Shotokai Karate
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Shotokai Karate |
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| The Origins of Karate-do | ||
| events | Karate-do
derives its name from three Japanese words; 'Kara' = empty 'te' = hand 'do' = way Hence Karate-do means "The Way of the Empty Hand' or in other words, unarmed self-defence. This ancient martial art originated on a small island called Okinawa, which is situated 400 miles south of Japan. Although nowadays it is commonly thought that karate is essentially Japanese in nature, its introduction to the Japanese mainland is a comparatively recent event. Okinawa's history is a turbulent one, with both China and Japan claiming sovereignty over the island at different times. However, in 1477, one event took place that is thought to have played an important part in the development of karate. The king ruling Okinawa at this time, Sho-Shin, banned the common people from carrying any type of weapon, and this law was maintained later on by the Japanese Shogun (military ruler), who subsequently took control of the island. It is commonly thought that it was the removal of weapons from the people of the island that encouraged the development of a means of defending oneself without the use of weapons - that is unarmed self-defence. As the practice of karate-do was forbidden by law, very few written documents recording the development of this martial art exist. Karate knowledge was passed on by word of mouth from Master to pupil. The Development of Karate-do Shoto Gichin Funakoshi was the man responsible for introducing karate-do to the Japanese public and the rest of the world. Funakoshi was born in Okinawa in 1868. In 1922, Funakoshi was invited to Japan to give an official demonstration in Tokyo. Not only was this display a great success, but Jigaro Kano, the founder of Judo, asked Funakoshi to lecture about karate at the Kodokan (judo hall). This was the turning point in Funakoshi's career, and instead of returning to Okinawa, he stayed on in Tokyo to teach and promote karate. In his many books and writings on the subject of karate-do, Funakoshi used the pen-name 'Shoto'. The fame of his karate-do spread, and in 1936 his dojo (gymnasium) was founded in the centre of Tokyo. The practice of karate-do quickly spread to the Universities, perhaps because Gichin Funakoshi himself was originally a school teacher by profession. Some of the best karate-do exponents of this era - Shigeru Egami, Hironishi and perhaps the most consummate of them all, Yoshitaka Funakoshi (Gichin Funakoshi's son) - were based at Waseda University. In 1957, Master Funakoshi died, and the Waseda group established the 'Shotokai', which literally means 'Shoto's Council', to regulate karate affairs. Those people who practised karate with this original group were said to be practising 'Shotokai karate'. Karate-do - Fact or Fiction Martial Arts, like karate, have received considerable attention in recent years, especially through films and television. Martial artists are portrayed as being capable of astounding feats of strength, endurance and super-human athleticism. The breaking of different types of inanimate objects with various parts of the body has also been given extensive coverage. The reality of the situation is, of course, totally different. Although some people, like Harada Sensei (Senior Instructor - Karate-do Shotokai), are enormously gifted, and consummate practitioners of their art, karate will always be within the realms of the possible, where myth has no place. Practising for a few weeks or months will not give anyone a real advantage over a completely experienced attacker. It is only after the completion of a considerable period of training that genuine improvements can be seen. It is important to stress that karate should never be used wantonly or aggressively. Indeed, no matter what the circumstances, karate is very much a last resort, when all other non-violent means of escape are unavailable. |
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Glasgow Karate-do Shoto Association |