Again, the basis of the argument: In Nagamine's book (which the title chapter was re-interpreted in English versions from "Sumo" to "Tegumi" for reasons unadressed and with no one taking responsibility - I know this because I asked), Nagamine mentions having engaged in an Okinawan form of backyard wrestling (play roughhousing-type grappling, the Okinawans called 'tegumi', lower-case 't') during his childhood years.
Nagamine then mentions he did extensive research and has reason to believe the custom is related to a predecessor which influenced Okinawan Sumo. Then the rest of the chapter is exclusively about contemporary Sumo masters (not ancient "Tegumi masters" - which seems a bit of an oxymoron term, since 'Tegumi Master' would be like saying 'Backyard Wrestling Master').
here is your typical backyard wrestling today (minus the WWF-stuff):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A4sJUM7HIkjust make stuff up as you go and learn along the way what works and what doesn't. everyone does that growing up. Thats the activity that was refered to as 'tegumi'.
Nagamine does not mentioned how tegumi affecting Ti, other than perhaps suppossing it did - and maybe it did - but his research self-admittedly didn't turn up anything solid. Absolutely no connection is made by Nagamine between tegumi and kata.
so the 'evidence' of okinawan tegumi being interpreted from chinese forms is at best, as thin as the fact all three terms happen to be used within one book.
as far as written fact, there you go. Nagamine's book is the only one which has the terms: 'tegumi', 'karate', and 'kata' all within it's bound pages. (prior to 1990's, that I know of)
so if thats the criteria for 'written evidence', then just imagine what else can be cooked up.
btw, that tegumi is no longer 'practiced' what would be really lost? Will people 100 years from now regret that kids today engaging in king-of-the-mountain impromptu wrestling bouts, haven't documented their efforts in a technical sense?
Thats basically the hype on 'Tegumi'. it's being sold with a romanticized image using a foreign term, but is more likely a collection of here and there modern wrestling drills.
if we use cultural practices as a basis of argument, there is ALOT more supporting evidence that more than a few Okinawan karateka also studied Odori (folk dancing) and the connections to their kata. So why aren't people having $500 folk dancing seminars showing the connections to their kata? reason: it doesn't sell as well as making the connection to wrestling (especially post-1990's).
Can it's selling power be a legitimate reason to push or pull on historical connections, by providing what people want to learn and luring them with attractive romanticization? From a historical standpoint it's bogus - from a training standpoint it may very well be great stuff.
Just because it's great stuff, does not automatically give it legitimacy in a historical sense. Is my main point.
I'm not expecting you'd acknowledge a good point even if you were hit over the head with it...so flame away. and hey jude -take a sad song, and make it bet-t-er.
