Anko Itosu
At the very beginning of the
twentieth century, 1901 to be exact, another Okinawan
Karate master named Anko Itosu (1830-1915) began teaching karate in the
public schools as part of the physical training curriculum. As the
traditional village style was felt to be too dangerous to teach to young
children, Itosu removed dangerous techniques and simplified the
kata. In 1908 he wrote a letter for the Prefectural education
department concerning introducing karate to all Okinawan schools and
later to spread to Japan proper. This letter can be considered to
be the beginning of modern karate-do philosophy. In this letter
are the ten principles of Itosu. The letter reads as follows:
Tode (tode means China hand. It
originally referred to any karate fighting style on Okinawa) did
not develop from the way of Buddhism or Confucianism. In the
recent past Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu were brought over from China.
They both have similar strong points, so before there are too many
changes I should like to write these down.
1.
Tode is primarily for the benefit of health. In order to
protect one’s parents or one’s master, it is proper to attack a
foe regardless of one’s own life. Never attack a lone adversary.
If one meets a villain or a ruffian one should not use tode but simply
parry and step aside.
2.
The purpose of tode is to make the body hard like stones and
iron; hands and feet should be used like the points of arrows;
hearts should be strong and brave. If children were to practice
tode from their elementary school days, they would be well
prepared for the military service. When Wellington and Napoleon
met they discussed the point that “tomorrow’s victory will come from
today’s playground”.
3.
Tode cannot be learned quickly. Like a slow moving bull
that eventually walks a thousand miles. If one studies seriously
every day in three or four years one will understand what tode is about.
The very shape of one’s bones will change.
4.
In tode the hands and feet are important so they should be
trained thoroughly on the makiwara. In so doing drop your
shoulders, open your lungs, take hold of your strength,
grip the floor with your feet and sink your intrinsic energy to your
lower abdomen. Practice with each arm one or two hundred times.
5.
When practicing tode stances make sure that your back is
straight, drop your shoulders, take your strength and put it
in your legs, stand firmly and put the intrinsic energy in your
lower abdomen, the top and bottom of which must be held together
tightly.
6.
The external techniques of tode should be practiced one by one,
many times. Because these techniques are passed on by word or
mouth, take the trouble to learn the explanations and decide
when and in what context it would be possible to use them. Go in,
counter, release; it is the rule or torite. (Lit. Releasing
of hands.)
7.
You must decide whether tode is for cultivating a healthy body or
for enhancing your duty.
8.
During practice you should imagine you are on the battle field.
When blocking and striking make the eyes glare, drop the shoulders
and harden the body. Now block the enemy’s punch and strike!
Always practice with this spirit, so that when on the real
battlefield you will be naturally prepared.
9.
Do not overexert yourself during practice because the intrinsic
energy will rise up, your face and eyes will turn red and your
body will be harmed. Be careful!
10.
In the past many of those who have mastered tode have lived to an
old age. This is because tode aids the development of the bones
and sinews, it helps the digestive organs and it is good for the
circulation of the blood. Therefore, from now on, tode
should become the foundation of all sports lessons from elementary
schools onward. If this is put into practice there will be many
men who can win against ten aggressors.
The reason for stating all this is
that it is my opinion that all students at the Okinawa Prefectural
Teachers’ Training College should practice tode, so that when they
graduate from here they can teach the children in the schools exactly as
I have taught them. Within ten years tode will spread all over
Okinawa and to the Japanese mainland. This will be a great asset
to our militaristic society. I hope that you will carefully study
the words I have written here.
Anko Itosu, October 1908
At the very beginning of the
twentieth century, 1901 to be exact, another Okinawan
Karate master named Anko Itosu (1830-1915) began teaching karate in the
public schools as part of the physical training curriculum. As the
traditional village style was felt to be too dangerous to teach to young
children, Itosu removed dangerous techniques and simplified the
kata. In 1908 he wrote a letter for the Prefectural education
department concerning introducing karate to all Okinawan schools and
later to spread to Japan proper. This letter can be considered to
be the beginning of modern karate-do philosophy. In this letter
are the ten principles of Itosu. The letter reads as follows:
Tode (tode means China hand. It
originally referred to any karate fighting style on Okinawa) did
not develop from the way of Buddhism or Confucianism. In the
recent past Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu were brought over from China.
They both have similar strong points, so before there are too many
changes I should like to write these down.
1.
Tode is primarily for the benefit of health. In order to
protect one’s parents or one’s master, it is proper to attack a
foe regardless of one’s own life. Never attack a lone adversary.
If one meets a villain or a ruffian one should not use tode but simply
parry and step aside.
2.
The purpose of tode is to make the body hard like stones and
iron; hands and feet should be used like the points of arrows;
hearts should be strong and brave. If children were to practice
tode from their elementary school days, they would be well
prepared for the military service. When Wellington and Napoleon
met they discussed the point that “tomorrow’s victory will come from
today’s playground”.
3.
Tode cannot be learned quickly. Like a slow moving bull
that eventually walks a thousand miles. If one studies seriously
every day in three or four years one will understand what tode is about.
The very shape of one’s bones will change.
4.
In tode the hands and feet are important so they should be
trained thoroughly on the makiwara. In so doing drop your
shoulders, open your lungs, take hold of your strength,
grip the floor with your feet and sink your intrinsic energy to your
lower abdomen. Practice with each arm one or two hundred times.
5.
When practicing tode stances make sure that your back is
straight, drop your shoulders, take your strength and put it
in your legs, stand firmly and put the intrinsic energy in your
lower abdomen, the top and bottom of which must be held together
tightly.
6.
The external techniques of tode should be practiced one by one,
many times. Because these techniques are passed on by word or
mouth, take the trouble to learn the explanations and decide
when and in what context it would be possible to use them. Go in,
counter, release; it is the rule or torite. (Lit. Releasing
of hands.)
7.
You must decide whether tode is for cultivating a healthy body or
for enhancing your duty.
8.
During practice you should imagine you are on the battle field.
When blocking and striking make the eyes glare, drop the shoulders
and harden the body. Now block the enemy’s punch and strike!
Always practice with this spirit, so that when on the real
battlefield you will be naturally prepared.
9.
Do not overexert yourself during practice because the intrinsic
energy will rise up, your face and eyes will turn red and your
body will be harmed. Be careful!
10.
In the past many of those who have mastered tode have lived to an
old age. This is because tode aids the development of the bones
and sinews, it helps the digestive organs and it is good for the
circulation of the blood. Therefore, from now on, tode
should become the foundation of all sports lessons from elementary
schools onward. If this is put into practice there will be many
men who can win against ten aggressors.
The reason for stating all this is
that it is my opinion that all students at the Okinawa Prefectural
Teachers’ Training College should practice tode, so that when they
graduate from here they can teach the children in the schools exactly as
I have taught them. Within ten years tode will spread all over
Okinawa and to the Japanese mainland. This will be a great asset
to our militaristic society. I hope that you will carefully study
the words I have written here.
Anko Itosu, October 1908