Gekkan Translation III

What follows is the next chunk of the Gekkan Karatedo article on Chibana Choshin. Pictured at right is a copy of Chibana's "Shinobi."

As a Teacher

After the end of the dark and long Second World War, Choshin returned to Shuri. And, he resumed karate instruction at Shuri's Gibo Village. In Showa 23rd year (1948), he founded the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karatedo Association and became its first president. In the five years between Showa 29th year (1954) and Showa 33rd year (1958), Chibana served as the instructor for the Shuri Police Department.

As for Choshin's kata, he was noted for his Patsai and Kunsanku katas. In the 1938 publication Karatedo Taikan (edited by Nakasone Genwa), he is featured performing the Patsai kata (1).

"Beautiful techniques are sharp" and "Strong techniques are beautiful" were his favorite sayings. Chibana emphasized as important both learning kata without distraction and practicing and defining technique within kata. In those days his sayings were called "Chibana's Churadi" or Chibana's Beautiful Ti (2).

Chibana received praise for his beautiful martial exercises. As for his techniques, his kick was famous. There is an anecdote from around those times that he once kicked a boar, and afterward the boar couldn't move. When asked about this, he neither confirmed nor denied it. It seems as far as his kick was concerned that Choshin kept it a secret. Normally, you kick with the ball of the foot. However, Choshin used a "Tip of the Foot" kick where he kicked using the tips of his toes (he would overlap his big toe with the second toe to reinforce it) (3).

How did he develop so much power? One story has it that he would lightly crack two 7 bu (two 12 cm) pieces of cedar planks (4). There is another episode like this when he is a little over 60 years old. This is Nakazato Shuguro's story. At that time he says he saw Choshin hold and crush a 2 sun (5) (approximately 6 cm) diameter long jointed bambo pole. Nakazato tried to do it, but he found it impossible to split. He says he saw Choshin crush the bamboo very easily.

"Sensei's grip strength was an incredible thing. During a physical exam, the mercury in the hand dynometer seemed like it was going to burst" (Nakazato in "Okinawa Karate's Great Stars") (6).

Naturally, Choshin was of modest character, and he found it against his conscience to talk about his own martial prowess. Therefore, there is very little on his martial story. However, as far as his instruction goes personal opinion holds, and his life as a teacher is one-sided. When he spoke of Karatedo's true meaning, it is said that it was like he was speaking about Okinawan music. In 1957, in the Okinawa Times newspaper, the following speech remains:

"Young colleagues would break roof tiles and boast about it, but it was just frivolous thinking; if the practicioner of karate sufficiently drills kata, kumite, makiwara, and others (hojo undo), and when that power reaches a suitable limit, the power of karate will naturally emerge. Even people of weak constitution can do karate. Normal people can't make these kinds of people do karate. Like lightly getting someone to dance, when you make the mind cheerful, you will completely forget the illness. Karate teachers not only teach kata; they have a responsibility to make people's bodies splendid. With this work as my life's work, even now I continue to study karate."

The great number of students who adored Choshin beat down his gate. Choshin's students include Zanami Jiro (7), Higa Yuchoku, Miyahira Katsuya, Shimabukuro Katsuyuki, Nakazato Shuguro, Nakama Chozo, Arakaki Ankichi, Nakazato Akira (8) and a great many other superior disciples grew under his tutelage.


Notes
(1) These can be found on pages 28-34 of the 1991 reprint edition.

(2) This is my extrapolation. "Chura" or チュラ (美ら）is a Hogen word that means "beautiful."

(3) Chibana was probably embarrassed by the boar incident if it occurred, hence his reluctance to confirm or deny it. A related story told by Mr. Patrick Nakata is that when Chibana was demonstrating the proper way to execute a front kick using the tip of the toes, Chibana accidentally kicked the wall and cracked it. He was incredibly embarrassed by the accident. However, Hirokazu Kanazawa says that when he visited Chibana in 1964, Chibana demonstrated kicking a bundle of bamboo with the tips of his toes ("An Interview with Kirokazu Kanazawa Part II", Classical Fighting Arts, Issue 8, pg 26).

(4) Before conversion to the metric system in 1924, the Japanese adopted a measurement system from the Chinese Tang Dynasty in 701 and called it shakkanho (尺貫法) where length is based on the shaku. Most kobudo enthusiasts are familiar with the shaku in terms of bo length (e.g., the roku-shaku bo). The modern shaku is based on the measurement carpenters used where a shaku was roughly 30.3 cm or 11.93 in; this was approximately the distance between the bottom of the elbow and top of the wrist. A bu is roughly 1/100 of a shaku.

(5) A sun is roughly 1/10 of a shaku.

(6) According to Mr. Patrick Nakata, Chibana used to cut his lawn with a pair of household scissors. When asked why, he replied it was good training for his grip and his forearms. The Chibana lawn was at least 100 square feet.

(7) An extrapolation on this person's name that in the original text reads "座波二郎." Cursory research has not turned up anything on this individual.

(8) Nakazato Akira, unrelated to Nakazato Shuguro, was Chibana's grandson and Chibana's designated successor to his karate organization. Events following Chibana's death in 1969, however, led to the rise of Miyahira Katsuya as the successor.

Reprieve

The restriction has been modified as we continue our "Period of Reflection."  I am now free to move about the island with restrictions on off-installation activities and a strict curfew.  Fortunately, the restrictions and curfew will have little effect on my research efforts; thus, the project resumes!  Our status will be reviewed regularly, and as long as SOFA personnel conduct themselves properly, we will in a step-wise function be granted more of our original liberties until we return to status quo (no restrictions).  

I am pleasantly surprised to see our lock-down end early.  I only hope that events over the last month have not injured local relations to the point that they are detrimental to research.  

An Extended Delay

For those of you who have been following the news, a series of unfortunate events has occurred here in Okinawa that have become a significant detriment to my project. Two weeks ago, a US Marine allegedly raped a 14 year-old middle school girl. One week ago, a US Marine while in drunken stupor allegedly broke into the home of a Nago resident and passed out on her couch. That same weekend, another US Marine was stopped by authorities for allegedly driving under the influence. The culmination of these events and the political backlash (criticism from Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda) compelled the highest ranking military commander on-island, Okinawa Area Coordinator Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Richard Zilmer, to restrict all status of forces agreement (SOFA) personnel to military facilities - all those who reside off-post are restricted to their off-post residences. The intent of this restriction is to limit US military contact with the local Okinawan populace. This restriction, euphamistically referred to as a "Period of Reflection", is indefinite. In 1995, following the gang-rape of a 12 year-old girl by three US servicemen, a similar restriction stood for 6 months.

As a person with SOFA status, this means that I cannot leave base except to go directly home, and that I cannot leave home except to directly go to a military base. This bodes ill for a project that requires obvious travel to off-base facilities. With 6 months as the baseline for a restriction of this kind, I cannot help but feel pessimistic. Thus, there will be an extended delay on any research that is accomplished outside of document translation. I apologize to any regular visitors pining for updates on anything I have found. As infrequent as updates have been due to my hectic work schedule, they will probably become more artificially infrequent due to this recent restriction on my movement.

As I keep my fingers crossed that this limitation is short term (measured in weeks as opposed to months), I express sorrow and sympathy for those locals who have been victimized and solidarity with my fellow sailors, soldiers, marines, and airmen as we wait out this "grounding." We are truly blessed and fortunate to live on this beautiful island hosted by a long-time, staunch, forgiving, and strategically significant ally. Let us hope the ignorant actions of the few does not permanently damn the many.

Gekkan Translation II

What follows is the next chunk of the Gekkan Karatedo magazine article on Chibana Choshin. Again, these chunks are not congruent with how the article is organized in the magazine. The picture at left is one of a series of photos of Chibana Sensei performing Naihanchi Shodan in October 1953 in his yard at his home.


The Birth of Shorin Ryu

Plausibly, at the Itosu home in Shuri's Ishimine District, for about two or three years, Chibana's episode with Itosu was kept a secret. Whenever there was a visitor to the Itosu home, Chibana would hide in the bushes near the Itosu mansion. Occasionally, he would continue hiding even if he got wet from rain, and he would accept instruction after the visitor departed. There was a reason to keep it that secret.

In those times, in general it was believed that karate was the means to fighting. So, if it was known that you were learning karate, you would be unknowingly set upon by a surprise attack. "At that time, Tori-Hori, Akita, and Sakiyama (Shuri districts) were full of thugs. Also, at my home, they would frequently come to try to duel with me, but they would leave quietly," Choshin said (1).


While Itosu taught P.E. style karate at school, at his dojo he taught Te that had the marked aroma of Bujutsu. Karate became a required subject at Okinawa First Middle School (2) and at the Okinawa Teacher's College. You could probably say that Choshin was part of the last generation to learn both P.E. style and Bujutsu style karate.


Chibana studied under Itosu until Itosu's final years, and afterwards in Taisho 7th year (1918) at age 34, he opened a dojo in Tori-Hori Village (the following year he established a dojo at Naha Kumoji Village. After this, he taught at both dojos). That same year, Chibana founded the Karate Research Club with Funakoshi Gichin, Oshiro Chojo, Yabu Kentsu, Hanashiro Chomo, and Tokuda Anbun. The Karate Research Club was held at Mabuni Kenwa's house, and the club served the purpose of researching karate ideas, and it created the field of technique refinement.


In Taisho 15th year (1926), Choshin participated in the Okinawa Tote (Karate) Club with Motobu Choyu, Hanashiro Chomo, Mabuni Kenwa, Teruya Kamesuke (3), and Gokenki (4). The Okinawa Tote club was a Te club that was formed in Taisho 13th year (1924) as a cooperative research group, and at that time many karate experts participated. Also, in Showa 4th year (1929), Chibana established the Tote Research Club at the courtyard of Naha Tori-Hori's Baron Nakijin (5). While continuing to teach with enthusiasm, in Showa 8th year (1933), he named his karate Shorin Ryu. This was the birth of Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karatedo.


However, in that era, war was steadily approaching. In Showa 6th year (1931), on 18 September, the Mukuden Incident (6) signaled the beginning of the outbreak of the Manchuria Incident (7). With Manchuko established, and news received of Japan's withdrawal from the disapproving League of Nations, even on Okinawa the footsteps of war gradually swelled (8). Soon after, hostilities were opened. The long suffering of the Second World War began (9).


Notes:
(1) As mentioned previously, in Seikichi Toguchi's Goju-Ryu II Advanced Techniques of Shoreikan Karate, he says in his history section on karate that Chibana was a frequent target of kakidamashii or challenge matches. Chibana was being modest about the fate of his challengers when he mentions, "...but they would leave quietly."

(2) The kanji reads "Okinawa Ichi Chu", and for those with Japanese character capabilities on your web-browsers or computers, "沖縄一中." This is probably a reference to Okinawa Prefectural Public First Middle School or "Okinawa Kenritsu Dai-Ichi Chugakko" (沖縄県立第一中学校 for those able to read Japanese characters) from where Chibana dropped out to train full time with Itosu.

(3) I am not sure who this person is. Cursory research in both English and Japanese sources pulled up nothing on this individual.

(4) Gokenki was a Chinese tea merchant named Wu Hsien Huei who was a praticioner of Hakutsuru or White Crane. His hand was felt across Okinawa karate circles through his collaboration and exchange with several Okinawan masters. He was an acquaintance of Uechi Kanbun while Uechi trained in China before his assignment to Okinawa as a representative of a Chinese tea company. Later, he reportedly traveled to China with Miyagi Chojun, and it is believed they were good friends. He taught White Crane katas to several Okinawan masters to include Mabuni Kenwa and Hohan Soken.*

*John Sells, Unante, 2nd Edition (Hollywood: W.M. Hawley Library, 2000), pg.67-69, 82, 92, 226

(5) As his title implies, Baron Nakijin was a descendant of Ryukyu Kingdom royalty. It is highly probable that he was descended from the King of Hokuzan who ruled from the castle bearing his family's name. Hokuzan competed with Chuzan - the kingdom that under the Sho dynasty would eventually unite all of the Ryukyus - for trade status with China, but maintained a tentative alliance with Chuzan due to a lack of Chinese translators in Hokuzan. It is possible that intermarriage occured while this alliance was maintained. Thus, on the Sho end of the spectrum, the Baron's bloodline runs to the third son of King Sho Iku. His ancestor, Nakijin Chofu, retained the title of Prince of Gushikawa, and his family were no less retainers to the king as bodyguards or warriors. Nakijin appears to have offered his property to several karate instructors in Shuri as it was a popular location for lessons and demonstrations. It was also no less a hearkening to his royal warrior ancestry.

As a descendant of a Sho king, it is probable that Baron Nakijin was in some way related to Chibana Sensei.

(6) At the end of the Russo-Japanese War, Japan emerged victorious and became the dominant foreign military power in northern China. The "Mukden Incident" is a reference to the event where on 18 September 1931 Japanese soldiers destroyed a portion of a railway near Mukden (present day Shenyang) in Manchuria, China owned by a Japanese rail company. Falsely accusing dissident Chinese, the Japanese Imperial Army used this incident as a pretext to invade and occupy Manchuria.

(7) "Manchurian Incident" is a euphemism for Japan's occupation of Manchuria following the Mukden Incident and throughout the Second World War.

(8) Manchuko was the name of the puppet state established in 1932 by the Japanese in place of Manchuria. The League of Nations, the predecessor of the modern day United Nations, condemned the Mukden Incident and refused to acknowledge Manchuko as a legitimate state, causing Japan to withdraw from the League of Nations and precipitating the war in the Pacific.

(9) And suffer Chibana did. He lost several students, several friends, his son, probably his first wife, and probably a significant portion of the wealth his family had built as sake brewers. Chibana would be homeless in an American refugee camp and a field laborer before resuming his instruction of karate.

Gekkan Translation I

As the year draws to a close today, I want to wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year.

Before returning home for the holidays, I paid a second visit to Hokama Tetsuhiro's famous Karate Museum. With permission from my instructor, I gave him a copy of the following photo pictured at right. Featured in both Classical Fighting Arts magazine and Nakamoto Masahiro's Okinawa Dentou Kobudo, it is a picture of Chibana Choshin taken around the year 1913. Chibana Choshin gave this photo to my instructor around 1965 as a gift.

I've been working a translation of the August 2007 edition of Gekkan Karatedo magazine article I mentioned in "More Translation, Less Time." Again, it's the same story with me as always; time is a precious commodity. Most of the translation was accomplished in the mountain of free time I've had at home for the holidays away from my job.

The actual article in the magazine is four parts with the first part delineating some biography and history, the second part being an interview of the author of the article, the third part featuring photos of Chibana Sensei doing Naihanchi Shodan, and the fourth part being detailed bunkai based on the author's analysis of the kata. The author frequently refers to Chibana Sensei as Choshin. I do so where he is mentioned for consistency's sake. When Chibana Sensei is implied as the subject of a sentence when a subject is omitted I refer to him as Chibana rather than Choshin. I broke the article into chunks that will not be congruent with how the article is broken up in the magazine. I did take some liberties with the translation, and I humbly submit my translation for your review.

Born Into a Distinguished Family

Chibana Choshin was born a little over 120 years ago from today. It was the 18th year of Meiji (1885). His hometown was Okinawa's Shuri Tori-Hori Village (at present, Naha City, Shuri Tori-Hori Town). His family lineage originates from a branch of the Katsuren Court (via an udun royal family) descended from Choharu, Prince of Kochinta (the fifth son of King Shoshitsu [Tei](1)). During the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom, these distinguished family descendants were called "House of Chibana." Motobu Choyu and Motobu Choki are distant relatives of the same descendants of King Shoshitu (Tei).

Choshin's encounter with karate was when he was around 15 years old. It was August Meiji 32nd year (1899). As a descendant of a Shuri royal family and because his uncle the Chibana family patriarch Chibana Chosho (1847-1927, the first mayor of Shuri after the Meiji era transition from Han to Ken (2)) had studied under Matsumura Sokon, Chibana knew about Te (3). So, he beat down the gate of Itosu Ankoh, the man who introduced Te into physical education and worked diligently to modernize karate.

Applying Three Times

However, learning in the present day is different from learning in those times. Choshin was not easily allowed to study under Itosu. This was in order to ascertain Chibana's true feelings. Ancient bujutsu families who feared the use of karate for evil denied students many times, and in the many months after acceptance, students had to consistently clean and perform miscellaneous tasks. Of course, there was meaning in seeing an admirable youth with earnestness, perserverance, and a slow temper. In that era, Choshin was no exception. In the beginning, Itosu didn't teach him anything. Instead of teaching, Itosu first questioned Choshin.

Itosu asked "Why should you learn Te?"

At the time, Choshin was 15 years old when he answered, "Because my body is weak." (4)

"If that's the case, you can do gymnastics at school."

"I think karate is best for my health."

That day, they continued their dialogue and Itosu said, "Why don't you come back later?"

When Chibana returned some four or five days later, he again had a dialogue with Itosu.

"You aren't learning Te so you can go around picking fights are you?" Itosu asked.

Chibana's answer to this question from Itosu was, "No, it's for the purpose of making me more healthy."

After this, Itosu asked about Chibana's family. This was to investigate Chibana's background. However, at the end of the dialogue Itosu's vital answer was again, "Come back later." After this, Chibana said he became angry. However, when he was invited to Itosu's home on his third visit, things were different.

"Do you truly think you can improve your health? Can you do it with zeal?" When Chibana answered this correctly, Itosu accepted him as a pupil. The perserverant Chibana was allowed to train after his third visit. Afterwards, for 13 years until he turned 28, he learned under Itosu. Choshin was of weak constitution, but after passing through the raw karate training, his body later changed to become healthy and strong.


Notes:

(1) Again, the Okinawa history books I've seen in english read the character for this king's name as "Tei", but it can also be read "Shitsu." I include both readings.

(2) Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the eventual successor to Oda Nobunaga, succeeded in tentatively unifying Japan in the late 16th Century, and as kampaku, or imperial regent, de facto ruled Japan in the stead of the emperor and Ashikaga (Muromachi) shogun. During Toyotomi's term as kampaku, he organized Japan into a series of han, or fiefdoms, associated with the geo-political limits of a feudal lord's power. During the Meiji Restoration in 1868, han were quickly absorbed into the Meiji government as local arms of the central government. In 1872 the Meiji government replaced han with the current ken, or prefecture, system. At the time, there were more than 300 han. By the time the ken system was finalized and political boundaries redrawn, there were 47 prefectures.

The Satsuma clan invaded The Ryukyu Kingdom in 1609. In 1872, while all other Japanese districts were redrawn as ken, the Ryukyu Kingdom was renamed Okinawa and relegated to a feudal era han organization. It was during this tumultuous reorganization that Chibana Choshin's uncle, famed martial artist Chibana Chosho, became the first mayor of Shuri. Okinawa was not a prefecture until its formal annexation by Japan in 1879.

(3) Te is a reference to karate and is the Japanization of the Hogen term ti, which simply means "fist."

(4) In Patrick McCarthy's translation of "Converation" from the 24 and 25 September 1957 editions of Okinawa Times, Chibana Sensei complained of having chronic stomach problems as a child.