest exists today as we see the very same kind of feuds develop and the same impulse to label and confine each style. Perhaps we can use the experiences of these karate greats to better inform our overall perspective on the martial arts.
Special Martial Arts Gift Ideas
It's that time of year again. Time for Martial Arts Santa to make his appearance!
For those of you who remember the previous exploits of Martial Arts Santa, thanks for sticking around the blog for so long! This year he's going to focus on that wonderful tradition of gift-giving.
As opposed to normal martial arts gifts like a new bo or a copy of "Karate-Do: My Way of Life" (great book btw), M.A.Santa is going to dig a little deeper and try to recommend some resources and items that the martial artist in your life may not have heard of.
Whether you need some fresh ideas for yourself or a loved one, check out these M.A.Santa approved items:
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In 1609 the Shimazu Clan of Satsuma, Japan staged a bold takeover of the Ryukyu island chain. Unfortunately, most karate resources briefly mention the event, state that the Shimazu reinforced weapons bans on the island, and move on. This excellent book delves deeply into the details of the conflict, exploring the military capabilities of both the Japanese and the Okinawans. |
Richard Kim is a very well known researcher and practitioner of the classical arts. He had a large impact on the development of western martial arts. In this book, Kim Sensei tells a series of stories that illustrate the character, skill, and mindset of classical individuals throughout our collective martial past. Included are stories of Funakoshi, Musashi, Higashionna, Miyagi, and more. |
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When I first began my sword training, my instructor recommended this book to me. It was a real game changer! The author, Dave Lowry, is a highly respected researcher and storyteller in the realm of Koryu arts. In this book, he explains the unlikely circumstances of how he met a true Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Master and became a disciple of the art. |
If you're in the first few years of karate training, or would just like to establish a better understanding of history, "Okinawa: Island of Karate" might be a good choice for you. This DVD, presented by George Alexander Sensei, provides a quality walkthrough of karate and kobudo history. Also featured are unique video clips from old masters, and a trip through Okinawa's Budokan Museum. |
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It's quite likely that this is my favorite martial arts documentary of all time. "Budo, the Art of Killing" was filmed in the late 70s and features high level experts in a multitude of Japanese and Okinawan arts. The thing that makes this documentary special is that it touches upon the heart of each art and doesn't get caught up in gimmickry. |
Bill Hayes Sensei tells an amazing story in his book "My Journey with the Grandmaster". This book provides discussion of concept, mindset, and spirit, mixed with personal experiences of the author on Okinawa. If you are interested in acquiring a copy, please print out this order form or contact Hayes Sensei directly with a book request. |
These are all top shelf resources and I hope you've seen something here that you've never seen before.
Happy gift giving!
What is Karate? (An Overview of the Okinawan Art)
The word karate (kah-rah-tay) has become ingrained in our western culture. One simple Google search will reveal a vast amount of movies, books, and "dojos" all based around this foreign art.
Unfortunately it can be very tricky understanding what karate actually is. Hollywood is no help. They'll do whatever turns a profit, even if it means taking a movie like "The Karate Kid" and making it about Kung Fu.
This article is here to provide important highlights that will help you understand karate, where it came from, and what it looks like in the modern world. Don't worry - this won't be boring. In fact, the real story of karate is better than any Hollywood flick I've seen to date.
The Misty Past
Our story begins long ago on a tiny island off the coast of Japan. It was known as the Ryukyus, now called Okinawa. The native inhabitants of Okinawa were an industrious people, laboring for generations in the arts of farming, fishing, and trade. Over time their island became a popular port thanks to their fortuitous geographic location, placed amongst larger Oriental powers. For almost as long as history can record, traders from countries like China and Taiwan have visited these welcoming shores.
The Okinawans, or Uchinajin in their native Hogen language, lived with all the ups and downs of ancient civilization. Their troubles included (but were not limited to) invasions by marauders, pirates, and thieves, as well as territorial conflict between island factions. The Okinawan soldiers of the time compiled a method of combat to better kill enemies. It was known simply as Ti, "hand", and was hard, aggressive, and effective.
The Three Kingdoms
Like most ancient civilizations, Okinawa developed as a series of provinces, each ruled by a lord (anji). By about the 14th century, Okinawa had whittled itself down to three main territories: the Hokuzan (northern), Chuzan (middle), and Nanzan (southern). Around 1429 one particularly ambitious lord named Sho Hashi of Chuzan decided it was time to bring everything under one roof.
Sho Hashi made aggressive and swift raids against his neighbor to the north, whom he saw as a potent military threat. Upon seizing the capital of Hokuzan and annexing their land, he turned his attentions to Nanzan and conquered it as well.
Throughout this entire process, Sho Hashi injected more and more Chinese culture into his territories. Naturally the Chinese emissaries approved of this, and the relationship between China and Okinawa grew with Sho Hashi's successes.
By this time, The Ming Dynasty (China) had asserted dominance over trade in the area and had brought Okinawa under it's umbrella as a tributary nation. Due to this, travel between the two countries increased heavily in order to trade, pay tribute, and share knowledge.
Chinese and Other Outside Influences
Thanks to the territorial unification and geography of Okinawa, a wide assortment of emissaries, bodyguards, and soldiers made their way to the island from countries like China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Some of these visitors brought great martial knowledge from their respective cultures and shared it with the higher class Okinawan Gentry and bodyguards (known as Shizoku and Pechin).
These influences slowly combined with the indigenous art of Ti, especially as China became more and more dominant in the operations of Okinawa's trade routes. Eventually, the predominant self defense art of Okinawa became known as Kara Ti, or "China Hand". It was at this time that karate began to exude some of it's sophisticated philosophies along with soft, circular techniques. In addition, since the Shizoku and Pechin of Okinawa had less territorial struggles to deal with, they could spend more time in the thoughtful study of their fighting "arts" while integrating new sources of knowledge.
The result was a method of self defense that was hard and soft, simple yet in-depth, and utterly devastating.
Weapons Ban - A Great Idea!
Around 1477 the second Sho Dynasty was in full swing and lord Sho Shin was beginning to flex his political powers. Sho Shin was a skilled ruler and economist; in fact, his reign is often referred to as "the Great Days of Chuzan".
Sho Shin was also a crafty politician. He knew the territorial nature of Okinawa, and decided to bring the provincial rulers (anji) into a more centralized government. He forced the anji to live in the city of Shuri, making it much easier for him to watch them and more difficult for them to form insurrections in their homelands.
Sho Shin took things one step further. He decreed that all of the wartime weapons (swords, spears, bow and arrow) from the provincial soldiers were to be stored in Shuri and kept for governmental use. This was, effectively, a weapons ban on anyone who wasn't in the central government's armed forces.
Up until this point most of karate and kobudo (the unique farm tool style implements of Okinawa) had been the property of privileged Shizoku and Pechin who had access to Ti and Chinese envoys. Now the art was beginning to disseminate into the masses who needed more inventive ways to protect themselves.
Weapons Ban - A Terrible Idea.
Sho Shin's policies stayed in place even after his death. In fact, the weapons ban was still active when the Shimazu Clan of Satsuma, Japan invaded the island in 1609.
The Okinawans had an armed central government, but compared to the lethal invasion force of the battle hardened Satsuma, it simply wasn't enough.
The Satsuma swiftly conquered Okinawa and declared it a province under Japanese rule. They analyzed the weapons ban put in place by Sho Shin and decided to reinforce it. Now it was the Japanese who were armed on the island with only a very small peace keeping force remaining of the once strong Okinawan military.
The Okinawans had a whole new set of problems to deal with, including ronin (rogue Samurai), heavy handed Japanese enforcers, and entitled Japanese lords who had their way with Okinawan land and people. In these times karate became a rare and priceless tool of defense.
The Okinawans knew that if the Japanese learned too much about karate, they would instinctively seek to snuff it out. Therefore, the Okinawans made a strong effort to hide their vicious means of life protection. Karate and kobudo became hidden in dance, farming chores, and night time meetings among masters.
A Tough and Winding Road
It was tough sledding after the Japanese invasion. For awhile relationships were not particularly friendly (as you might imagine). Karate and kobudo continued to be passed along among pockets of Okinawans. They would collaborate as much as possible to share and improve knowledge, but it wasn't always easy.
In fact, the lockdown on gossip about karate was so tight that very few records exist about specific karate masters until around 1733 when Satunushi "Tode" Sakagawa came onto the scene.
Sakagawa was allegedly the student of an Okinawan named Peichin Takahara. It's believed that Sakagawa combined his study of Ti with Chinese martial arts, received from an individual named Kusanku. He passed on these learnings to one of the most famous Karate practitioners of all time - Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura.
After Matsumura, records surface of other practitioners with their own unique stories and influences. In fact, three general "styles" of karate develop, known as Shuri-Te, Naha-Te, and Tomari-Te (all based on the cities they developed around).
The Spread of Karate to Japan
Just like any good secret, the word about karate eventually got out. The Japanese ultimately witnessed a few small demonstrations of this "indigenous Okinawan art", but it wasn't until wartime that karate became something worth talking about.
During the Sino-Japanese war the Okinawans were forced to enlist and fight alongside the Japanese. It wasn't a smooth relationship (The Japanese thought of the Okinawans as rather backwater, and often had difficulty understanding their language of Hogen). Nevertheless, the Okinawans proved fit and capable soldiers with tactics enhanced by their study of karate.
In time the Japanese emperor decided it might benefit wartime efforts if young Okinawans all learned karate and became fit soldiers.
Of course, karate was a highly complex fighting system with Okinawan culture heavily ingrained in it's practice. The Japanese overseers thus decided it would be best if karate was simplified and regimented, with more nationalistic overtones for the good of Japan.
An individual named Itosu Anko, student of Bushi Matsumura, was placed in charge of this effort. He headed up the introduction of karate to schools in Okinawa. One of his students, a school teacher named Gichin Funakoshi, began introducing this new version of karate to universities in Japan. Due to the tumultuous relationship between China and Japan at the time, Funakoshi used a homonym of karate (same pronunciation, different meaning) which meant "empty hand" instead of "China hand". This interpretation of the word karate, first referenced in a book by Hanashiro Chomo entitled " Karate Shoshu Hen", has stuck ever since.
The Spread of Karate to the World
The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War II, and the Okinawans bore a large brunt of it. In fact, more Okinawans died during that 82 day maelstrom than Japanese did during the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
After the Americans defeated the Japanese and took control of the islands, the soldiers stationed there naturally began interacting with the native inhabitants. In time they learned about the culture, food, and lifestyle of the Okinawans, including a peculiar self defense method known as karate.
During their tours of duty after World War II and through Vietnam Era, many of the soldiers studied diligently with the Okinawan masters. In addition, non-military travelers from the U.S. and other countries began taking advantage of the new western occupation and arranged for extended visits. From that period of early 1950s and onward, karate began it's steady climb toward globalization.
The Diversification of Styles
After World War II, many different styles of karate began to develop. There were two major factors for this happening:
1. During the early spread of karate to Japan and other areas, karate instructors needed a label for their art in order for it to be recognized by governing bodies. Thus, many of the senior practitioners chose a specific name for their brand of karate. Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Shotokan, etc were born.
2. During and after the Battle of Okinawa many of the old masters died. This left a void in how the arts were passed down from generation to generation. Many of the senior students, now left masterless, had to decide how to proceed and keep the arts alive. New styles and branches of existing styles developed as students attempted to decide the best way to proceed.
Nowadays many styles are born for marketing purposes, or because practitioners never received a full art and instead pieced together bits from various different arts. Sometimes new styles are created out of necessity, but often they are created for profit and personal gratification.
What You Find In the Strip Mall
If you're looking to get involved with karate you have a tough decision to make. As elaborate and in-depth as this history of karate has been, it is only a brief overview of all the factors and key players that have gone into the development of karate as we see it today.
In America, every small town has a handful of schools and "masters". Some are likely to have real credentials, while many do not. Some karate isn't even karate; it's taekwondo that has experienced a name change for marketability.
Much of what the original Okinawans developed has been sifted out, first during the spread of the art in schools and universities, and second as business people watered down the art for commercial gain.
Nevertheless, if you do the research and look hard enough, you can still find outstanding practitioners of karate that have devoted their lives to the propagation of the life protection arts, founded centuries ago to preserve a very unique island nation.
