Original subtitles

The most traditional form of the discipline

is known for the brutal power of its blows.

But that power is cultivated with the intention not to use it.

This time on Japonology Plus, our theme is Okinawan Karate.

We'll explore the paradox of training the body to become a weapon that is never used.

Hello and welcome to Japonology Plus.

I'm Peter Barakan.

Today I'm in Okinawa, which is the birthplace of

Karate, one of Japan's best known martial arts.

By the way, the term karate literally means empty hand, as in unarmed.

The idea underlying Okinawan karate is that although it gives you a supremely

powerful way to subdue an opponent, you learn it in order not to use it.

And I know that sounds contradictory, but stick with us and all will become clear.

Like many other Japanese martial arts, Okinawan

karate embraces a distinctive spiritual dimension.

Practicing set movements called kata over and

over again is a hallmark of this discipline.

The kata embody the philosophy of a particular school of karate about how to

evade strikes, and if necessary, to strike back through a series of fluid movements.

Many people have this image of karate, scoring

points for strikes to determine a winner.

In Okinawan karate, that approach is rejected,

and yet people spend years studying it.

If they don't intend to use the techniques, why do they learn Okinawan karate?

My guest for today is Mr Kyoshi Tsuhar, who's

been practicing Okinawan karate over 50 years.

He's an instructor and has also written extensively on the subject.

Thank you very much for being with us today.

Kyoshi Tsuhar has been active in investigating the

roots of Okinawan karate, which is not well documented.

He also promotes the art abroad.

He is a highly respected figure in the world of Okinawan karate.

First of all, I think probably most people have an image of karate as being a contact

sport, and I understand that in Okinawa that's not the case.

Okinawan karate is not the kind of martial art

where you try to defeat an opponent in competition.

Okinawan karate is a martial art based on the ideal of protecting yourself by fully

preparing your mind and body through practice.

What kind of practice do you do and how often?

The foundation of Okinawan karate is practicing kata over and over again.

The importance of kata is paramount.

There is no specific number of times.

It's simply a matter of the more times you practice, the better.

The aim is to increase your ability step by step.

That is why you must practice.

Okinawan karate has been called a lifelong martial art.

Until the day you die, you'll still be training to get better.

If you never actually come up against an opponent when you're practicing,

if in real life somebody did come up against

you, would you be able to defend yourself?

Let me give you a practical demonstration.

I'll show you how practicing kata enables you to deal with a real-world situation.

And adversary grabs your arm.

The first thing you need to do is break free of his grip, right?

Self-protection.

Please grip my arm firmly and I'll easily break free.

Easy.

Now grab my arm with both hands.

I can easily break free of this too.

I pull my arm across like this.

That easy.

And these movements are drilled into me by doing kata.

In practicing kata countless times, you are practicing defense and attack moves.

Okay, I get it.

But the purpose is not to use the skills that you've learned.

I would say to never need to use the skills.

When you train in the martial arts, you develop an aura.

That aura makes people think twice before attacking you physically.

The aim is to nurture an individual who will be able to deter

an opponent or even eliminate that opponent's desire to fight.

It sounds like a paradox.

Acquire the power to win fights, but never use it.

How did Okinawa and Karate come to have this philosophy?

Okinawa Prefecture is located in the far southwest of the Japanese archipelago.

This region was once ruled by an independent kingdom, due to...

During that period, the Ryukyu Kingdom traded with

China's Ming Dynasty with Japan and with other nations.

Exposure to these cultures fostered a unique identity.

Okinawa and Karate was one aspect of that identity, blending the distinctive

fighting style of the Ryukyu aristocrats and warriors with Chinese kung fu.

In 1609, the Satsuma domain in southwest Japan conquered Ryukyu.

They imposed a strict ban on the possession of weapons.

As a small community, the people in the Ryukyu islands knew they could not defeat

a large powerful neighbor, so they chose to avoid

aggression and focused instead on self-protection.

Okinawa and Karate is a product of that philosophy.

Initially, Okinawa and Karate was passed down among only a very select group of

people, but when the Ryukyu Kingdom fell, Karate spread to the population at large.

Then, about 100 years ago, it reached Tokyo and Osaka.

Eventually, a martial art that had emerged in a small

island kingdom spread to countries all over the world.

But once Karate had moved out of Okinawa, the people who

adopted it came to embrace it as a competitive sport.

In Okinawa and Karate, the most important thing is kata.

Kata movements are not stylized for aesthetics.

They emulate actions against a real opponent.

This kata is called kusanku.

It is an advanced form for high-level practitioners.

Using kusanku as an example, let's take a

closer look at the individual moves in a kata.

Opponent right in front and the sun is behind him.

I have the sun in my eyes.

It's dazzling me.

So, I have to block out the sun in order to see him.

And now, I show that I would rather resolve this peacefully.

But my opponent attacks me anyway.

I deflect it.

He attacks again.

I deflect that too.

He tries to kick me.

I block it.

He punches again.

And now I strike back and deliver the crucial blow.

So, we have an attacker making a series of strikes and finally I strike back.

In order to make the kusanku kata easier to understand, the attacker uses

techniques that require the expert to employ the moves of the kata.

The expert is repeatedly taking action to protect himself

and only switching to counterattack as a last resort.

All kata follow this defence first pattern.

We say you should not be struck nor should you strike.

In karate, we do not strike first.

Only after you have been attacked can you consider delivering a blow yourself.

That is the golden rule of karate.

No kata begins with an offensive strike.

This reflects a shared vision of Okinawan karate as a defensive discipline.

Okinawan karate does seem to be really all about the kata, doesn't it?

Absolutely.

The daily kata work will prove its value if ever needed.

The body can only do what it is trained to do.

If the need arises, the body will respond without a moment's thought.

That is why we keep practicing the kata.

To the beginner, they look quite simple.

But you repeat them over and over again for years.

Does one's appreciation of subtleties change over time?

Every time you do the kata, you feel yourself mastering it more.

You will feel more speed, more power.

Your body gets a clear sense of it.

With enough practice, you can even fight with your eyes closed.

That's because your body is so attuned.

It's automatic.

In the old days, people would work on one kata for ten years.

Stick with just one for ten whole years.

That's how important it is to practice kata.

Countless times, even ten years of practice.

How long have you been practicing kata for now?

Sixty, two, three years.

Have you ever had to use your skills?

Unfortunately, no.

Do you ever wish that you had just one chance?

When I was young, maybe I did, but I never acted on it.

Our founder had a famous saying that if you lived your whole life without ever

using your karate, you had achieved the goal of karate.

It's good to never have to use it.

Well, at the same time, it's good to have the confidence that you could use it.

If, in fact, you ever did have to use it.

Hi, I'm Matt Alt, and on today's episode of Plus One, I'm going to visit a dojo in

downtown Tokyo that specializes in Okinawan karate.

They're going to put me through the paces of daily practice.

Do I have what it takes?

I don't know, but let's find out.

Well, here we are at the Miyagi Dojo.

They tell me that bowing is etiquette before going into a dojo, so...

Shih-tere-shimasu!

Mr. Miyagi, thank you so much for having me to your dojo.

Please, teach me about your art.

Sounds great.

Thank you very much.

Well, Mr. Miyagi, I'm changed.

How is this?

He looked pretty strong.

Well, this is my first time, so please show me the ropes.

What do we do first?

First, I'll show you how to make a fist.

The most basic skill in karate is making a fist properly.

It all starts with that.

Your feet should be displayed 45 degrees.

Put your left arm forward.

That's the way.

Oh, nice.

Adjust the angle of your strike a little.

I see.

Okay.

Down.

Okay.

And strike.

Don't throw your shoulder forward.

Is it tiring?

You okay?

It's very tiring.

This is the most basic posture for building up strength in your legs.

Since fists are the weapons of a karate practitioner, they must be trained too.

But maybe Matt doesn't yet realise just how tough the training might be.

Is that blood?

I guess my question is, am I going to bleed?

You don't need that hard today.

But, you know, over time, if you really get into it, it does happen.

Yes, your fists probably will bleed a bit.

Your own fists are amazing.

These are amazing fists.

After decades of punching a hard surface,

your fists will eventually turn into weapons.

The core of karate is to protect yourself with your fists.

So, we keep pounding them until they're tough.

No, you...

Okay.

Whatever you say.

You don't need a hard...

First, just place your fist against the board.

It's all soft.

It's all soft.

How are you?

But, you know, it doesn't hurt as much as I thought.

No, it doesn't hurt.

Oh.

Okay.

Thank you.

That was very interesting.

Oh, look!

My first blood.

This is basic training for having strong fists.

Doing kata again and again imprints good form

for strikes and kicks into muscle memory.

This is right.

It's right here in the middle.

It's right where the person puts his fist.

As training goes on, practitioners move on to more difficult techniques.

Some exercises involve several people.

This is called kumi-de.

Well, Matt, I think we ought to give you a test.

A test of Carate Power.

Matt will be trying to break a board about 1.5 centimetres thick.

Can he do it?

He's gone.

Didn't hurt?

Good.

Can you give it another try?

Yes!

Raise your arm up, hype.

Drop your hips.

I'm so keen.

Thank you.

Well, that was really something else.

I've seen martial arts films and demonstrations many times before,

but I've never had the chance to participate.

This is a really, really thrilling experience.

There you have it.

Next time you're in Japan, look for a local dojo.

Maybe you can practice some Okinawa Carate, too.

Until then, see you next time.

So, next you're going to be seeing a dojo of

one of the toughest Okinawan Carate schools.

It's called Wichi-Dyu.

Here we are.

They're training in there right now.

Okay.

Students of the Wichi-Dyu school undergo an extremely demanding training regime.

They strengthen their bones with bone-on-bone practice

strikes and toughen their bodies with punches.

What's going on?

Experiencing pain leads to feelings of anger and the urge to retaliate.

The ideal of this training is to eliminate anger as a source of conflict.

What's going on?

What's going on?

What's going on?

What's going on?

This is training to endure blows, even kicks, without flinching.

A beginner's body hasn't toughened up, so these blows are painful.

But after two or three years, their muscles are tough enough to withstand it.

The aim is to make the body tough enough to absorb attacks.

It needs to be okay in that situation.

And by intentionally abusing the body, a mental endurance is developed.

That's a major goal.

You learn how to endure the discomfort.

That leads to self-mastery of mind over body.

You acquire great mental toughness.

What do you think?

I've lost for words.

It's very, very tough.

I mean, I personally have a pretty low pain

threshold, so just imagining how that must feel.

Well, muggles my mind.

Uejidya uses some training methods that are almost unbelievable.

He breaks the board with his fingertips, and this is not for demonstration purposes.

It's a technique with a purpose.

The fingertips are used for strikes at the opponent's throat.

And an arm that can snap a baseball bat can do the same to a neck.

Easily fending off an opponent's attack, and only finally, if necessary,

exerting extreme force.

This is Okinawan Karate.

By cultivating an unflinching body, the Karate expert intimidates the opponent

into losing their will to fight, thus pre-empting conflict.

Everybody wants to be strong, but of course it's not easy.

So, can you tell me, why have you chosen this path?

Well, I think I just enjoy the process.

Of course, the training is often grueling.

But that's a hurdle that has to be overcome.

It's the only way to advance to the next level.

It's a sense of happiness and satisfaction from making progress through the process.

That's what keeps me going.

That was all terribly impressive, but I kind

of want to do really need to go quite so far.

The various cutter include fingertip strikes, toe strikes, thumb strikes.

Unless they are capable of delivering a mortal

blow, then they aren't all they could be.

The cutter should not be just for show.

They have to be perfected to the extent that they can be used in combat.

They have to be ready for action.

That means training even your fingers and toes.

But this discipline is not just physical, is it?

It's both physical and mental.

The ability to withstand pain and to become accustomed to fear.

That requires both physical and mental sides.

You can't be mentally strong, but physically weak.

Or physically strong, but mentally weak.

They're like the two wheels on an axle.

Both must roll freely.

That's represented by cutter and comite.

Karate has physical aspects.

But it also involves intense training of the inner person too.

That's the essence of it.

The ultimate object is not to use these skills, is it?

We constantly emphasize that to start a fight is forbidden.

Absolutely.

But look at me.

I'm such a gentle soul.

I can't imagine anyone picking on me.

I very much doubt whether anybody would want to attack you.

The ideals of Okinawa and Karate are enjoying new appreciation around the world.

With many people wanting to come and study it in Okinawa.

In 2016, Okinawa Prefecture introduced Karate Day.

It is part of a movement to spread information about Okinawa

and Karate as an element of Okinawa's unique culture.

One thing that's been going through my mind several times today is that Karate,

in a way, is like the ultimate deterrent.

You learn all these really lethal skills, but you don't use them.

On the other hand, you might do in a really, really tight situation.

And it kind of got me thinking about nuclear weapons.

The only thing is if you do use a nuclear weapon, then that's it.

You know, we're all gone.

And it kind of struck me that it might be an idea of the five

permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

We'll all go and learn Karate instead.

Next time on Javanology Plus, our theme is sleep.

From making the most of a short map to sleep-centric

goods, we explore the latest developments.

Sports, Japan.

This show is your guide to the fun and exciting world of Japanese sports and

martial arts, with in-depth analysis and up-to-the-minute stories.

This episode of Train Cruise takes a ride on a local train in Hokkaido.

It's the northernmost line in Japan.

We'll see beautiful landscapes made of snow and ice.

Eat distinctive food and meet the local people.

Get ready to enjoy Japan's winter wonderland.

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