okinawa and japan: friends and alies or bitter enemies?

[fireka]

im having trouble distinguishing some things in karate history. for one thing, how do okinawain and apanese karate end up linking to eachother, when why and how? also, i was originally only intrested in japanese culture but since i started taking isshinryu i feel i need to find an intrest in okinawa and i under if theres that big a diffrence. The way i see it okinawa and japan are almost the same except okinawa is more country while japan has become very urban. im not sure which i like more. but culture wise is there some okinawain grudge that would make my passion for japanese culture seem out of place?

[SaiFightsMS]

Here are a few links with very breif historical information on Okinawa and its relation to Japan. Some also contain links to other sites with more specific information.

 

http://users.rcn.com/kirkd.interport/okinawa.html

 

http://www.kushu.com/okinawan_history.htm

 

http://www.okinawa.com/history.html

 

http://gaga.essortment.com/okinawanstyle_rgsg.htm

[fireka]

wow! thank you! that was very helpful, espicially the first and last links. So in a way it dosent matter, i need to study all the culures of asia almost because okinawain karate sorta became the crossroads for them all didnt it? thank you!

[hobbitbob]

A quick, popular book, thart should be available in your library, is "Okinawa Dreams OK." It discusses the tensions between the Uchinaa and the Japanese, as wella s the strong "Anti-Base" movement.

[SaiFightsMS]

One of my close friend growing up was Okinawan.

[hobbitbob]

Some other good ones are:

 

"Identity and Resistance in Okinawa," Matthew Allen.

 

Oxford University Press, 2002.

 

"Women of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa." Susan Sered, Oxford University Press, 1998.

 

"Okinawa: History of an Island People" George Kerr, Tuttle, 1952.

 

The Kerr book is the "gold standard," but is very dated.

 

Mitsugo Sakigahara's study on the Omori Soshi, or sacred chants/foundation stories of the Uchinaa is quite good, although hard to find. The only one I've ever found was in Suzallo Library at the U. of Washington,and appears to have been a private printing. Its a bit difficult if you haven't a strong background in religious theory, which I hadn't at the time. Fortunately I spent a good portion of a GI Bill check at Kinkos copying it (note to children...DON'T try this at home!)!

 

Fro an analysis of the troubled relationship between Japan and Uchinaa, "Japan and Okinawa: Structure and Subjectivity," (ed. Hook and Siddle), University of Hawaii Press, 2002. is excellent, though dense.

 

I found the Kerr book in 1986 or 87, by asking the person at Waldenbooks for the "book that Daniel read on the plane in KArate Kid II."

[KaratekaAikidoist]

The satsuma-shimazu clan invaded okinawa and the okinawans formed goju. The japanese picked it up from them."I think"

[hobbitbob]

errr...no. Goju is likely related to Fujian white crane, there is an excellent article on the origins of Naha Te in the fall 2002 issue of Dragon times. It might be in the archives at https://www.dragon-tsunami.org.

 

If anything, the Satsuma would have added Jujutsu techniques. However, considering that Ti was primarily the preserve of two groups: the Okinawan Nobility,and the wealthier merchants, it is unlikely any of the Shimazu would have learned Ti.