The Chinese Roots of Japanese Karate: Explained

[Xue Sheng100]

Should note, this comes from NTD Television - New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD Television) a multilingual American television broadcaster founded by adherents of Falun Gong

 

[Flying Crane]

That’s quite the warning label.

 

[isshinryuronin1]

Should note, this comes from NTD Television - New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD Television) a multilingual American television broadcaster founded by adherents of Falun Gong

The title should be The Chinese Roots of OKINAWAN karate. The roots of Japanese karate are of course Okinawan. But it is just a TV show.

The major inaccuracy was linking karate to farmers, when it was actually the aristocratic class that were exposed to formal kung fu instruction. But it's just a TV show and not too much should be expected as Flying Crane hints at.

 

[Xue Sheng100]

Yeah i’m aware of the inaccuracies, but i was actually more interested in the forms comparison that was shown between white crane and goju ryu

 

[Xue Sheng100]

That’s quite the warning label.

Wanted to clarify the association.

This guy makes a lot of videos on martial arts, all are rather entertaining, and the CMA videos tend to be not too bad.

 

[isshinryuronin1]

i was actually more interested in the forms comparison that was shown between white crane and goju ryu

Yes, there are many similarities. Hiragonna and Uechi (Naha-te) brought their art from China to Okinawa several decades later than Matsumura (Shuri-te) so it had less time to be "Okinawanized."

While they all studied in Fuzhou southern China where white crane was prevalent, only Matsumura also studied in Beijing, northern China where styles other than crane were popular. I think these two facts account for the Naha branch to more closely resemble Chinese crane.

Oh, I just thought of a third one: Matsumura was a government security official and likely had contact with arts (both empty hand and kobudo) more military in nature, again spending time in non-crane instruction.

Still, the Shuri-te branch of karate also shows white crane influence, just not as much as the Naha-te styles.

 

[Xue Sheng100]

Yes, there are many similarities. Hiragonna and Uechi (Naha-te) brought their art from China to Okinawa several decades later than Matsumura (Shuri-te) so it had less time to be "Okinawanized."

While they all studied in Fuzhou southern China where white crane was prevalent, only Matsumura also studied in Beijing, northern China where styles other than crane were popular. I think these two facts account for the Naha branch to more closely resemble Chinese crane.

Oh, I just thought of a third one: Matsumura was a government security official and likely had contact with arts (both empty hand and kobudo) more military in nature, again spending time in non-crane instruction.

Still, the Shuri-te branch of karate also shows white crane influence, just not as much as the Naha-te styles.

The Chinese connection, the Okinawan connection to China, not the Bruce Lee movie, is interesting me more and more about Karate. Of course my Kobudo interest helps too

 

[isshinryuronin1]

The Chinese connection, the Okinawan connection to China, not the Bruce Lee movie, is interesting me more and more about Karate.

Just a few years ago in my readings I found that this relationship was much more profound than I realized. The Kingdom of Ryukyu was more closely connected to China in trade and culture than with Japan from the 1300's to the 1700's and in some ways even into the 1800's. This is what allowed Okinawa to be exposed to CMA and in later decades, resist Japan's attempt to force their view of "empty hands" upon their "Chinese hands."
Okinawa gave way, but only reluctantly in order to be accepted into Japanese society. IMO the cultural history of the region is much reflected in karate history.