Choki motobu's style of Karate

[taichi4eva]

Anybody have more info on this style? All I know about him is that he was a very influential Karate stylist and that he specialized in the Naihanji and Bassai kata.

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated

[Taikudo-ka]

I'd like to know more as well. He is certainly a fascinating character. My understanding is that his fighting method died with him as an "independant style". Although he arrived in Japan before Funakoshi, he was not successful in spreading his style of karate while there.

 

Although Motobu was an intelligent and literate man, from an Okinawan noble family, he spoke only Okinawan dialect, and it was easy for Funakoshi to claim he was an "uneducated illiterate" to the Japanese. Poor Motobu had no means to defend himself against these accusations, although the vitriol he poured on Funakoshi is also well recorded.

 

Ironically, on Okinawa, Motobu was two social classes higher than Funakoshi...

 

There is a martial art known as Motobu-Ryu. This is NOT a style based on Choki's own karate. It is a family style featuring lots of grappling, passed down through the Motobu family, and taught to Choki's eldest brother. Being the youngest son, Choki was not allowed to learn this style, although he did pick up some moves by spying on his brother's training. His own style was based largely on his street fighting experience, and also later the Naihanchi kata. He has said that Naihanchi is the only kata needed in order to know how to fight effectively.

 

 

[ronryu]

I study Motobu ha shi-to ryu which is from Choki Motobu the leniage goes Choki Motobu , Kokuba Kosei . Kuniba Shogo .

 

However Choki did have a son who is teaching the more pure style of his father he has even relesed a tape showing the nihanchi kata of his father. http://www.dragon-tsunami.org

 

is where the tape can be found i have it and it is very good as well as it straightens out some facts about the great master Choki Motobu .

 

 

[taichi4eva]

Does anyone know what kata Choki Motobu practiced? Also, ronryu, would you mind telling us what kata your school practices?

[ronryu]

Choki Motobu did pratice several kata but the one he considered the bes was the nihanchi (tekki) kata.

 

I study the motobu version of ****o ryu so we incorparate the shuri , naha , and tomori kata

 

to list a few .

 

Tenno

 

Chinno

 

Pinan 1-5

 

Nihanchi 1-3

 

wankan

 

Wanshu

 

kosokun dai and sho

 

bassai dai and sho

 

chinto

 

seisan

 

seiuchin

 

sanchin

 

shisochin

 

and there several others including kobudo kata

 

we also do severl kempo that were passed on from choki Motobu .

 

 

 

 

[Taikudo-ka]

http://www.society.webcentral.com.au/motobu_choki_book.htm has the book he wrote, translated to English.

 

http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/Pages/motoburev.htm has a review of the video mentioned above.

 

http://www.lawrencetown.com/masters.htm has information on the two descendants of Motobu RonRyu mentioned.

 

I see there are two Motobu-Ryu's - the family style carried on by Choki's elder brother, and Motobu Shi-To Ryu, carried by Choki's son, and influenced by, obviously, Shi-To, among others.

 

Interesting.

 

 

[taichi4eva]

ronryu, your style looks like a mix of goju and shotokan. Interesting

[Taikudo-ka]

I think once you get over the raising and lowering of stances, the basics in most karate styles are nearly identical. There are little things, like Isshin's vertical fist, the "old style" fist, slight stance variations, but it's all obviously "karate".

 

They all use a subset of the same larger group of forms, which are well documented and categorized, generally following the naha, tomari, or shuri-te origins of the style. There's been plenty of mixing and modifying, but the basic techniques all still seem to be there in some form or another.

 

The only difference in styles seems to come from the particular kata combinations used, plus more importantly from the WAY these kata are interpreted. Anyone can practice Naihanchi (Tekki) but it's really the way Motobu interprets and uses it, and the attitude he approaches karate with, that makes "Motobu-Ryu".

 

He is, to me, the Bruce Lee of the Karate world. If you study his works, you can see what karate is and isn't, if you want it to be effective, not "dance" or "sport". He was living proof that karate could be VERY effective when done right.

 

 

[ronryu]

the style that choki motobu 's son is teaching is a called motobu ryu the style that Choki's older brother and family style is called motobu uden i belive thats right .

 

Shi-to ryu is more of a blend of goju ryu and shorin ryu . Kenwa Mabuni who is the founder of ****o ryu studied under several great master the 2 most tha most influenced him was Itosu anko and higashionna. that is where we get thename shi-to ryu shi being the first kanji of itosus name and to being the first kanji for Higashionna.

 

that is the reason taht Shi-to ryu has so many kata .

 

 

[JAMJTX]

The Dragon-Tsunami video by Motobu's son is excellent. I got a lot out of it.

 

I have been involved in Motobuha Shito Ryu since the late 1970's. It is a rich system with much depth and a lot of kata.

 

Soke Sohogo Kuniba raised the style, and Karate in general, by his combinations of Karate, Judo and Aikido and his unique interpretations of the Kata.

 

If you want to see a bit more on this system, try Lewis Estes videos. They can be bought on Amazon.com or the Kuniba Kai web site, https://www.kunibakai.com