Читать книгу Complete Shotokan Karate. History, Philosophy, and Practice онлайн

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In 1609 the Satsuma clan of southern Kyushu, Japan, led by Shimazu Ie-hisa, took control of Okinawa. Shimazu instituted firm control over the populace, placing many restrictions on the natives, including a continuing ban on weapons. All arms found were confiscated and the owners severely punished. The Okinawans were resentful and conflicts arose between them and their Japanese rulers, resulting in the practice of weaponless fighting in earnest. In addition, the severe pressure placed on the Okinawans by the Japanese forced the diverse schools to cooperate with each other, which led to an improvement in technique. Thus, the imported ch'uan-fa was able to further influence the native forms of the martial arts. The art that arose as a result of this unification was referred to simply as te, a return to the original terminology of the region.

Since the new art had to be learned in secret, little was written about it. In time, the term was prefixed by the name of the town in which it was practiced. Subsequently, three major schools developed: Shuri-te, Tomari-te, and Naha-te. Shuri-te, an exoteric system, emphasized speed and combined techniques with rational (practical) movements. Naha-te combined the Chinese hard and soft techniques, using rational, dynamic movements and emphasizing breathing, flexibility, and strength. Tomari-te has been described as containing elements of both Naha-te and Shuri-te systems, with added stress on speed and agility. A twentieth-century karate master, Gichin Funa-koshi, would claim that Tomari-te was more suitable for men of slight build, as it matched their fighting style, while the Naha-te was more suited for self-defense, but lacked mobility.¹⁰ In time, Shuri-te and Tomari-te became known as the Shorin style and Naha-te as the Shorei style. Because it was practiced in secret, te took on a certain exotic air and became extremely violent, having the immediate extinction of an opponent as its chief goal.