Origins of Karate Do and Okinawa The Roots of Goju Ryu

The roots of Goju Ryu Karate can be traced directly back to Okinawa, which was called Ryukyu until 1870. In 1871 this small island officially became a prefecture of Japan.

In 1340, the Ryukyu Dynasty established tributary with the Chinese Emperor of the Ming

Dynasty, and until 1866 delegates were sent back and forth from each country. Many masters of Chinese Kempo were among the delegates from China, and they taught their art to the Okinawan nobility. The Okinawan sent ships filled with extremely valuable presents to the Chinese Emperor as tribute. To protect this precious cargo, all the Okinawans on board (crew members and delegates) were well trained in Martial Arts. After paying tribute to the Emperor, some of the Okinawan delegates furthered their training in China before returning home.

In 1470 all weapons in Okinawa were banned and confiscated. This political move led directly to the development of two different fighting systems: Te, practiced by the nobility, is a form of empty hand combat; and Kobudo, developed by farmers and fisherman, is a form of armed combat using simple tools as weapons. In both systems, training was conducted in strict secrecy.

Three different styles of Te (Naha-Te, Tomari-Te, and Shuri-Te) were developed, each named after the villages where they were practiced. Naha-Te is the direct ancestor of Goju Ryu Karate Do. Shuri-Te developed into Shorinji-Ryu which in turn developed into many different styles (such as Wado-Ryu and Shotokan Karate). A combination of Goju Ryu and Shorinji-Ryu led to the development of Chito-Ryu.

Where is Okinawa?

Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture of Japan consisting of a chain of islands which are known as the Ryukyu Islands. It stretches from the main Japanese islands toward Taiwan and is located in the Pacific Oceana and East China Sea and has a distinct subtropical climate. Okinawa prefecture is the administrative division of Japan that includes over 160 islands. Its capital city is Naha, located on the largest island.
Okinawa island is the largest and most populous island in the prefecture, home to the capital city of Naha and the majority of the population. U.S. military bases are prominently located here. Okinawa city is the second-largest city within the prefecture, located in the central part of Okinawa Island.
Historically, Okinawa was the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until its annexation by Japan in the late 19th century. This history has given Okinawa a unique culture, language, and cuisine that differs from mainland Japan.
Due to its strategic location, Okinawa was the site of a major and bloody battle during World War II and remained under U.S. administration until 1972. Today, it is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful coral reefs, white-sand beaches, and rich natural landscapes.

ORIGINS OF KARATE DO

Karate Do owes its composition to diverse ancient fighting techniques such as Egyptian barehanded fighting, Roman gladiator combat, Japanese sumo wrestling, Indians and Persian foot fighting and the weaponless fighting found in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The Chinese people were exposed to these different methods of fighting during their extensive military and economic contact with the above countries. The fighting styles were observed and influenced with configuration of Ch'uan fa; which is Chinese tradition of pugilism and the forerunner of Karate Do.

The most prevalent school of thought traces the origins of Ch'uan fa back to the 6th century mytho-historical figure, Bodhidharma. It considers him to be the patriarch of Zen and the Chinese Martial Arts. According to legend, Bodhidharma was born in India during the early the century to a warrior class known as Kshatriaya. He travelled from India to the Songshan Mountains, in the Honan province of China and founded the Shao Lin Temple.

The monks at the temple were weak and in poor condition and thus were vulnerable to attacks from bandits and muggers.

Bodhidharma created Ch'uan fa to help them improve physically.

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