History of Shorin Kempo Karate - Part I
Our style of Martial Arts has a rich lineage that we are
proud of. Although almost all styles of karate claim that
their roots are from the Shaolin Temple more that 1400 years
ago, few can actually trace back their roots. Terry Bryan's
American Shorin Kempo Karate Association can trace its techniques
and forms back to the time of the Shaolin Temple. Around
500 a.d., the great Ta Mo came to the Shaolin Temple and
ended up teaching a form of exercise which he had brought
with him from India. These exercises originally were for
physical fitness only but later became a form of self defense
as well. In addition to Ta Mo's exercises, the Chinese learned
much by observing nature. Having the idea of being one with
nature, similar to Native Americans, they mimicked the animals
as they stretched and exercised. Later when examining the
philosophy of self defense they once again chose to watch
the animal kingdom. The 5 major animals for self defense
at the Shaolin Temple were the Tiger, the Crane, the Leopard,
the Snake and the Dragon.
The Tiger
The Tiger - Known for its power and strength,
the tiger stylists were known for their ripping and tearing
techniques. Hands held like tiger claws, these fighters
would strike and claw with tremendous speed and power.
The Crane
The Crane - The crane was known for its grace
and beauty. Known to stand on one leg for long periods of
time, it is no wonder that the crane stylists had excellent
balance and were known for their awesome kicking ability
and long range techniques.
The Leopard
The Leopard - The leopard was known for its
tremendous speed and cunningness in battle. Unlike the tiger
that doesn't mind frontal attacks, the leopard stylist prefers
to attack only when the odds are in his favor. The only
time he shows he is hurt is when he is not. He acts like
he is running away in order to come back with an attack
on his own ground. These are the strategies of the leopard
stylist.
The Snake
The Snake - The snake is known for its speed
once an opponent is in striking range. The snake raises
its head and waits patiently until the unsuspecting opponent
gets too close. The snake stylist, too, concentrates on
waiting until the time is right and with his fingertips,
strikes to a vital spot in a blink of an eye. Knowing how
to use one's internal energy or chi is a major part of the
snake system.
The Dragon
The Dragon - The dragon is the mysterious
animal of ancient China. All the flying and floating qualities
associated with the martial arts are given to the dragon.
As the dragon floats through the sky he twists and coils,
flipping his tail as he turns. The dragon stylist uses turns
and circular motions to throw and strike his opponents.
As time went on many of the Shaolin monks
learned each other's style of fighting and traded techniques.
Thus hybrid styles developed using principles of two or
more animal systems. One famous example is the Tiger-Crane
style still taught around the world today This system teaches
the grace and smoothness of the crane and the power of the
tiger. It teaches the long range techniques of the crane
and the close in fighting techniques of the tiger. Many
of these hybrid styles flourished and eventually traveled
around the world.
In the 1300's, official relations were developed
between China and the island of Okinawa. We know that in
1392, 36 official families were sent to Okinawa to help
develop relations with the islanders. These Chinese also
taught their form of Shaolin Chuan Fa (the fist method)
to the Okinawans. The local Okinawans called this art Kempo.
The word for the Shaolin Temple in the Okinawan language
was Shorin: thus was born the art of Shorin Kempo. Combined
with the local fighting art, a new art developed that has
become known around the world as the deadliest fighting
art in the world. This art later became known as Kara-te
(Kara meant China, and Te meant hand) or the way of the
China Hand.
In the late 1500's, the Shaolin Temple was
burned to the ground by the Imperial Army. The few monks
that survived the battle fled for their lives and went to
different regions of the country. Many in fact traveled
to other countries in fear of their own safety. These monks,
along with their disciples that they had trained, kept true
to the Shaolin principles and taught only those individuals
that were honest and would use their skills for the benefit
of mankind. Many of these disciples ended up traveling to
the small island off the east coast, Okinawa.
Originally there were three styles of Okinawan
Karate named after the villages they came from: Shun, Tomari
and Naha village. The locals simply added Te to the end
of the village's name to recognize where each style came
from: Shun-Te, Tomari-Te and Naha-Te.
Two great Okinawan Karate masters to which
we owe a great deal, are Kosaku Matsumora from the Tomari
village and Sokon Matsumura from the Shun village. Many
of the forms and techniques we do today are traced back
to their teachings. Sokon Matsumura, also called Bushi or
warrior, is credited with developing the Katas as we know
them today, passing on the knowledge of the ancient masters.
From his teaching we still teach today Seisan Kata and Gojushiho
Kata. From the Tomari village, thanks to Kosaku Matsumora
and his students, we teach the techniques in the Katas of
Chinto, Passai and Wansu.
Anko Itosu (1832-1916) was a student of Bushi
Matsumura and is acknowledged as a great teacher. He in
fact developed the 5 Pinan Katas which are taught around
the world today. Around 1905 he began teaching Karate to
the school children in the middle schools. This helped to
promote the spread of the art around the world. It was his
student Gichin Funakoshi that ended up taking Karate to
mainland Japan in the early 1920's. His art was later called
Shotokan after his nickname combined with the name of his
dojo. Today millions of people practice his forms around
the world. At last count the World Karate Federation estimates
that over 40 million people practice Karate in over 140
countries.
