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THE LEGEND IS THAT AN INDIAN PRINCE, BODHIDHARMA, CAME ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS FROM INDIA TO CHINA AND LIVED AT THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE. HE BEGAN TO TEACH THE MONKS IN THE TEMPLE HIS BRAND OF BUDDHISM, BUT HE FOUND THEM TOO WEAK PHYSICALLY TO FOLLOW THE STRICT DISCIPLINE OF HIS TEACHINGS SO HE DEVELOPED A SERIES OF EXERCISES TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. THESE EXERCISES DEVELOPED INTO FIGHTING METHODS AND LATER BECAME THE BASIS OF THE KATA WE PRACTICE TODAY. WHAT HE TAUGHT THE MONKS BECAME KUNG FU AND SPREAD THROUGH CHINA.THE OKINAWAN PEOPLE HAD DEVELOPED A FIGHTING SYSTEM CALLED OKINAWA-TE. TE, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO, MEANS EITHER WAY, METHOD, OR HAND. THE EXPLANATION I FEEL IS BEST, SAYS IT IS HAND. THE OKINAWAN PEOPLE DEVELOPED TE AFTER THE OKINAWAN KINGS PROHIBITED THE AVERAGE PERSON FROM OWNING WEAPONS. TE GAVE THEM A WAY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES WITHOUT WEAPONS. THEY ALSO DEVISED A WAY OF USING THEIR FARMING TOOLS AS WEAPONS. THE BO WAS A WALKING STICK, THE KAMA WAS USED TO CUT THE GRAIN, THE NUNCHUKA WAS USED TO THRASH THE GRAIN, THE TONFA WAS A PORTABLE HANDLE AND ALSO USED TO GRIND GRAIN. THE SAI WAS A PLANTING TOOL. WHEN THE OKINAWAN PEOPLE BEGAN TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE PEOPLE THEY BEGAN TO COMBINE OKINAWA-TE AND KUNG FU AND DEVELOPED A SYSTEM CALLED KARA-TE. KARA MEANT CHINA AND TE MEANT HAND. KARATE DEVELOPED DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS THROUGH MANY GREAT MASTERS TO A MASTER NAMED GICHIN FUNAKOSHI. HE TOOK KARATE TO JAPAN. WHEN HE TOOK IT TO JAPAN HE CHANGED THE CHARACTER OF KARA SLIGHTLY, WHICH CHANGED THE MEANING FROM CHINA TO EMPTY, WHICH MADE THE MODERN TRANSLATION OF KARATE MEAN EMPTY HAND. IN JAPAN MR. FUNAKOSHI WANTED WHAT HE TAUGHT TO BE CALLED SIMPLY KARATE, BUT HIS STUDENTS BEGAN TO CALL IT SHOTO KAN. MR. FUNAKOSHI WAS A POET AND SHOTO, WHICH MEANS WAVING PINES, WAS HIS PEN NAME. KAN MEANS WAY OR METHOD. THEREFORE HIS STYLE OF KARATE BECAME KNOWN AS SHOTOKAN. MR. FUNAKOSHI IS CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF MODERN DAY KARATE.
AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE AMERICAN G.I.'S STUDIED KARATE IN THE EAST AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE USA. ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO BRING KARATE BACK TO THE USA WAS MASTER ROBERT TRIAS, WHO OPENED THE FIRST PUBLIC KARATE SCHOOL IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA IN 1946. MASTER TRIAS IS CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF AMERICAN KARATE. MASTER TRIAS PASSED AWAY IN 1989. AT HIS PASSING HE WAS A 9th DEGREE GRAND MASTER. MASTER TRIAS WAS THE INSTRUCTOR OF MASTER DIRK MOSIG, NOW AN 8th DEGREE BLACK BELT IN SHORIN RYU. MASTER MOSIG WAS THE FIRST KARATE INSTRUCTOR OF SENSEI Y.A. AND SENSEI YOUNG. SENSEI MOSIG TAUGHT BOTH OF US MANY OF THE IDEALS AND STANDARDS OF THE MARTIAL ARTS THAT WE ADHERE TO TODAY. |
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