Motobu Choki
Encyclopedia
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri
, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
.
His father, Lord Motobu Chōshin (Motobu Aji
Chōsin) was a descendant of the sixth son of the Okinawan King, Shō Shitsu
(1629–1668), namely Shō Kōshin, also known as Prince Motobu Chōhei (1655–1687). Chōki was the third son of Motobu Udun ("Motobu Palace"), one of cadet branches of the royal Okinawan Shō family.
As the last of three sons, Motobu Chōki was not entitled to an education in his family's style of Te (an earlier name for karate). Despite this Motobu was very interested in the art, spending much of his youth training on his own, hitting the makiwara
, pushing and lifting heavy stones to increase his strength. He is reported to have been very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru, or "Motobu the Monkey." He began practicing karate under Matsumura Sōkon and continued under Ankō Itosu, Sakuma Pechin
and Kōsaku Matsumora
.
Popular myth holds that Motobu only knew one kata
, Naifanchi (Naihanchi
). Although he favored this kata, and called it "the fundamental of karate," he also made comments on the practice of Passai
, Chintō, and Rōhai. Other sources describe Sanchin
, Kusanku, and Ueseishi as having been part of his repertoire. He apparently developed his own kata, Shiro Kuma (White Bear). Motobu lived and taught karate in Japan
until 1941, when he returned to Okinawa, dying shortly thereafter. Prior to this, he had made several trips there to study orthodox kata and kobudō
in an effort to preserve the traditional forms of the art.
After a number of failed business enterprises, Motobu moved to Osaka
, Japan, in 1921. A friend convinced Motobu to enter a "boxing
vs judo
" match which was taking place. These matches were popular at the time, and often pitted a visiting foreign boxer against a jujutsu
or judo man. According to an account of the fight from a 1925 King
magazine article, Motobu is said to have entered into a challenge match with a foreign boxer, described as a Russian boxer or strongman. Early rounds involved evasion by the smaller man, but after a few rounds, according to the account, Motobu moved in on the taller, larger boxer and knocked him out with a single hand strike to the head. Since reporters were not familiar with karate at that time, it is also possible that Motobu kicked the taller man in the groin to enable striking the head. Motobu was then 52 years old.
The King article detailed Motobu's surprising victory, although the illustrations clearly show Gichin Funakoshi
as the Okinawan fighter in question. This publication error increased the bitter rivalry between the two men, and led to an apparent confrontation. The two were often at odds in their opinions about how karate ought to be taught and used.
The popularity generated by this unexpected victory propelled both Motobu and karate to a degree of fame that neither had previously known in Japan. Motobu was petitioned by several prominent individuals, including boxing champ "Piston" Horiguchi, to begin teaching. He opened a dojo
, the Daidokan, where he taught until the onset of World War II
in 1941. Motobu faced considerable difficulties in his teaching. Chief among those was his inability to read and speak mainland Japanese. Okinawan dialects are nearly incomprehensible to mainlanders. As a result, much of his instruction was through translators, which led to the rumor that he was illiterate. This rumor has been largely discredited by the existence of samples of Motobu's handwriting, which is in a clear and literate hand. In a Tsunami video production on the Motobu style, Motobu Chōsei comments that his father's language difficulties may have been motivated more by protest at being a displaced member (by the Japanese annexation of Okinawa) of the Ryukyuan aristocracy than by inability.
Motobu Chōki's third son, Chōsei Motobu (1925- ), still teaches the style that his father passed on to him. As a point of reference, it is important to distinguish between the "Motobu-ryū
" which Chōsei teaches, and "Motobu Udun Di", the unique style of the Motobu family, which bears a resemblance to aikijutsu. Now Chōsei Motobu is the second Sōke
of Motobu-ryū and the 14th Sōke of Motobu Udun Di.
Motobu's karate is marked by a series of two man kumite
drills, which were an advancement in the popular thinking and instructional methods of the time. His curriculum heavily favored the Naihanchi kata because of the correspondence between its applications (bunkai
) and actual fighting, which he experienced in brawls as a young man. Below are some of his ideas regarding the 'kata:
Motobu trained many students who went on to become noteworthy practitioners of karate in their own right, including:
Motobu published two books on karate, Okinawa Kenpo
Karate-jutsu Kumite-hen (1926) and Watashi no Karate Jutsu (1933. Available in translation by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy).
Shuri
Shuri may refer to:* Shuri, Bhutan* Shuri, Okinawa - former capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom.* Shuri Kondo...
, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
.
His father, Lord Motobu Chōshin (Motobu Aji
Anji (Ryukyu)
thumb|AjiAn aji, anji, or azu was a ruler of a petty kingdom in the history of the Ryukyu Islands. The word later became a title and rank of nobility in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. It is said to be related to the Japanese aruji , and the pronunciation varied throughout the islands. It ranked next below a...
Chōsin) was a descendant of the sixth son of the Okinawan King, Shō Shitsu
Sho Shitsu
' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom who held the throne from 1648 until his death in 1668.The fourth son of King Shō Hō, he was named Prince of Sashiki in 1637, at the age of eight, and was granted Sashiki magiri as his domain...
(1629–1668), namely Shō Kōshin, also known as Prince Motobu Chōhei (1655–1687). Chōki was the third son of Motobu Udun ("Motobu Palace"), one of cadet branches of the royal Okinawan Shō family.
As the last of three sons, Motobu Chōki was not entitled to an education in his family's style of Te (an earlier name for karate). Despite this Motobu was very interested in the art, spending much of his youth training on his own, hitting the makiwara
Makiwara
The makiwara is a padded striking post used as a training tool in various styles of traditional karate. It is thought to be uniquely Okinawan in origin...
, pushing and lifting heavy stones to increase his strength. He is reported to have been very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru, or "Motobu the Monkey." He began practicing karate under Matsumura Sōkon and continued under Ankō Itosu, Sakuma Pechin
Pechin
The is an Okinawan term for the warrior class of the former Ryūkyū Kingdom , the class equivalent of the Japanese Samurai...
and Kōsaku Matsumora
Kosaku Matsumora
was an Okinawan karate master. He studied Tomari-te under Karyu Uku and Kishin Teruya. He also studied Jigen-ryu. Among Matsumora's students, who went on to influence new generations through students of their own, were Choki Motobu and Chotoku Kyan....
.
Training and career
Although he was reputed by his detractors to have been a violent and crude street fighter, with no formal training, Motobu was a student of several of Okinawa's most prominent karate practitioners. Ankō Itosu (1831–1915), Sōkon Matsumura (1809–1899), Sakuma Pechin, Kōsaku Matsumora (1829–1898), and Tokumine Pechin (1860–1910) all taught Motobu at one time or another. Many teachers found his habit of testing his fighting prowess via street fights in the tsuji (red light district) undesirable, but his noble birth (as a descendant of the royal Okinawan Shō family) may have made it hard for them to refuse.Popular myth holds that Motobu only knew one kata
Kata
is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
, Naifanchi (Naihanchi
Naihanchi
is a karate Kata, performed in straddle stance . It translates to 'internal divided conflict'. The form makes use of in-fighting techniques and grappling. In Shorin-Ryu and Matsubayashi-Ryu Naihanchi Shodan is the first Ni Kyu although it is taught to Yon Kyu occasionally before Evaluations for...
). Although he favored this kata, and called it "the fundamental of karate," he also made comments on the practice of Passai
Passai
Passai is the Japanese name of a group of kata practiced in different styles of martial arts, including karate and various Korean martial arts . There are several variations of these kata, including Passai sho and Passai dai . In karate, the kata are known as Passai in Okinawan styles and Bassai...
, Chintō, and Rōhai. Other sources describe Sanchin
Sanchin
is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu styles of Karate as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated...
, Kusanku, and Ueseishi as having been part of his repertoire. He apparently developed his own kata, Shiro Kuma (White Bear). Motobu lived and taught karate in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
until 1941, when he returned to Okinawa, dying shortly thereafter. Prior to this, he had made several trips there to study orthodox kata and kobudō
Okinawan kobudo
Okinawan kobudō is a Japanese term that can be translated as "old martial way of Okinawa"...
in an effort to preserve the traditional forms of the art.
The boxing match
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, in 1921. A friend convinced Motobu to enter a "boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
vs judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
" match which was taking place. These matches were popular at the time, and often pitted a visiting foreign boxer against a jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
or judo man. According to an account of the fight from a 1925 King
King (magazine)
King is a monthly men's magazine geared toward African American and urban audiences. It features articles about hip-Hop and R&B, as well as articles covering sports and fashion. The magazine is published by Harris Publications, and was a spinoff from XXL. It ceased publication on March 31, 2009,...
magazine article, Motobu is said to have entered into a challenge match with a foreign boxer, described as a Russian boxer or strongman. Early rounds involved evasion by the smaller man, but after a few rounds, according to the account, Motobu moved in on the taller, larger boxer and knocked him out with a single hand strike to the head. Since reporters were not familiar with karate at that time, it is also possible that Motobu kicked the taller man in the groin to enable striking the head. Motobu was then 52 years old.
The King article detailed Motobu's surprising victory, although the illustrations clearly show Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
as the Okinawan fighter in question. This publication error increased the bitter rivalry between the two men, and led to an apparent confrontation. The two were often at odds in their opinions about how karate ought to be taught and used.
The popularity generated by this unexpected victory propelled both Motobu and karate to a degree of fame that neither had previously known in Japan. Motobu was petitioned by several prominent individuals, including boxing champ "Piston" Horiguchi, to begin teaching. He opened a dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
, the Daidokan, where he taught until the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941. Motobu faced considerable difficulties in his teaching. Chief among those was his inability to read and speak mainland Japanese. Okinawan dialects are nearly incomprehensible to mainlanders. As a result, much of his instruction was through translators, which led to the rumor that he was illiterate. This rumor has been largely discredited by the existence of samples of Motobu's handwriting, which is in a clear and literate hand. In a Tsunami video production on the Motobu style, Motobu Chōsei comments that his father's language difficulties may have been motivated more by protest at being a displaced member (by the Japanese annexation of Okinawa) of the Ryukyuan aristocracy than by inability.
Motobu's legacy and notable students
Motobu-ryu
is a school of karate founded by Choki Motobu in 1922. The official full name is Nihon Denryu Heiho Motobu Kenpo ., a Motobu family style of Karate, is also sometimes called Motobu-ryu or Motobu-ryu Udundi...
" which Chōsei teaches, and "Motobu Udun Di", the unique style of the Motobu family, which bears a resemblance to aikijutsu. Now Chōsei Motobu is the second Sōke
Soke
The word soke has several meanings:* Soke , an early Western jurisdictional concept.* Soke or eke is a Tongan stick dance, originating from Wallis and Futuna., a Japanese title meaning "head of the family," and is usually used to denote the headmaster of a school of Japanese martial arts.* Soke of...
of Motobu-ryū and the 14th Sōke of Motobu Udun Di.
Motobu's karate is marked by a series of two man kumite
Kumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
drills, which were an advancement in the popular thinking and instructional methods of the time. His curriculum heavily favored the Naihanchi kata because of the correspondence between its applications (bunkai
Bunkai
, literally meaning "analysis" or "disassembly", is a term used in Japanese martial arts referring to the application of fighting techniques extracted from the moves of a "form" ....
) and actual fighting, which he experienced in brawls as a young man. Below are some of his ideas regarding the 'kata:
- "The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin (the old name for Naihanchi) no Kata is the basics of karate."
- "Twisting to the left or right from the Naifuanchin stance will give you the stance used in a real confrontation. Twisting ones way of thinking about Naifuanchin left and right, the various meanings in each movement of the kata will also become clear."
- "The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand and then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion."
- Nakamura Shigeru, founder of Okinawa Kenpo
- Tatsuo YamadaTatsuo Yamadawas a Japanese actor best known for his portrayal of biker Jin, the protagonist of Sōgo Ishii's 1980 film Crazy Thunder Road.- External links :...
, founder of Nihon Kenpo Karate-dō - Sannosuke UeshimaSannosuke UeshimaKiyotada Sannosuke Ueshima was a Japanese martial arts master who developed and founded the Kushin-ryu style of karate in Osaka, Japan.-Karate-do:...
, founder of Kushin-ryū - Yasuhiro KonishiYasuhiro Konishiwas one of the first karateka to teach karate on mainland Japan. He was instrumental in developing modern karate, as well as a driving force in the art's acceptance in Japan. He is credited with developing the style known as Shindo Jinen Ryu ....
, founder of Shindō jinen-ryūShindō jinen-ryūis a form of karate that was founded in 1933 by .- Yasuhiro Konishi :Yasuhiro Konishi was born in 1893 in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan. His martial arts training began at the age of six, in Muso Ryu Jujitsu, which was followed by kendo when he was 13, and subsequently, Takenouchi-ryū Jujitsu, a style... - Kose Kokuba (Japanese: Yukimori Kuniba), founder of Seishin Kai
- Hironori Ōtsuka, founder of Wadō-ryū
- Tatsuo Shimabuku, founder of Isshin-ryūIsshin-ryuis a style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku and named by him on 15 January 1956. Isshin-Ryū karate is largely a synthesis of Shorin-ryū karate, Gojū-ryū karate, and kobudō. The name means, literally, "one heart method"...
- Shōshin NagamineShoshin Nagaminewas a Japanese author, soldier, police officer and karate master.-Early Life and Karate-do:Nagamine was born in Tomari, in Naha City, Okinawa. He was a small and sickly child, and he contracted a gastroenteric disorder in 1926, his second year of high school. He began a self-imposed diet and took...
, founder of Matsubayashi-ryūMatsubayashi-ryuMatsubayashi-ryū , is a style of Okinawan karate that was founded in 1947 by Shōshin Nagamine . Its curriculum includes 18 kata, 7 two-man yakusoku kumite routines, and kobudō practice... - Katsuya MiyahiraKatsuya Miyahirawas an Okinawan martial artist who was the grand master of the Shorin-ryu Shido-kan style of Okinawan Karate and the president of the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate Association. He is ranked Hanshi, 10th Dan. Miyahira created the Shido-kan branch of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu after the death of his teacher,...
, founder of Shōrin-ryū ShidōkanShorin-ryu Shidokanis the main branch of Shorin-ryū style of Okinawan karate, started by Katsuya Miyahira, Hanshi 10th Dan.It should not be confused with the newer Japanese Shidokan, another style of Karate 志道館 okinawan shidokan precedes 士道館, Japanese shidokan by 33 years and was well established before the...
Motobu published two books on karate, Okinawa Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
Karate-jutsu Kumite-hen (1926) and Watashi no Karate Jutsu (1933. Available in translation by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy).