Читать книгу Zen Shaolin Karate. The complete Practice, Philosophy and History онлайн

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The development of karate in Japan is a fairly recent phenomenon. One of the most prominent and enthusiastic early teachers of karate in Japan was an Okinawan named Gichin Funakoshi. Often called the father of modern karate, Funakoshi began to introduce karate to Japanduring 1922. He was not the first Okinawan to do so. It is recorded that Choki Motobu had moved from Okinawa to Osaka in 1921, and was engaged in teaching karate in that area. However, it is quite clear that Gichin Funakoshi exerted the most influence on the development of karate. He transformed Okinawan karate into a Japanese art by infusing it with concepts taken from Japanese budo (literally, martial ways). Funa koshi further changed the names of the kata for reasons of his own and he reorganized karate terms in conformity with kendo, Japanese fencing.

The provincial art of Okinawan karate soon began to undergo a radical revamping. This took place through the teaching of karate in Japanese colleges and universities, and the tireless efforts of leading enthusiasts of the day. At that time, systematic experimentation with various forms of sparring began. Karate (as taught by Gichin Funakoshi) tended to be centered around the group performance of kata, with little training in application, so his students innovated and spearheaded a new approach that included much more prearranged and free sparring. This took karate in a new and popular direction and led to the formation of large, well-organized groups such as the Japan Karate Association. These groups have pioneered the modern tournament systems, borrowing heavily from the methods used in kendo competitions, and karate has in recent years been promoted as a sport. If, however, we wish to understand and fully utilize the benefits of the ancient kata and the intentions of their creators, then a return to the original source is required. This does not amount to an actual rejection of modern ideas, but if you use a wrench to hammer in screws, do not blame the tool or its manufacturer if you hit your hand or produce poor work. The same applies to the proper study of karate, its underlying purposes, and training methods.