gashionna (Higaonna) Kamesuke, Ôtsuka Shinjun, Taira Shinken, Shiroma
Koki, and Uechi Kanbun.
Karate on Okinawa was taught in an informal manner. Students were
assigned tokuigata (individual forms) at the discretion of the instructor. No
ranking system existed, so there were no established criteria for advance-
ment. Students were either sempai(senior) or kohai (junior). No recogniz-
able uniform (gi) was used. Karate was indiscriminately referred to as di,
bu (martial arts), or Toudi. This individualism was alien to the Japanese
concept of wa(harmony). Japanese martial arts were structured around the
ryûha system propagated by the Dainippon Butokukai. A ryûha included
an historical continuity, methodological transmission, and pedagogical
style. Many Okinawan instructors realized that if karate were to be recog-
nized as a true martial art, certain modifications would have to be made in
the manner in which it was presented to the Japanese public.
In the early 1920s, Funakoshi Gichin suggested to the karate research
group at Keiô University that the kanji character representing “T’ang” be
replaced with the character representing “empty” in Dainippon Kenpô
Karate-dô (Great Japan Fist Method Empty Hand Way). Funakoshi also
stressed the use of -dô (way) over -jutsu(technique) in an effort to conform
to previously established budô (martial ways) such as kyûdô (archery),
kendô, and jûdô. The practice of karate was greatly influenced by that of
jûdô, a modified form of jûjutsu created by Kanô Jigorô. Kanô devised a
ranking system based on dan/kyû grades. Kyû (literally, grade) are lower
grades, which begin at tenth kyû and proceed to first kyû. First dan (liter-
ally, step or rank) follows first kyû and rankings progress from first dan to
tenth dan. The tenth kyû is represented by a white belt, and the first dan is
represented by a black belt. Karate adopted the jûdô rankings as well as the
jûdôgi. With the recognition of rank within the Japanese karate community
came an organized curriculum and a somewhat more objective evaluation
of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Miyagi Chôjun was the first Okinawan
master to submit the name of his system, Gôjû-ryû(hard-soft style) Karate
(Tang hand) to the Dainippon Butokukai. The Butokukai officially recog-
nized karate-dô (empty-hand way) as a ryûha in 1933.
Once the Japanese people accepted karate, the art began to be influ-
enced by the needs of the people, and various innovations were developed
that began to give karate a distinctively Japanese character. From the Shuri-
di and Naha-di, which the Okinawans brought to Japan, four major styles
of Japanese karate began to emerge. Funakoshi Gichin propagated
Shôtôkan,Ôtsuka Hioronori created the Wadô-ryû,Mabuni Kenwa devel-
oped Shitô-ryû, and Yamaguchi Gôgen spread Gôjû-ryû.
The brand of Shuri-di that Funakoshi Gichin (1868–1957) taught be-
came known as Shôtôkan (Shôtô Hall) Karateafter Funakoshi’s poetic
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