The Martial Traditions of Okinawa

Okinawa, or the Ryukyu Islands as it is also known, is actually composed of a long stretch of approximately 105 islands connecting Japan to the north and Taiwan to the south. Throughout its history, Okinawa was considered a center for trading and commerce in East Asia and has a unique culture of its own, distinct from both Japan and China yet influenced tremendously by both.

Some of the earlier external influences on the development of martial arts in Okinawa undoubtedly came from the Japanese, who had a highly developed martial culture and a history of battles between clans vying for power. During the Heian period in Japan (794-1185), many aristocrats sought refuge in Okinawa from the numerous wars plaguing the country, and brought with them the standard Japanese combative methodologies of the period, including grappling, naginata-jutsu (halberd), yari-jutsu (spear), and kenjutsu (swordsmanship). One Japanese warrior noted for his remarkable fighting skills, Minamoto Tametomo, married into the ruling family in Okinawa sometime after 1156 AD, and some historians believe that Japanese martial skills were subsequently taught to the Okinawan warriors in his clan. These weapon and empty-hand traditions, which became known as "Te" (literally, hand), were jealously guarded through the centuries and kept strictly within certain aristocratic families, called Shizoku, being passed down from father to son. (Commoners were not generally privy to the secrets of Te until the 20th century, so the common notion that Okinawan farmers practised martial arts is, for the most part, erroneous. They most likely had neither the time nor the energy to do so, even if a teacher was available to them.) The empty hand techniques of Te were characterized by soft, circular movements and included grappling skills and atemi (vital-point striking). These systems, based mainly on ancient Japanese martial traditions, pre-date the Chinese-influenced combative systems (known as Tode or karate) which were introduced later in Okinawan history. Unfortunately, quite a few of the pure Te traditions were lost forever when many experts died without passing on their skills to a disciple. Most of the Te traditions that have survived into the 20th century are the result of the melding of Te with the Chinese-influenced system of Tode (which later became known as karate), particularly by legendary masters such as Sokon Matsumura in the 19th century. This would explain why there are very few dojos in Okinawa today where Te is taught as a whole system, complete with the Japanese-style weapons of katana (sword), naginata (halberd), and yari (spear). Despite the fact that it has not spread outside Okinawa and is virtually unknown in the Western world, Te is generally recognized by historians as the first true organized system of personal combat of the Ryukyu Islands.

The most prominent martial art practised outside the public school system in Okinawa today is, of course, karate. The following paragraphs explore several theories on the origin and development of Chinese-based karate on the Ryukyu Islands.

One theory relates to a large group of Chinese diplomats and their families that settled in Okinawa in 1393 AD. They brought with them knowledge of ship-building, administration, architecture, paper and books, and very likely Chinese Kempo. This launched an era of large-scale trade with China, and many missions were sent between each country until 1870 when Okinawa formally became a part of Japan. Also during this period, exchange students made extended pilgrimages to various parts of China to receive an education. The numerous envoys and international students sent to China were composed solely of the upper classes of Okinawan society, and only these persons were privy to the fighting arts of Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Fuzhou. The Pechin in Okinawa, who were the equivalent of the Samurai in Japanese society, also studied with the security experts who accompanied the special envoys of the Chinese emperor. It is likely that the martial skills of these Okinawan warriors were based mostly on the Chinese fighting arts of Kempo, with some mingling of Te empty hand techniques occurring through the centuries. The former name of karate, "Tode", pays tribute to this mostly Chinese influence; Tode translates as "Tang hand", Tang being an old Okinawan reference to China (specifically the Tang dynasty of 618-907 AD).

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