Karate and Kobudo Development

[TimoS]

Somebody revive Shimabukuro, Nagamine, and Odo and tell them to give back Kyan no Sai.

To the best of my knowledge Kyan no sai was developed by Tatsuo Shimabukuro. If you have other knowledge, I would like to know. If it was developed and taught by Kyan, why is it not in Seibukan? Zenryo Shimabukuro was one of the seniormost (if not the seniormost) student of Kyan, so I find it odd that he didn't include it into his curriculum.

Ah, just got additional information. There are two Kyan no sai kata in existense. One was developed by Tatsuo Shimabukuro, the other by a Matsubayashi ryu instructor called Shinei Kyan (no relation to Chotoku Kyan).

Sai:

The iron weapon, sai, which in olden days was used by officials to arrest criminals and to hold back crowds, was actually created to defend against attacks from swords, bo, nunchaku or tuifa.

One of the sai kata practiced in Matsubayashi-Ryu is called "Chomo Hanagusku No Sai." "Hanagusku" is the Okinawan pronunciation of "Hanashiro." Chomo Hanashiro taught sai kata to Shinei Kyan, one of the founding members of the Nagamine dojo. The kata is also called "Kyan No Sai."

http://www.matsubayashi-ryu.com/print.php?id=Res_Kobudo&gloss=

[20:29:08] kimongua: Kyan Shinei (1914-July 16, 1997): Only about 26 years of age at the time of the special committee, Kyan was a student of both karate and kobudo. He studied kobudo (principally saijutsu) with Kina Shosei (1882-?)/10 who also taught Isa Shinyu/11, and bojutsu under Oshiro Chojo (1888-1939) of the Yamanni-Ryu tradition. He also studied bojutsu under Hanashiro Chomo, from whom he learned the bo kata Shirataro No Kon. A large, strongly built man, Kyan was well-known in Okinawa as an expert of both the sai and bo.

Kyan was a long-time friend of Nagamine Shoshin. One of the earliest members of Matsubayashi-Ryu, he was a Hanshi, 9th dan, in the art at the time of his death. Two of the sai kata practiced in Matsubayashi-Ryu are attributed to him. The basic kata is simply called Sai Dai Ichi. The more advanced kata is referred to as Kyan No Sai. A 1965 film of Kyan taken in "Mr. Benoki's Garden" shows his considerable expertise with both the bo and sai. In it, he performs his namesake kata with three sai, throwing one into the ground at the end. He also performs Shirataro No Kon.

In the postwar period, Kyan worked in the education field. Perhaps he was best known, however, for his political career. First elected in 1970, he served five terms in the Japanese National Diet, earning the nickname "Mr. Okinawa." He also saw karate as a way to good health, longevity and peace. In 1991 he wrote:

...Okinawan karate tells us to pay high respect to the life of our enemy and settle any violence peacefully without using weapons, which may be used only for protecting ourselves from attack. The traditional way of self-defense is purely defensive, not offensive. I am proud of this philosophy of Okinawan karate

http://seinenkai.com/articles/art-fukyu.html

 

[Ojisan]

Thanks for the information on the "other" Kyan.

Odo taught a "Kyan no Sai" and his lineage goes back to Nakamura. However, he may have known the other Kyan.

I guess my question would be as to why Tatsuo would create a Kyan no Sai, if Kyan didn't teach the weapon. Again, I never saw any information on Kyan's weapons training except Bishop's comment (I think) about Tokimine having alrready died when Kyan went to learn the form.

 

[TimoS]

I guess my question would be as to why Tatsuo would create a Kyan no Sai, if Kyan didn't teach the weapon.

Well, from what I've been told, Kyan no sai is "just" Seiunchin (or however that is spelled) done with sai, with maybe some modifications (I am relying on what I've been told on this, as I am not familiar with either kata). Another thing is, many of the instructors made their own kata. Kyan created Ananku based on the other kata he learned, likewise Zenryo Shimabukuro created Wanchin and Nagamine created his own Ananku. So maybe Tatsuo learned sai basics from someone and thus made Kyan no sai as a homage to his teacher.

Again, I never saw any information on Kyan's weapons training except Bishop's comment (I think) about Tokimine having alrready died when Kyan went to learn the form.

Hmm, I'll have to check my book also. Can't remember reading about that, but then again, it's been a few years since I last read it, so maybe I've forgotten Shame my contact's gone offline for the evening, can't check with him.

 

[arnisador]

I learned Gojushiho no sai prior to learning Gojushiho. It was interesting to see how one kata could do "double duty"!

 

[searcher]

I learned Gojushiho no sai prior to learning Gojushiho. It was interesting to see how one kata could do "double duty"!

Funny you even bring that up. I have required this practice in the past with my 1st Kyu students who are up for BB. They choose the weapon and the kata then have to put them together.

 

[Grenadier]

Ah, just got additional information. There are two Kyan no sai kata in existense. One was developed by Tatsuo Shimabukuro, the other by a Matsubayashi ryu instructor called Shinei Kyan (no relation to Chotoku Kyan).

http://www.matsubayashi-ryu.com/print.php?id=Res_Kobudo&gloss=


http://seinenkai.com/articles/art-fukyu.html

There are probably more flavors of Kyan No Sai in existence. For example:

 

[Victor Smith]

Isshinryu's Kyan No Sai is a layered issue.

Shimabuku Tatsuo taught it to the Americans in the late 50's or so and later discontinued teaching it, but incorporated a piece of that kata into his Kusanku Sai practice (extending the ending of Kusanku).

Many American students were never exposed to it. One lineage which did retain the practice was that of the late Sherman Harrill. Here is one of his students, Mark Radunz, performing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Sk0FfUNgM&feature=channel_page

Many didn't believe in it's existence until the 1958 movie was discovered showing Shimabuku Sensei performing it.

The 'truth' as to its origin and whether it was retained in his Okinawan students practice I can't prove. Whether there is a link to Kyan, that it was a Kyan practice, or a kata created to honnor the instructor I can't prove. I do recall reading Odo Sensei did train with Shimabuku Sensei at one time.

The past is done, it cannot be recreated, just honnored.

Kata exist, practice them or not.

I greatly respect Harrill Sensei's tradition, and his work to keep Kyan no Sai alive, but it is not the Isshinryu tradition I follow and haven't concerned myself in trying to obtain the kata for my own practice.

There are infinate aspects of wonder after all.

 

[Victor Smith]

On the original issue, whether Karate and Kobudo systems have direct links, IMO not on the whole. Most seem to have been a result of post WWII training.

Isshinryu's Shimabuku Tatsuo studied Tokomeni No Kon with Kyan, and most likely created Kyan no Sai to work sai technique, but in the late 50's early 60's studied with Taira Shinken and incorporated versions of Taira's kobudo kata into Isshinryu, and continued his own efforts creating Kusanku Sai.

Personally I think the fictional portrayal of the past in Tom Cruise' 'the Last Samuari' makes the case empty hand and hand held weapons in warfare was obselete in the late 1800's, the same time Karate was being codified and developed in its more modern forms on Okinawa.

But we don't need a movie, take the time to read on Gettysburg, what firearms could do in one day on a battlefield, and the world studied to create WWI and the rest. They didn't worry about bo, sai or all the rest.

I do not believe kobudo is a quaint practice, but rather that decades of work with the weapons increases your ability in empty hand application. When you can grab an arm and snap it down with the power developed in a descending sai strike, the technique of acceleration is enahnced through the kobudo practice. Each of the weapons training different skills.

If that's not enough reason I don't know what is.