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c. The Development of Karate in Japan

Sumo was introduced from China around the year A.D. 200, at the end of the Han period, the same time as the origin of chikara kurabe, a brutal fighting method which already included kicking techniques as testified by the relation of the fight between Nomi No Sukune and Tagima No Kehaya, the oldest fighters recorded in Japanese history. Tagima was the champion of the Yamato region (now Nara) and his fame was such that it reached the Emperor who chose Nomi to challenge him. Tagima lost the fight for the Yamato region when his ribs were crushed and his hips broken by Nomi's kicks. These fights to the finish became extremely popular and were organized, like the ruidai in China, in almost every city. Chikara kurabe was also practiced as preparation for war and this explains the fact that there were no restrictions on the techniques used. As the centuries passed, chikara kurabe evolved and became codified under the name of kumi uchi. Some restrictions were introduced in the fights as human life became more highly respected. It was at this time that the tradition of burying all of the Emperor's court in his tomb at his death was abandoned and hauiwas (dummies) were substituted. At the end of the Nara period (A.D. 784) the advent of armor on the battlefield made the use of punches and kicks preposterous and kumi uchi was soon replaced by the more practical jujitsu which advocated throwing techniques, armlocks, and strangulations.