Jutsu/Do

[isshinryu5toforever]

I'm not as comfortable putting the "do" label on Okinawan Karate. The entire idea of "do" is Japanese in origin. The idea of Karate as Budo only came about when it was introduced to Japan. The entire idea of "do" was introduced by the Japanese. The normal Okinawan idea of Karate was as a Kempo Jutsu. The informal nature of rank and training was quickly hammered down by the Japanese, and the Karate styles that moved to Japan quickly adopted the rank structure and more orderly manner of training. It's my impression that Okinawa retained a lot of its more relaxed training methods (not necessarily strict lines nor training times) until relatively recently. If you wanted to train, you showed up, did your thing, and then left. It's hard to remember that for a very long time Japan and Okinawa were separate kingdoms, and the Okinawan people had, at times, closer ties with China than with Japan.

[honoluludesktop]

You may be right. Do we even know if "jitsu" was a part of Okinawan martial culture? I have heard the argument that Japanese Juijitsu was primarily used by the Samurai to restrain an opponent they did not want to cut down, not for self defense. I have never read that Okinawan To-te was primarily used to restrain. If the primary purpose of To-te was as a "unarmed" self defense, then its function may have been different from Japanese Bujitsu.

IMO, Japanese karate is the Okinawan art fused to Japanese martial culture, that were at that time, evolving from an emphasis in "jitsu" to "do". At that time, except for a few individuals, the art of To-te was virtually lost. In addition, it was the Japanese export to the Western world that perpetuated the Japanese form karate. It is conceivable that by then, many aspects of Japanese karate had cross pollinated with the Okinawans art. It may be difficult to distinguish what is Okinawan from what is Japanese. There is no question in my mind that exporting Japanese karate to the West, has also changed the art.

For me the bottom line is prevailing culture and how it impacts the art. Kata is truly a "empty form", that is filled with what is allowed by contemporary culture.

[sojobo]

Hello,

I have been overseas for the last 3 weeks so haven't had much chance to play.

You may be right. Do we even know if "jitsu" was a part of Okinawan martial culture? I have heard the argument that Japanese Juijitsu was primarily used by the Samurai to restrain an opponent they did not want to cut down, not for self defense.

I have never read that Okinawan To-te was primarily used to restrain. If the primary purpose of To-te was as a "unarmed" self defense, then its function may have been different from Japanese Bujitsu.

I do not know enough about Okinawan Karate to comment about it with great confidence, but I have no doubt that - like most things - in its original form it was almost certainly different to how it is today.

In traditional Japanese "Koryu" Bujutsu terms however, essentially two types of "Jujutsu" evolved.

Katchu bujutsu - fighting with weapons and/or grappling in armor (yoroi kumiuchi) - developed during the warring states period (15th - 16th century) and,

Suhada bujutsu - fighting in everyday clothes (of the time), either with or without weapons - developed, in the most part in the 17th - 19th century, when there was peace (more or less) - utilising techniques to surpress and/or defeat an enemy or opponent. In other words both from a self defence standpoint and a controling point of view.

The grappling content of the latter is the more correct term for what has today become known as "jujutsu" however it is far more expansive than just grappling in that it would often utilise everyday items (of the time) such as tessen (Iron Fan) as a useful weapons.

These systems are not mutually exclusive of course and many traditional ryu practice both forms of techniques.

These methods were developed by the Bushi (Japanese warrior) as martial necessities of the time.

And I think that is perhaps the key. Both traditional Okinawan (Kempo Jutsu) and Japanese (bujutsu) martial systems grew out of what was needed at the time (necessity being the mother of invention and all that). Different demographics and history may have taken them down alternative paths but essentially they evolved because you needed to give yourself the best chance of survival at the time.

The “do” in Japanese systems like Karatedo, Aikido and Judo etc., evolved for different (but arguably no less important) reasons - again for the time.

As Donn Draeger puts it in his book “Classical Bujutsu” –

“There are very great differences between the bujutsu, or martial arts, and the budo, or martial ways. The bujutsu are combative systems designed by and for warriors to promote self protection and group solidarity. The budo are spiritual systems, not necessarily designed by warriors or for warriors, for self perfection of the individual."

Sojobo