Roth - Black Belt Karate

History

The clenched fist is a popular symbol of karate. Because of religious beliefs, weapons could not be carried by monks. Thus Daruma reasoned, so the legend goes, that to protect oneself against the local bandits various parts of the body, principally the arms (hand and elbow) and legs (knee and foot), could be fashioned into offensive weapons. In this way the fist becomes a hammer or mace; the open hand can slash as a sword, thrust as a dagger, or rip like a tiger's claw. These techniques were reinforced by various exercises designed to harden the striking surfaces. Consequently a blow delivered by anyone having a pronounced buildup of the striking surface produced a most devastating effect.

After Daruma introduced this system, it spread throughout China, and with modifications became known as kung-fu and also as kempo. Following upon the heels of commerce, these methods made their way to Okinawa, where they attained a high degree of perfection during many decades of Japanese occupation when arms were forbidden there. The Chinese methods undoubtedly underwent a metamorphosis upon continued contact with the native Okinawan fighting form known as Okinawa-te.

Master Gichin Funakoshi, the man most responsible for the systematization of karate as we know it today, was born in Shuri, Okinawa, in 1868. As a boy of eleven he began a study of the precursors of karate, mastering both of the major existing styles in Okinawa. These schools were known as Shorei and Shorin and are still in evidence. The Shorei approach is characterized by heavy, powerful movements; the Shorin method utilizes lighter, quicker techniques. Master Funakoshi then molded aspects of these techniques into the school of karate today known as Shotokan. Shoto was the pen name of Master Funakoshi, who was also well known as an author. Hence, the word "Shotokan" simply signified the training hall of Funakoshi. Today, however, it has grown to mean the style of karate as taught by his disciples in major universities in Japan, and as it was subsequently taught to members of the Southern California Karate Association by Tsutomu Ohshima, the Association's founder.

The Shotokan school is therefore adaptable to all body types. The heavier Occidental is particularly favored by the slightly slower but more powerful techniques adapted from the Shorei school, whereas the lighter individual may find the swift, agile techniques of the Shorin school more suitable.

Master Funakoshi left Okinawa for Japan in 1922 at the invitation of the Ministry of Education to teach karate at various universities throughout Japan. Six years prior to this move, Master Funakoshi had had occasion to give a series of demonstrations in Japan. This was probably the first formal presentation in Japan of what came to be called karate. The years that followed saw the inevitable interaction among the various systems, both native and imported. Master Funakoshi's system, as it evolved, bore the eventual imprint of other contemporary forms of self-defense. With the transfer of this teaching to Japan came the eventual substitution of the word kara for the "Okinawa" in "Okinawa-te," thus forming the word kara-te.

Following the U.S. occupation of Japan at the close of World War II, the U.S. military command in Japan, under General Douglas MacArthur, considered the practice of judo and kendo overly militant and it was strictly forbidden. Karate, being relatively obscure, temporarily escaped notice and as a result flourished. Tsutomu Ohshima, then a student at Waseda University, was fortunate in having Master Funakoshi as his instructor during the period from 1948 to 1953. He progressed under Master Funakoshi's tutelage to the rank of Black Belt Third Degree. (In the years since he has achieved the ultimate fifth degree.)

In view of present ranking trends, it is worth while recalling that Master Funakoshi himself never awarded a degree higher than fifth. Within these traditional guidelines each rank represents a comprehensive and specific level of performance. The trend in many quarters toward a runaway mode of ranking serves only to distort the intrinsic value of each degree.

During the 1952 All Japan Collegiate Sandan (Black Belt Third Degree) promotional, Tsutomu Ohshima accumulated the highest score. These early participants were the pioneers of Shotokan Karate in the United States. Tsutomu Ohshima instructed the new black-belt holders to further advance the art of karate at an academic level. It is felt that in this manner karate may soon evolve as an art form and become recognized for its character-building potential rather than exclusively for its unique properties as a martial art.

GICHIN FUNAKOSHI

Shortly after, Ohshima had the opportunity to visit Brazil and then France. He reported that there were enthusiastic karate students in those countries. He later returned to France for an extended visit of a year's duration, during which he did much to organize the various groups throughout the country and to refine their training programs. Returning to the United States at the end of 1962, he has continued in his original capacity with the Southern California Karate Association.

The opportunity presented itself in February 1967 for Tsutomu Ohshima to revisit Japan, and he took with him a small group. This became the first organized band of karateists from the United States to tour Japan. The author was fortunate in being one of their number. The itinerary was planned so that the group would be able to meet several revered masters in the martial arts. Among these was Master S. Sato, who treated everyone to a demonstration of judo at the Kodokan. Master Isao Obata, Gichin Funakoshi's senior active pupil, addressed the group at Keio University, where he is head instructor of its karate club. Master Uyeshiba's son Kisshomaru, who is himself a master, demonstrated aikido, and later, in Nagoya, the group observed a demonstration of karate by Master Hironori Otsuka, the founder of the Wado-Kai style. The visitors also were privileged to meet Toshiro Kamata, Shigeru Egami, and Hiroshi Noguchi, each a master of karate. During the brief two weeks sojourn exchange practices were held with karateists from Waseda, Keio, Toyo, Hosei, Takushoku, Meiji, and Nihon universities. The sociability of all those connected with the experience, in addition to the benefits acquired from an exposure to high-level karateists in a distant land, made this a deeply rewarding experience. The spirit of karate can function as a cohesive force in the world through international participation in its activities. Anyone who has seen the camaraderie which emerges from such a gathering can understand its potential in this regard.