Gichin Funakoshi Books and life

[GAB]

Hi all I am starting this thread as per tshadowchaser..

RobertR,

I have a question for you regarding the book that was translated by John Teramoto... The Twenty Guiding principles of Karate...

Where do you think these words of wisdom came from?

Are they similar to the 'Aesop tales' that have been around so long in the western culture ???

Do you think they are as old as the Chinese Scholar's and just wrapped in a different package???

The reason for this thought...I was reading the Shotokan thread and thought I would ask..

GM James Mitose was a practioner in the art of what he called
Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo, in his later years...

There was a book that was published after his death that had similar principals...

I have numerous books of Gichin Funakoshi.

What is your thoughts on this topic?

Regards, Gary

 

[The Kai]

GAB

What is the title of the book you are talking about??

 

[GAB]

GAB

What is the title of the book you are talking about??

Hi Kai,

"The Twenty Guiding priciples of Karate" is what I am talking about.

Regards, Gary

 

[The Kai]

Hi Kai,

"The Twenty Guiding priciples of Karate" is what I am talking about.

Regards, Gary

Actually I was asking about the title to Mitoses's book you keep mentioning, since you already had stated this title

 

[The Kai]

Actuallt, In search of Kenpo had no principles outlined

having read both books what do you think is similiar about them???

 

[RRouuselot]

Gary,



I just noticed this Thread after I sent you an email with the answer to your question concerning Funakoshi and the 20 Principles.



Here was my answer:



Gary: Thanks for the post on "Bushi" Matsumura. Do you think he could have got it from the Satsuma Clan invasion of 1609???



Me: I don’t think Japanese MA had that big of an influence on Okinawan culture.

For one thing Okinawans are to this day closer to Chinese in their way of thinking.

The Okinawan’s have no religion per say like the Japanese do and practice ancestor worship if you could call that a religion then that would be theirs.

They don’t share much philosophically either.

Another thing is there weren’t that many Japanese in Okinawa as an Occupying Army.

I think I read somewhere that it was just a few hundred Japanese.

So it most likely was invented by an Okinawan or possibly copied from some Chinese Confucian text.



Additional:

Even to this day Okinawans are very different in many aspects than the Japanese.

Japanese social culture is vertical and Okianwan social culture is horizontal. Japanese karate has many of the same aspects as kendo (the sport) whereas Okianwan karate (traditional) has more of the aspect of Okinawan Bushi….i.e. use the necessary amount of force to resolve the situation and no more.

As for the 20 principles…..I think they are most likely an amalgamation of educated thoughts from various people and grouped together to form a common theme rather than from a single source or race.

 

[GAB]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the post and the additional information.

Regards, Gary

 

[RRouuselot]

Actuallt, In search of Kenpo had no principles outlined

having read both books what do you think is similiar about them???

Which one was written first?
Do you think it possible that one was copied from the other?

 

[The Kai]

Actually the two books have nothing in common.

Funakoshi book I am sure you are familiar with
the other a collection of japanese folklore, energy collections drills and the admonishment on every page to respect the law and police officers