Complete Shotokan Karate. Robin L. Rielly

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      At some point in man's ancient history he found it necessary to defend himself continuously from his fellows. This need for self-defense was usually a collective enterprise, as man did not live alone, but in extended families or small tribes. Eventually, these groups became large enough so that individual roles were defined. In primitive societies could be found men whose main duties were the making of weapons, hunting, or other related tasks. Throughout the feudal periods of history, wars between neighboring groups were carried on mainly by members of the aristocracy, and sometimes by peasants, who laid aside their farm implements and picked up weapons to defend their native soil.

      As societies continued to grow, roles were further specialized to the extent that the economy was able to support a permanent military force. Classes of professional warriors, whose main task in life was to fight, came into existence. These were men who had the time and financial support that permitted the full-time practice of the methods of war and all its intricacies. These circumstances resulted in the development of the martial arts, the aim of whose training was to prepare men for war and to keep them in constant readiness should the need for their services arise. In different areas of the world this process took place at different times.

      With the advent of firearms, the traditional martial arts began to decline in value. A conscripted soldier with a little training was capable of killing with one shot even the most heavily armored knight or the most skilled swordsman. The value placed on the arts of the sword, spear, and bow were denigrated. As this transition occurred, the continuous local warfare between neighbors began to lessen. In Japan, this began to take place when a unification process began in the seventeenth century.

      The final step in the process (in Japan) that saw the decline of the warrior came with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, at which time the feudal system was abolished. Japan then saw the need to style her army along Western lines. Accordingly, the arts of the sword and spear took second place to the use of the rifle and artillery in the creation of a modern army. As Japan progressed and became involved at the turn of the century in a series of wars with other Asian countries and certain Western powers, the utilitarian function of those traditional arts declined. However, since they were a valuable part of the traditions of Japan and excellent builders of spiritual and physical strength, training in them was still encouraged. In order to derive the most benefit from their practice, newer types of contests had to be developed which would not see the death of the loser as a result. For example, the shinai, or bamboo sword, which had been used in schools of traditional sword fighting for centuries as a practice implement, became the principle weapon in the practice of kendo (sword fighting), while the live blade was reserved for practice in moves without an opponent (i.e., the kata; see Chapter 7). By wearing armor and using the shinai, schools could compete with one another and live to tell about it. Safe practice made it possible for the traditional arts, among them judo and karate, to develop into systems of physical education. In summary, the techniques of warfare had been transformed into means of physical conditioning, self-discipline, and even entertainment, that is, into sport.

      In the remainder of this chapter, a general history of karate—and its development from martial art to sport—will be outlined. In subsequent chapters, the influence that the history and traditions of Japan had on this development will be examined in greater detail.

      THE ORIGINS OF KARATE

      Since man began his existence unarmed, systems of weaponless combat can be found throughout the world. In the Far East, these systems are very old and carry different names according to the geographical areas in which they are practiced, for example, ch'uan-fa in China, taekwon-do in Korea, and karate in Japan. For purposes of simplification the term "karate" is used herein to designate those Oriental combative arts whose main techniques involve striking an opponent with the hands or feet. In Asia this type of fighting has a long history. Among the unarmed fighting techniques, karate is perhaps the oldest form of pugilism.

      The origins of the art are somewhat obscure, owing in part to the fact that it was frequently practiced in secret by groups vying for power. Since its history was not written, one has to rely on oral tradition, bits and pieces of information, and art works in order to present a complete picture.