History
| 
| 
The Beginnings
Karate developed on the island of Okinawa out of a combination of Chinese weaponless fighting systems and local fighting techniques. From this combination emerged "Tode", short for the Okanawaian "Tang-Te", meaning "Hand from China" which eventually became the Japanese "Kara-Te". This evolution was partly due to the Japanese occupation of the island which lasted from 1609 to 1868 and during which the possession of arms was forbidden to the local people.
The three leading Tode fighting-schools were named after their hometowns: Shurite, Tomarite and Nahate. Shurite and Tomarite, both oriented on self-defense, eventually became what is known as Shorin Ryu today; Nahate, which was based on the soft Southern Chinese fighting-systems, turned into Shorei Ryu.These two Ryu or "schools" are the basis of all contemporary Karate styles.
Until the end of Japanese occupation Karate was only taught and practised in secret. Shorin master Anko Itosu first went public with his "Tode" or "Karate" skills in 1905 claiming Karate's virtue for physical education at public schools. For this, he developed a set of simplified technical forms, simplified Kata, today known as Pinan or Heian Kata.
Introduction of Karate to Japan
From 1920 onward Karate was made known in Japan by Gichin Funakoshi, a student of Itosu's. 1935 Japan's first Karate Dojo was founded: the Shotokan, the House of Shoto. "Shoto", meaning "pinetrees making waves in the wind", was the name Funakoshi signed his poems with: "When I had the time I used to walk along the flanks of mount Torao... and if there was even but a soft wind blowing you could here the rustle of the pinetrees and feel the deep, unfathomable secret which lies at the roots of all life."
The Karate Funakoshi taught was called "Shotokan"-Karate. Gichin Funakoshi, born in 1868, had studied and excelled in both Shorin and Shorei Ryu. In addition, he had studied the Chinese classics, poetry and calligraphy and was a teacher at an elementary school for many years. During all of his lifetime Funakoshi pointed out the close relation between martial arts and Zen Buddhism. This made him agree with changing the characters for Karate, as "Hand from China" to Karate as "Empty Hand"... thus complying with an emerging Japanese nationalism. But in some other respects also Funakoshi's Karate, which he thought to be primarily a means of education, fell under the influence of nationalist military pressure groups. The Nihon Butoku Kai, the national organisational body of Japanese Martial Arts, demanded that a system of grades and competitions be introduced to Karate. It also declared four styles of Karate to be the main ones: Shotokan, Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu and Wado Ryu. Funakoshi accepted the grading system, he did not accept competitions. He did not even allow Kumite forms (partner exercises) in his practise sessions which are commonly used even in Shotokai Karate today.
Splitting into Shotokai Karate Do and Shotokan Sports Karate
After Second World War, during which the Shoto Kann, or Hombu Dojo, was destroyed, some of Funakoshi's elder students (Nakayama, Nishima and Obata) also demanded training for competition and better "marketing" by organizing competitions to be introduced.
In 1949 Nakayama founded the Japan Karate Association JKA with the aim to spread Karate as a competitive fighting sport. Funakoshi denied him his support - the JKA all the same named him "honourable teacher" - an "honour" he never accepted. Karate-Do and competition were not to be joined in the view of Funakoshi. His appointed successor, his Uchi-Deshi, that is his "inner" student, the one who had also mastered the inner values of Martial Arts, was to be Shigeru Egami. Gichin Funakoshi died in 1957.
Egami founded the Shotokai Ryu, the "School of Shoto's group", named in memory of the Nihon Karate-Do Shoto-Kai, an association founded in 1935 to finance and maintain Funakoshi Senseis teaching and the construction of the Shoto Kan.
Shigeru Egami proved faithful to Zen oriented Karate. "Who wants to follow the way of true Karate must not only try and stand up to his opponent, he must seek unity with him. Killing is not the aim, neither is winning. The practise of Karate-Do aims at becoming one with your partner and evolve together." In view of this aim he developed and renewed the techniques. His goal became to develop as much power, energy and intensity as possible with the utmost ease and suppleness... to clear the way for harmony and unity in one common movement.
After Funakoshi's death in 1957 Egami Sensei also succeeded in his function as main teacher in the Hombu Dojo, the Central Dojo in Japan, and as head of Nihon Karate-Do Shotokai. He chaired the organisation until his death in 1981. After him followed until recently Genshin Hironishi. Today's head of Nihon Karate-Do Shotokai is Jotaro Takagi, former executive of Mitsubishi enterprises.
Shotokai Karate throughout the world
During the fifties Funakoshi's students promoted Karate also outside Japan, most of them using the name "Shotokan" and more or less linked to the JKA.
In 1957 Tetsuij Murakami was sent to Europe, following a request of Henri Plée, the French pioneer of Karate in Europe. Starting from France, Murakami founded training groups in Italy, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Germany and Switzerland. In his beginnings, Murakami taught Shotokan Karate as Funakoshi himself had taught it. In 1968, during a trip to Japan, he was introduced to Egami's more sophisticated forms of practise. Convinced by what he had learnt, he changed his method as well and started teaching Shotokai Karate. Murakami Sensei died 1987 in Paris.
Mitsusuke Harada, who had learnt with Egami also, introdueced Shotokai Karate to Brezil where his professional career had taken him. In 1965 he moved to England where he has been teaching since. Apart from Harada's organisation, the Karate Do Shotokai KDS, there are two other main Shotokai organisations in England and Scotland: Shindo Shotokai Association and The Shotokai Foundation.
In Chile Humberto Heyden teaches, who was one of Ito's students, who himself had been taught by Harada. Another student of Egami's, today teaching in Italy and in Spain, is Hiruma.
Successor to Murakami Sensei in France since 1987 is Patrick Herbert, who had been his assistant since 1980. Patrick Herbert is technical director of Shotokai Karate Do Europe KDSE; he teaches in Paris and during intensive practise courses in the whole of France and in Switzerland.
© Copyright Patrick Herbert Shotokai Europe