On Choki Motobu – Part 2
By Patrick McCarthy
Editor’s Note: This article was originally titled “More
On Motobu” and is included in the book “Motobu Choki Karate – My
Art”compiled and translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. The
article has been edited to stand alone and appears in two parts on FightingArts.com.
Part
1.
 Without question, the character and karate of both teachers were diametrically
opposite (Motobu & Funakoshi), like cats and dogs. Motobu may have
been envious of the success fellow countryman Funakoshi Gichen experienced
in Tokyo, as it far surpassed his own efforts, though as far as the actual
ability was concerned, Motobu always lay claim to being superior to him.
There is an interesting story about Motobu that Konishi (a senior student
of Funakoshi who later affiliated himself with Motobu) passed on that
I would like to share with you. While Konishi was still taking lessons
from Funakoshi Sensei, “Piston” Horiguchi (Japanese featherweight
champion in 1933-34, 1942, and again in 1948) joined his dojo to study
kendo and karate. One day, an elderly and liverish man dropped by the
dojo to see Konishi and struck up a conversation with Horiguchi. During
the conversation the elderly man gave some advice to Horiguchi, and,
in order to substantiate the point, invited the boxer to “punch
him.” With permission of Konishi, Horiguchi tried to punch the
old fellow. Despite his “piston-like” strikes he failed to
land even one punch on the old guy and finally gave up. Exhibiting cat-like
body movement, the old guy as no other than Motobu Choki.
Besides actually being incredibly strong, Motobu was the kind of person
who just looked angry all the time because of his weathered face and
serious appearance. A proud man, deeply devoted to his art, and standing
in opposition to Funakoshi, naturally he maintained the position, when
compared to his rival, that he was, “the only representative of
Ryukyu’s traditional martial arts.” On the mainland (at that
time), Konishi often visited Motobu when he came to the Tokyo area and
invited the master to his dojo to instruct him. Over the course of their
relationship, Konishi learned the fundamental theories and practical
application of Motobu’s karate.
The tradition of kakedamashi (match fighting to test/improve skill)
(1) is a vital part of karate handed down in Okinawa and helps to improve
their practical fighting skills. This practice does not have any nobleness
like Funakoshi’s karate. Yet, on the other hand, there’s
no technical compromise or ambiguity either. How come? Konishi understood
the arm positioning and appropriate kicking level that Motobu taught.
Motobu had excellent technique and mastered the ability to slip and avoid
an opponent’s attacks. Moreover, his punching was unbelievably
quick.
However, one big disadvantage Motobu had, according to Konishi, was
that his Okinawan dialect was very thick and any explanations he gave
were very hard to comprehend for the untrained Japanese ear. Japanese
students who did not receive lessons from Motobu really had a difficult
time understanding him.
Despite Asato Ankoh (the great karate pioneer, friend of Itosu and teacher
of Funakoshi) and Itosu Ankoh (teacher of Funakoshi, creator of the pinan
series of kata, who also first introduced karate into the Okinawan school
system) pioneering a new and unique path, Motobu insisted that, “Funakoshi
karate was fake.” Motobu said, “He could only copy their
elegance by performing the outer portion of what they taught and used
that to mislead others into believing he was an expert when he was not.”
“His demonstrations were simply implausible. This kind of person
is a good-for nothing scalawag. In fact, his tricky behavior and eloquent
explanation easily deceives people. To the naïve person, Funakoshi’s
demonstration and explanation represents the real art! Nothing is more
harmful to the world than a martial art that is not effective in actual
self-defense. If that stupid person opens a dojo then let him fight with
me and I’ll make him go back to Okinawa. This would be a real benefit
to the world.”
Article # 37, which appears on pages 52 through 54 of the publication
entitled, “Ryukyu Kenpo Karate-jutsu Tatsujin Motobu Choki Seiden” by
Nakata Mizuhiko, supervised by Marukawa Kenji (a Shihan of Motobu Kenpo
and head of the Daidokan), compiled by Onuma Tamotsu and published by
Sojinsha in Saitama prefecture (Japan) in 1994, quotes Motobu saying: “When
I came to Tokyo, there was another Okinawan who was teaching karate there
quite actively. When in Okinawa I hadn’t even heard of his name.
Upon guidance of another Okinawan, I went to the place he was teaching
youngsters, where he was running his mouth, bragging. Upon seeing this,
I grabbed his hand, took up a position of kake-kumite and said, ‘what
will you do?’ He was hesitation and I thought to punch him would
be too much, so I threw him with kote-gaeshi (a wrist throw common to
jujutsu and aikido) at which time he fell to the ground with a thud.
He got up, his face red and said ‘once more.’ And again I
threw him with kote-gaeshi. He did not relent and asked for another bout,
so he was thrown the same way for a third time.” (Translation by
Joe Swift).
Konishi Yasuhiro recounts a version of the same story to Ikeda Hoshu,
on page 22 of “Karatedo o Kataru Genzai no Budo teki Shiten”: “I
heard that Motobu met Funakoshi and they talked about how various attacks
could be effectively received, when Motobu asked him to show him a block
against a punch. When Funakoshi blocked the technique Motobu seized his
hand and threw him about three and a half meters. I’m not sure
if this is true or not but I do know that since that time Funakoshi hated
Motobu very much, referring to him as an illiterate.”
“Therefore, I was not surprised when Funakoshi’s students
hated me for supporting Motobu, but Motobu Sensei was so very poor. Before
he returned to Okinawa I organized a support group for him and collected
contributions from many people to give him for daily expense. At that
time they (Funakoshi’s students) spoke badly about me insinuating
that I had used Motobu. Because I supported Motobu, they disliked me
from that time on (ibid p22). Funakoshi himself, treated me like a heretic.” (ibid
p25)
It is also said that Motobu said, after hearing that Funakoshi was issued
a 5th dan from the Kodokan (long before Konishi Yasuhiro conferred a
Butokukai (2) Renshi license upon Funakoshi. The Kodakan was the headquarters
for Jigoro Kano’s judo in Tokyo) “if that’s the case
then what am I, a 10th or 11th dan?” Taken out of context the issue
provides the basis from which disgruntled rivals have also tried to discredit
Motobu.
As a matter of interest, Funakoshi Gichen can be seen performing kata
and application principles on the vintage footage now available through
Master’s Publications. This might help some readers draw their
own conclusions when evaluating Motobu’s comments.
Conclusion
Master Motobu imparted his tradition through a unique system of conditioning
exercises, weight and makiwara training, highly functional two-person
kumite drills and one or two kata.
 It would certainly coincide with what I have discovered about most old-school
practices where the kata culminated the defensive lessons rather than
actually teach it. Although Motobu Chosei, his son, believes his father
may have also known Bassai and Seisan and even developed a form, named “Shiro
Kuma (White Bear), they do not appear to have been handed down.
In his interview with Ikeda Hoshu, Konishi Yasuhio said “….he
had also learned Bassia and Gojushiho from Matsumura Sensei in Tomari”(one
of the three towns most noted for development of early karate on Okinawa)(ibid
p21). Actually, I support the insightful comments of Charles Goodin who
wrote, “With fewer kata, more and more time and effort can be devoted
to bunkai (applications of the kata moves). I do not think that Motobu-Ryu
emphasizes bunkai because it has fewer kata – I suspect that it
has fewer kata in order to emphasize bunkai.”(Setting the Record
Straight,”4th Quarter issue Journal 2001, p 7).
In my opinion, Master Motobu Choki represented the last of a warrior-like
breed, a stalwart not intimidated by political pressure, or afraid to
stand up to what he believed in. He walked the talk. Always the perpetual
student, never a clone of mass production or mundane training, Motobu
Choki demanded all or nothing. It’s too bad we don’t have
more men like him today.
One mistake the inexperienced researcher often makes when trying to
grasp the technical ambiguities surrounding the application of early
karate practices is to depend on contemporary assumptions. That is why
it is so important to study the birth and evolution of this tradition
when conducting a comparative analysis. One of the most fascinating things
about delving into the history and evolution of this wonderful tradition
is just how much one can learn about the culture, philosophy and people
who shaped its practice. In doing so, a message of more important proportions
unfolds. What could possibly improve our overall understanding of karate
more than walking in the footsteps of those people most responsible for
pioneering it? Great people should never be forgotten, if only to remind
us of the potential latent in ourselves. By studying the anthropology
of this tradition it becomes evident that many of the early pioneers
established a symbiosis with karate so that their lives became as much
a product of the art as was the art a product of their lives. When learning
the art comes a responsibility to keep this knowledge alive, a responsibility
that extends beyond karate and into society as a whole. Early pioneers
maintained that karate conditions the body, cultivates the mind and nurtures
the spirit. However, an even more important message reveals that the
source of human weakness lies within and it is there where all of our
battles must be first fought and won before karate can ever improve the
quality of our daily lives.
It is the wish of the master’s son, Motobu Chosei, that Motobu
Ryu be perpetuated and for his father’s distinguished record as
a karate pioneer and teach to be set straight.
Editor’s note: Footnotes and information in parenthesis
was added for reader assistance.
About The Author Patrick McCarthy is an internationally known teacher, lecturer, seminar
leader and author who is a 7th degree Black Belt in karate (under Kinjo
Hiroshi Hanshi) and holds a Kyoshi Menkyo issued by the Dai Nippon Butokukai
Kyoto Honbu in April 1994. He has been a supporter of the Dai Nippon
Butokukai for many years, as a student of Richard Kim Hanshi (the man
originally responsible for first establishing the Butokukai in North
America). A veteran Canadian/American touriment competitor during the
1970’s and 1980’s he was recognized as a North American top-ten
rated competitor in kata, kumite & kobudo and received many meritorious
awards. He then migrated to Japan as a 5th dan where he immersed himself
in the study of karate, its origins, ethos & technical theories.
He was invited to test before a board of DNBK honbu Hanshi at the Kyoto
Butokuden in 1988 and was awarded his Renshi accreditation and 6th dan
in karatedo. In 1995 McCarthy moved to Australia where he oversees that
county’s first government accredited instructor's program in traditional
Karatedo. He also represented the international division of the Butokukai,
but discontinued this association when he established the Ryukyu Karate-jutsu
Kokusai Kenkyukai as an international organization. He is the author
of hundreds of articles on karate, its history and origins that have
appeared in leading martial arts journals. He has also authored a number
of books including: “The Bible Of karate: Bubushi”, “Ancient
Okinawan Martial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi 1 & 2”, compiled and
translated materials for the books “Tanpenshu: Funakoshi Gichin“ and “Motobu
Choki: My Art” and translated “Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters
by Shoshin Nagamine.”
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