The Secret Symbol

Matsumora Kosaku (1829-1898) together with Oyadomari Kokan (1827-1905) were masters of a Tomari village method of Te (Tomari-te). Oral tradition teaches that they were students of the masters Teruya and Uku, but they also learned kempo with Annan, a supposedly Chinese master from Fuzhou that survived a shipwreck in the Okinawan coast. This man lived as a hermit in a cave at the hills north of Tomari, and Matsumora and Oyadomari observed secretly his solitary kempo training. One day, they decided to ask him for instruction and began to practice in the atrium of a grave where Annan slept.
When Anan left Okinawa, he gave Matsumora a scroll with a picture of a woman in a fighting posture (kamae) holding a pine-branch in one hand. Anan explained that the picture was the symbol of his school. This story was passed on by Funakoshi Gichin in "Karate-do Kyohan” and also by Nakazone Seiyu, and it means that Tomari-te has a Chinese origin. Now, Matsumora considered Teruya as his true master (according to Shoshin Nagamine in "Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters"), and Teruya was probably a Chinese master (and not an Okinawan, like Uku). It is said that he passed on the katas Passai, Wanshu and Rohai. It is not impossible that Teruya and Annan are the same person.
Kempo symbolism usually represents the Art as a woman. This is the Yin principle, the internal power (the “Ju” energy). The woman means flexibility, agility, cunning, dissimulation, characterizing a soft style of Quan with body changes (escapes), tricks and circular strikes. The pine branch is a symbol of knowledge and secret..
It should be noticed also that a very similar symbol was adopted by Shimabuku Tatsuo as the symbol of his karate system (Isshim-ryu). In fact, Tatsuo was exposed to the Tomari-te via Motobu and Kyan, before create his karate system.
According to the Isshin-ryu tradition, Shimabuku has obtained this symbol in a dream or – probably - in a trance-like state (he was a seer and mystical). This is a passage event that marks frequently an initiation in the esoteric traditions from Western and Eastern cultures. In fact, Tatsuo was a sort of a medium, clairvoyance, and a professional diviner before he dedicated full time to his karate. This tradition has a long history… Hyppocrates and Galenus, famous physicians from the Antiquity related that they acquired their wisdom through dreams, that is, in trance-like states. These are only two among thousands of examples that can be found in the Western and Eastern prisca sapientiae traditions. Wisdom and knowledge are two differents things. Among the Vedics, Taoists, Muslims and the first Christians, similar experiences took part on their “initiation into the mysteries”. They happened also with the American (Northern, Central and Southern) Indians and also in the African and Asiatic’s spiritual traditions. A deeper involvement (in the Platonic sense of the Eros) with some knowledge based in traditions, like karate, can turn on archetypes that control the Art and that is asleep in the Collective Unconscious. An deeper psychological and physical experience with the Art inserted in a cultural receptive environment sometimes can turn on these archetypes.
Shimabuku’s karate was legitimated by this experience and he didn’t need any “menkyo kaiden” (a mere object of vanity) to be a master in the real sense. When we look the Kosaku Matsumora’s biography, we think that he had a similar experience. In fact, it is probable that this archetype is recurrent in the Okinawan karate, that could be controlled by this archetype. The legend of the Anan’s scroll perhaps should be read in this psychological and anthropological sense. Martial Arts traditions are controlled by archetypes (and not by menkyo kaiden or masters), or as the old Chinese masters said: “by the Night Imperator” (the "Genbu", in the Japanese mytholoy).

Motobu Naifanchin

Sensei Nakaema doing Motobu Naifanchi (2017). Notice that the first and last move are different from the Itosu's Naifanchi. Motobu taught this kata, but in his book he adopted the Itosu's version. (Originally, it was used oniken, instead seiken.)

How to use a good oniken.

Old Sanchin

Sanchin was used in the past to develop the body and a lot of patience (you will need to wait 3, 4 or more years to get a beautiful body practicing Sanchin daily). It is a good exercise for improve the tonus, the breathing and the posture. If you practice exercises with weights (body building), you will not need do Sanchin. Miyagi was a body building enthusiast, and he liked a lot to work with weights and his school was eminently a gym academy. However, in order to keep the memory of his master Higaonna (*), he split the Higaonna’s kata in two other for teaching beginniers.

Weight work develops quick results, while Sanchin needs 3, 4 years of daily training to get some results. Those times Japanese army needed to prepare physically strong youngs in few months, and Sanchin was too much slow to this. The use of weights was spreaded and adopted in karate since.

However, Sanchin is the bettter physical method to develop discipline, attention, self-control, and good posture.

Sensei Nakaema doing old Sanchin in the Okinawa Association (São Paulo, Brazil, 2017).

Jiro Takaesu

Jiro Takaesu (1901-2004)

Jiro Takaesu (1901-2004) was a karate master that immigrated from Okinawa to São Paulo, Brazil. When he was 100, a celebration was done with all the Okinawan community and with his old students. His older brother, Kamado Takaesu, was a direct student of Choyu Motobu. Kamado was very respected as a Udundi master. When Seikichi Uehara, the heir of Choyu Motobu’s Udundi came to Brazil, his first stuff was to visit Kamado.

Jiro Takaesu taught to few students out of Okinawa community. I don’t know whom into the community trained with him, but the late Moritoshi Nakaema, my very friend and one of my masters, trained some time with him. Nelson dos Santos (who introduce me to the Takaesu’s style) was one of the gaijin who trained with him. The Takaesu’s daughter was an expert in her father’s karate and he also taught to a famous mekata dancer (mekata), miss Kayo Tatsue.

Hanshi Takaesu’s 100^th birthday commemoration (at left). In the center, sensei Moritoshi Nalaema and at right sensei Nelson dos Santos.

Two brazilian students involved in professional fighting - Milton Rosa, a professional boxer, and Nelson dos Santos, that was a judo fighter those times – was accepted by Jiro Takaesu to learn karate. Nelson began his trainings with Takaesu in 1954, being introduced by Milton. Since then, Nelson left definitively the judo and dedicated entirely to karate. He taught to me the Takaesu’s karate, a very simple but efficient method.

Milton Rosa was a champion in the featherweight boxing category during many years and his strange form of fighting (posture and punchings) was nothing more than karate, unknown to the general public whom attended boxing fights in the 50s. The “secret techique” of Milton was the daily makiwara training.

Takaesu never worried with dans or promotions; his karate was a regional style that he brought to Brazil. He had few students, and his dojo was in the backyard of his house where there were several makiwaras. When I was introduced to this karate, I trained in the same way in the backyard of Nelson’s house where he also had some makiwaras. Although he was a Shotokan karate master very respected in the Brazilian karate community, the Nelson’s kumite was centered in the Takaesu’s style.

Demonstration of Sanchin (Nakaema and Nelson) during the Talaesu’s birthday commemoration.

The system

Takaesu’s method was based in four principles: makiwara, icihgi ichiri, ura-gake and kake-daoshi. About 50% of the training were on the makiwara, and each technique repeated to exhaustion to be mastered (ichigi ichiri). Ura-gake was an exercise to be trained with a partner to develop power, protect the centerline and hit the opponent into short distnces. Naifanchi and Sanchin (three steps) was the kata of the system. The others - Passai and Kusanku - were not taught occasionaly. All jissen techniques were based in Naifanchi. Sanchin had only three steps forward and not finished with mawashi-uke (a day I visited Takaesu together Nelson and ask him about this; he said that had learned this kata without this movement).

Blockings were trained with two partners knelt on the ground sitting on the heels, the knees touching that of the partner: tori does tsuki to face of uke, and this block with uchi-uke, and vice-versa, so techniques changes to tsuki to stomach and block with gedan-uke. There was two blocks against mae-geri: (1) sukui uke and (2) a downward block with kentsui raising up immediately the hand in a clenched fist to the meotode. All blocking and attack techniques should be done preserving the centerline protected.

There was just one kihon with short range steps using tsuki that changes immediately to meotode-no-kamae to protect the center. The kicks were taken below the waist, except for (bo-geri) which must hit the chin. There was a trick that sensei Nakaema called “Motobu’s jumping” which consisted of jumping over the opponent by twisting their neck (a chair was used for training). Nidan-geri was the other jumping tech. The training included also geta and nigirigame (using large wine bottles).

Takaesu’s kumite was based in kake-daoshi. This is blameworthy today but in the interest of the documentation I will explain it here. According Takaesu, kumite should be learned acquiring experience in actual fightings and discuss it post-factum with the sensei, and he explained how to improve them.  Milton Rosa and Nelson, being professional fighters were accepted due their experience in professional challenges and in “unconventional fights”. This was how the secret of kata were disclosed. By this reason, Takaesu prefered to taught to professional fighters. His karate concept were not compatible to the public teaching. Karate was violence under control. “You must learn the basics, practice a lot of makiwara, and ask to streets teache kumite to you”.

"Shikan" Akamine

Seiichi Yoshitaka Akamine, or "Shikan" Akamine (1920-1995), was an 8th dan in karate that immigrated to Brazil in 1957. He lived in Kawasaki, Japan, and was associated to Kanki Izumigawa and became his assistant, before establishing his own dojo, the Shikan-ryu Dojo, in the early 50s. He trained also with Seiko Higa and Seitoku Higa (the founder of Bugeikan). Akamine was also associated to Seiken Shukomine, they were good friends, and he tried to bring the later to Brazil to teach karate together (Shukomine was the best kumite man in Japan during those days). Shukomine remained in Japan and created the Gensei-ryu in the 60s.

Again in the 50s, in Japan, he gave many demonstrations together with others famous karatkas. In 1950, he participated in the famous karate demonstration show for the Japanese Nippon TV, together with Hidetaka Nishiyama, Ryusho Sakagami, Yasuhiro Konishi, Hiroshi Kinjo, Kanki Izumigawa, and Seiken Shukomine.


In 1958 Akamine began to teach Karate in the Associação Brasileira de Karate-do (ABK), São Paulo, Brazil, where he taught a blend of Higa Seiko's Goju and Kishimoto Shuri-te from Seitoku Higa. After he left the ABK in 1964, his assistents developed the system to Goju-ryu style. My teachers Moritoshi Nakaeama, Iwao Yokote, Nelson dos Santos, Tsuniyoshi Tanaka and Ryuzo Watranabe - all them now deceased - were some of his top students. 

Akamine was born in Naha-shi, Okinawa, and later moved to Japan. During the II World War he served in the Japanese Navy.

The system of Akamine was very organized with a progressive syllabus that covered all karate teachings. He gave a lot of importance to basic footwork, and the core of his teachings were the godan kata series, sanchin, nukite strikes and quick nekoashi movement in kumite.

During his years in the ABK the kata syllabus (until 3rd dan) was the following: Kata-godan (Uke-godan, Empi-godan, Tegatana-godan), Sanchin, Gekisai Ichi (closed hands) and Ni (open hands), Saifa, Kanchabo, Naifanchi, Seionchin, Tensho (Akamine's version), Seisan, Seipai, Azato-no-Passai, Azato-no-Kusanku, Ryufa, and Keri-Kusukun, this later was the top Akamine's kata. To my knowledge, he taught Kobudo just to two seniors students: the Grand Masters Yoshiide Shinzato (deceased) and Nelson dos Santos (deceased).

After Akamine left ABK, its the control was left in charge of his student Ryuzo Watanabe, that later migrated to Gogen Yamaguchi’s Gojukai and became its representative in South America. By not accepting this change, many seniors left the Association (me included) to run their organizations into the Shikan-ryu spirit, among them Moritoshi Nakaema and Ywao Yokote.

Above, São Paulo 2017 - Nakaema, me (Fernando) and the Shoreijikan's instructor, André Mucci (5th dan).

Below, our bonekai, Rio de Janeiro, 2018.

Lineage

Stories about Takemura and Kishimoto

Takemura "Bushi" (1814?-1896) was a tax collector prior to 1879 and very unpopular among the peasants, . At the age of 55, whilst on a tax collecting trip, Takemura was attacked by about 20 of the village males. Eyewitnesses stated that he defeated all of the offenders with circular movements and that now and again his right foot sweep up and scuff the head of an attacker who would run clutching his head in an attempt to replace a flat of skin and hair that had been removed by Takemura's extraordinary "scalping kick".

Afer this incident, Takemura resigned and migrated from Shuri to become a farmer in the north of the island where he taught Ti.

The Takemura's only known disciple, that got from the master the Menkyo Kaiden, was Soko Kishimoto (1862-1945). He passed the Takemura's Ti to Seitoku Higa, the Bugeikan's founder (cousin of Seiko Higa and Yochuku Higa), Seiken Shukomine and "Shikan" Akamine.

Kishimoto emphasized the methods of soft (ju) rather than the methods of hard (go). After Kunihiko Tosa, he believed that: "In Goju-ryu and Kamichi-ryu, the only aim was to build a hard body, which in reality is not enough in a real fight. Punching un-trained targets, such as the eyes or the groin is quicker. Punching at vital points on the body is therefore the strongest".

SOME LEGENDS OF THESE KARATE MASTERS

Kishimoto was a Buddhist by religion, and spent much of his time in meditation and is said that as a result gained "extra-sensory powers". One moonless night, whilst he was walking in a grove, Kishimoto instinctively avoided a surprise attack from the rear. When was asked how it was done, Kishimoto replied: "I can see the shadows". Kishimoto had been referring to "shadows" as disturbances caused by the attacker's mind.

Takemura and Matsumura were good friends. Once whilst they were drinking together in the garden of his house, Takemura provoked Matsumura by saying that he was too old to fight. A friendly match followed between them. Takemura started to rise from his sitting position when Matsumura attempted to scoop his leg, but instead of being thrown, Takemura did a back somersault and landed on a small stone bridge. This incident gave to Takemura the fame of "levitation power".

I don't know if these stories are fables. They were repported by the Kishimoto's disciple Higa Seitoku, that was also a mystical and entusiast of "extra-sensorial powers". At any way, are delicious stories.

About the Shoreijikan and its Symbol

Shoreijikan is not a style, it is just a name: The Shoreiji Society. It canot be confounded with the names “shorei-ryu” or “shoreikan”. The term “Shoreiji” (“The Golden Dawn’s Temple”), with emphasis in “Ji”, is found in the Okinawan Bubishi, and refers to a Shoalin Temple where its monks were experts in medicine (fitotherapy) and kempo. The other name, that we use in our inner circle (martial therapeutic techniques)  is “The Nine Dragons' Temple”.

The Shoreijian symbol is a white crane over the Okinawan three kingdoms, or also (in our case) the three main old cities: Naha, Shuri and Tomari. There are no white cranes in Okinawa, but in Southern China, from where a martial school was transfered to Naha, around 1828. Thus, our crane means the origin of our art. Therefore, our symbol is also a historical synthesis and hides a deep meaning.

Me and my friend and Sensei Nakaema, São Paulo, 2016.

Shoreijikan in two times:

Three secrets of karate

Karate is a very simple Art and very efficient as a personal method to cope with agressive situations and people, as a way to strenghten your self, and as a personal way to keep a good health.
Some points for you to train Karate with spirit:
1. Train seriously to improve your technique each week. One technique at a time; one and not two, only one until control it completly;
2. Develop your focus while learning Waza and Kata;
3. The heart of your Karate is the quality of your technique. THAT IS THE POINT. You cannot gain this by watching videos, but with hard work and sweating. Remember that the excellence of your ryu-ha will be reflected in the excelence of your perfomance and abilities.