Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
364 Okinawa Land of Happy Immortals, the Central Ryûkyûs remained effectively demilitarized until expansion by the Yamato after 616. Shortly after 616, the Kami jidai (Age of the Gods) was established in the Central Ryûkyûs with the arrival of a group of Yamato on Seifa Utaki on the Chinen Peninsula. The exact nature of the Yamato mission is unknown, but it is obvious that they had planned an extended occupation. The Yamato from Nara brought with them a rice-based agricultural system, as well as iron implements to both farm and defend themselves. Folk history declares that it was on Seifa Utaki that the first rice was planted in the Ryûkyûs by the kami (gods) Shinerikyo and Amamikyo, who had descended from Heaven. That Heaven was probably Nara is evidenced in the Yamato chronicles by Shôtoku Taishi’s appellation as Tennô (Ruler of Heaven). Amamikyo was impregnated by a divine wind and gave birth to two boys and a girl, who defined the Ryûkyûan social hierarchy into rulers (first son), priestesses (daughter), and farmers (second son), and began the Kami jidai. The sister or daughter of the king at Shuri, on Okinawa, served as the chief noro priestess (the chief priestess was called “kikoe-ôgimi”) for the royal family until Shô Tai’s abdication to the Japanese in 1879. Together with the divine gifts of iron tools and weapons came the quasi–Zen Buddhist teachings promulgated by the pious Shôtoku during his reign. Both the weapons and the religiosity influence Ryûkyûan martial arts to this day. And it is most probable that the martial art known as te was brought to Okinawa at this time. Although te literally means “hand,” the art has always been intimately associated with the use of weapons, so much so that the advanced empty-hand forms precisely correspond to applications with weapons. The primary weapons of te are the sword (katana), spear (yari), and halberd (naginata), which were also the principal weapons of the Japanese bushi (warrior). Te footwork and taijutsu (techniques for maneuvering the body) also suggest a Japanese origin of the art. The belief that the Ryûkyûan martial arts were divinely influenced and intimately associated with royalty, itself of divine origin and establishment, is evidenced in the oral history of the art of te. The first mention of te occurs after the Satsuma invasion and subjugation of Okinawa in 1609. The Satsuma domain was based in Kagoshima, that is, Satsuma. They launched their invasion and subsequent conquest of the Ryûkyûs from their home in southern Kyûshû. King Shô Nei sent Jana Ueekata (Japanese; counselor) to negotiate the occupation treaty with the Japanese. Appalled by the terms set forth in the document and the general treatment of the Okinawans, Jana refused to ratify the agreement and was subsequently exiled to Kagoshima, home of the Satsuma, where he was sentenced to be boiled alive in oil. On the day of his execution, Jana requested that as a
Sensei Ty Yocham of the Texas Okinawan Gôjû Kai Federation deflects an upward cut of the sword with the eku (boat oar). (Courtesy of Ron Mottern) bushi of the Ryûkyûs, he be allowed to practice te before his death. His request was granted, and he was released from his bonds, whereupon Jana performed a series of te exercises. When he had completed his forms, two executioners approached him to fulfill the death sentence, but before they could bind him, Jana grabbed the guards and plunged into the vat of boiling oil. The bodies of the men floated to the top of the vat and, resembling three linked commas, began to swirl in a counterclockwise direction. The linked comma symbol is known as the hidari gomon (outside karate systems, this symbol is commonly labeled tomoemon or tomoe), and it was adopted as the crest of the Ryûkyû royal family out of admiration for Jana Ueekata’s act of loyalty to the king and devotion to Okinawa. The close relationship between Ryûkyû royalty and the art of te is also evidenced in the position of the Motobu Udun government as te instructors of the royal court. The Motobu Udun lineage traces its roots to Prince Shô Koshin, sixth son to King Shô Shitsu, who ruled under the Satsuma from 1648 until 1668. Eleven successive generations of the Motobu Udun inherited the art of te and passed that knowledge on to the Ryûkyû royal line. Motobu Chôyû, who died in 1926, was the last in the Motobu Udun line and te instructor of the Marquis Shô Ten. It is also interesting to note that the epitome of te is contained in the Anji Kata no Me (Dance Okinawa 365
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- Page 366 and 367: Two Inner Mongolian wrestlers await
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364 Okinawa<br />
Land of Happy Immortals, the Central Ryûkyûs remained effectively demilitarized<br />
until expansion by the Yamato after 616.<br />
Shortly after 616, the Kami jidai (Age of the Gods) was established in<br />
the Central Ryûkyûs with the arrival of a group of Yamato on Seifa Utaki<br />
on the Chinen Peninsula. <strong>The</strong> exact nature of the Yamato mission is unknown,<br />
but it is obvious that they had planned an extended occupation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Yamato from Nara brought with them a rice-based agricultural system,<br />
as well as iron implements to both farm and defend themselves. Folk<br />
history declares that it was on Seifa Utaki that the first rice was planted in<br />
the Ryûkyûs by the kami (gods) Shinerikyo and Amamikyo, who had descended<br />
from Heaven. That Heaven was probably Nara is evidenced in the<br />
Yamato chronicles by Shôtoku Taishi’s appellation as Tennô (Ruler of<br />
Heaven). Amamikyo was impregnated by a divine wind and gave birth to<br />
two boys and a girl, who defined the Ryûkyûan social hierarchy into rulers<br />
(first son), priestesses (daughter), and farmers (second son), and began the<br />
Kami jidai. <strong>The</strong> sister or daughter of the king at Shuri, on Okinawa, served<br />
as the chief noro priestess (the chief priestess was called “kikoe-ôgimi”) for<br />
the royal family until Shô Tai’s abdication to the Japanese in 1879. Together<br />
with the divine gifts of iron tools and weapons came the quasi–Zen<br />
Buddhist teachings promulgated by the pious Shôtoku during his reign.<br />
Both the weapons and the religiosity influence Ryûkyûan martial arts to<br />
this day. And it is most probable that the martial art known as te was<br />
brought to Okinawa at this time.<br />
Although te literally means “hand,” the art has always been intimately<br />
associated with the use of weapons, so much so that the advanced<br />
empty-hand forms precisely correspond to applications with weapons. <strong>The</strong><br />
primary weapons of te are the sword (katana), spear (yari), and halberd<br />
(naginata), which were also the principal weapons of the Japanese bushi<br />
(warrior). Te footwork and taijutsu (techniques for maneuvering the body)<br />
also suggest a Japanese origin of the art.<br />
<strong>The</strong> belief that the Ryûkyûan martial arts were divinely influenced<br />
and intimately associated with royalty, itself of divine origin and establishment,<br />
is evidenced in the oral history of the art of te. <strong>The</strong> first mention of<br />
te occurs after the Satsuma invasion and subjugation of Okinawa in 1609.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Satsuma domain was based in Kagoshima, that is, Satsuma. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
launched their invasion and subsequent conquest of the Ryûkyûs from their<br />
home in southern Kyûshû. King Shô Nei sent Jana Ueekata (Japanese;<br />
counselor) to negotiate the occupation treaty with the Japanese. Appalled<br />
by the terms set forth in the document and the general treatment of the<br />
Okinawans, Jana refused to ratify the agreement and was subsequently exiled<br />
to Kagoshima, home of the Satsuma, where he was sentenced to be<br />
boiled alive in oil. On the day of his execution, Jana requested that as a