All About Ryukyu Kenpo
Ryukyu Kenpo* (琉球
拳法) (many times incorrectly spelled Ryukyu Kempo) is one of the oldest,
and most effective, life protection arts that man has ever developed. Through
centuries of development in the orient, bodily movement, physical blows,
punches, and kicks have been refined to a level never before seen in human
history.
Masters can split boards, bricks, and
stone with their bare hands; perform amazing feats of physical skill; disarm or
disable opponents in fractions of a second. This mastery is not confined to
physical feats alone. Mental conditioning is a vital part of Ryukyu Kenpo.
Techniques of concentration, mental alertness, and internal energy development
allow the Kenpo man to expand his visual and auditory skills to an extraordinary
degree; so he can sense and avoid the approach of danger. Secrets of the mind
and body were discovered and handed down from master to disciple in an unbroken
chain from the earliest time. Many times, attackers ‘sense’ this danger to
themselves and search elsewhere for ‘easier’ prey. The self confidence created
by Ryukyu Kenpo training gives one the courage to set and work towards worthy
personal goals; and, live free from fear. The Kenpo movements and exercises,
also, decrease built up stress and tensions in the body; leading to greater
health and self improvement, while enhancing the length and
quality of life enjoyed by Ryukyu Kenpo practitioners.
Today, uneducated people think Ryukyu
Kenpo is some type of “Karate”.
Through misinformation due to ignorance of history or fabrication by
unscrupulous agenda driven instructors, they do not realize that Karate and its
offshoots like Taekwondo and many others are weak, watered down, often
sporterized, derivatives of the original Ryukyu (Okinawan) Kenpo and
Kobujutsu. The father of Karate in Japan, Gichen Funakoshi's, first book written
for the Japanese was “Ryukyu Kenpo Karate-do”
in 1922. In his final book, written just before his death in 1957, he reaffirms
this; and discusses how he changed it and its names to better suit his Japanese
students. Choki Motobu, another Okinawan instructor (and renown fighter) was
Funakoshi's nemesis. His book “Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Jutsu
on Kumite” was published in Japan in 1926. Motobu concentrated on Kumite
(fighting techniques) and not just on Kata as did Funakoshi. These two men and
their students were the main forces behind “Karate”
in Japan; and by extension the world. They both were Kenpo instructors from
Okinawa; the main island in the Ryukyu chain.
Ryukyu Kenpo is taught by certified licensed instructors. These
credentials are prominently displayed, or available on request, by all
legitimate instructors. Ryukyu Kenpo is a vast and complicated subject involving
striking with both arms and legs, parries, entrapments, immobilization’s,
balance interrupts, joint locks and dislocations, anatomical physiological point
structures, analytical research, Kata, weapons (of every kind), two man drills,
contact sparring, character development, mental development techniques, and a
deep and abiding respect for man and our world. It takes only one year to
develop offence (kicking and punching); yet, over 10 years are required to
properly develop a total defense. An offensive fighter may win out in the short
run; but after two years, or so, the tables start to turn. At this point, the
defensive fighter only improves; while the offensive fighter has reached the
limits of his ability. Even something as simple as punching someone entails such
minutiae as: distancing, timing, angle of attack, twist, load bearing surfaces,
point physiology, and energy release (Ki) and transference. Tuite (grab-hand) is
the gentlemanly way to self-defense; as, even monkeys can kick and punch. And,
it takes years of analytical research (Kenkyu) to be able to understand, and
perform Tuite techniques correctly. A student must learn the techniques of other
styles and how to defeat them, counter techniques to Aikido, jujutsu, and all
other grappling arts. Since all these techniques are contained in the Kata,
(not, just the superficial appearance of blocking and striking, such as children
can understand) the research of Kata elevates Ryukyu Kenpo to a scientific art.
An art that is useful and can be practiced throughout your whole life, even,
deep into old age.
*Kempo
is the way Kenpo (拳法) is pronounced.
This strange phenomenon occurs because Japanese speakers place their tongues on
the back of their teeth and close their lips when pronouncing this sound. The
attempts to transliterate the different Japanese writing methods into English
have caused many difficulties. To see one side in the dispute go to
Tracy's site.
Due to its practical, uncompromising nature, Ryukyu Kenpo Kobujutsu can never be a sport.
While this may prevent it from becoming ‘popular’, it does preserve the discipline’s primary objective: the creation of a life insurance policy that can’t ‘lapse’.
Although modern Ryukyu Kenpo has many Chinese influences, its origin lies in the mists of Okinawan history and folklore. One of the main problems in researching the origins, lies in the paucity of written records and conflicting oral traditions. Fragmentary records indicate it may have been practiced in some form more than 2,000 years ago.
One thing we can be certain of is: Bodhidharma (Ta Mo, Da Mo, Daruma) did not bring Chinese Boxing to the Shaolin monks, from India, in 649CE. This is a modern 20th century myth, brought about by a widely popular Chinese novel The Travels of Lao Ts’an, first published in Illustrated Fiction Magazine between 1904 - 1907. In the book the fictional character Liu Jen-fu learns boxing from a monk he met on Omei Mountain. When he asks his teacher for the source of his art he is told “The T’aitsu style that you have learned from me was handed down from the Dharma.” There is no written reference concerning his involvement with anything other than introducing Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China. All else is pure fabrication. On a secondary note: It has often been claimed that a second Shaolin monastery was built in Chiu-Lien-Shan, P’u-T’ien-Hsien, Fu-Chou-Fu, Fukien province. There is no evidence that this temple ever existed, and in fact the Chiu-Lien-Shan is located in Kwantung province. A Chinese scholar named Hsu K’o wrote the Ch’ing Pai Lei Chao in 1917. This work is a 48 volume collection of folk tales and fables which includes stories of the Heaven and Earth Society [Triads] which refer to the legendary Fukien Shaolin Temple. Unfortunately some martial art’s historians have regarded Hsu K’o’s work as history and have used it as a source.
Ryukyu Kenpo's development appears to have been influenced by the early immigration to Okinawa by members of defeated Japanese clans (in 1185 and again in 1333) and the many cultural exchanges between China and Okinawa from the 13th to 19th centuries. In Okinawa, Ryukyu Kenpo’s techniques were developed in great secrecy. Taught only to the landed nobility, it was the domain of the professional warrior class and their families, until modern times.
Another myth that needs to be put to rest is - the theory that Okinawan peasants fought the Japanese Samurai using their native fighting skills. The facts are: 1.) The Japanese never had more than a few dozen Samurai stationed on Okinawa at any one time due to the island's acquiescence to Japanese rule. 2.) All of the original teachers of Ryukyu Kenpo (Karate) were, in fact, the nobility of Okinawa - or - as the Japanese would have called them - Samurai. 3.) Many of what the Japanese thought were "peasant" farmers, merchants, fishermen were the sons of noble families. These imaginary battles never happened.
Whatever it may have been in the past; or, wherever it may have come from or been influenced by; one thing is for certain – the Okinawans gave to humanity one of the very best life protection systems the world has ever known. We proudly continue this tradition.
Note: If you are having difficulty
viewing the Japanese or Traditional Chinese kanji, [shows up as little squares
or ???? marks] you need to
read this
first.
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