MASTER CHOJUN MIYAGI AT THE MEETING IN 1936

Remarks: This is a part of the meeting records. It appears as an appendix
in the book, "Karatedo Dai Hokan" written by Kanken Toyama. Pages 377-392
(Tsuru Shobo, 1960).

(translated by Sanzinsoo)

¡ÉThe Meeting of Okinawan Karate Masters¡É

Time and Date: 4:00 pm, October 25, 1936
Place: Showa Kaikan Hall, Naha, Okinawa
This meeting was held by Ryukyu Shinpo Newspaper Publisher

Those who attended the meeting are as follows.
Karateka:
Chomo Hanashiro, Chotoku Kyan, Choki Motobu, Chojun Miyagi, Juhatsu Kyoda,
Choshin Chibana, Shinpan Shiroma, Chotei Oroku, Genwa Nakasone
Guests:
Koichi Sato, Zenpatsu Shimabukuro, Kitsuma Tachibana, Eizo Kita, Chosho
Goeku, Gizaburo Furukawa, Sei Ando, Choshiki Ota, Kowa Matayoshi, Zensoku
Yamaguchi, Tamashiro

Genwa Nakasone: When karate was first introduced in Tokyo, the capital of
Japan, ¡Èkarate¡É was written in Kanji (= Chinese character) as
¡ÈChinese
Hand¡É. This name sounded exotic, and gradually accepted among people in
Tokyo. However, some people thought this Kanji ¡ÈChinese Hand¡É was
not
appropriate at schools. In order to avoid the use of this Kanji, some
karate dojo wrote ¡Èkarate¡É in Hirakana (= Japanese phonetic
letters)
instead of Kanji. This is an example of temporary use of the word. In
Tokyo, most karate dojo use the Kanji ¡ÈEmpty Hand Way¡É for
karate-do,
although there are still a few dojo using the Kanji ¡ÈChinese
Hand¡É. In
order to develop Japanese martial arts, I think Kanji for ¡Èkarate¡É
should
be ¡ÈEmpty Hand¡É instead of ¡ÈChinese Hand¡É, and
¡ÈKarate-Do¡É should be
the standard name. What do you think?

Chomo Hanashiro: In the old days, we, Okinawan people, used to call it
¡ÈToodii¡É or ¡ÈTode¡É, not ¡ÈKarate¡É. We
also called it just ¡ÈTii¡É or
¡ÈTe¡É. It means fighting with hands and fists.

*Translator¡Çs note
Pronunciation for the Kanji written as ¡ÈChinese Hand¡É has two
ways:
1) Toodii or Tode (Okinawan dialect)
2) Karate
Pronunciation for the Kanji written as ¡ÈEmpty Hand¡É has only one:
1) Karate

Ota: We, too, called it ¡ÈToodii¡É or ¡ÈTode¡É.

Shimabukuro: Mr. Nakasone, I hear nowadays people call ¡ÈKarate-Do¡É
for
karate. Does this mean people added the word ¡ÈDo¡É (= literally
means the
Way) to the name ¡ÈKarate¡É for emphasizing the importance of
spiritual
training like Judo and Kendo?

Genwa Nakasone: They use the word ¡ÈKarate-Do¡É in the meaning of
cultivation of the mind.

Ota: Mr. Miyagi, do you use the word ¡ÈChinese Hand¡É for karate?

Chojun Miyagi: Yes, I use the Kanji ¡ÈChinese Hand¡É, as most people
do so.
It has minor meaning. Those who want to learn karate from me come to my
home and say ¡ÈPlease teach me Tii or Te.¡É So I think people used
to call
¡ÈTii¡É or ¡ÈTe¡É for karate. I think
¡ÈKarate¡É is good in the meaning of
the word. As Mr. Shimabukuro said, the name ¡ÈJujutsu¡É was changed
to
¡ÈJudo¡É. In China, in the old days, people called Hakuda or Baida
for
Chinese kungfu, Kenpo or Chuanfa (= Quanfa). Like those examples, names
changes according to times. I think the name ¡ÈKarate-Do¡É is better
than
just ¡ÈKarate¡É. However, I will reserve decision on this matter, as
I
think we should hear other people¡Çs opinions. We had a controversy on
this
matter at the meeting of Okinawa Branch of Dai Nippon Butokukai. We shelved
this controversial problem. In the mean time, we, members of Okinawa
Branch, use the name ¡ÈKarate-Do¡É written in Kanji as ¡ÈThe
Way of Chinese
Hand¡É. Shinkokai (= a karate promotion center) will be formed soon, so we
would like to have a good name.

Oroku: Mr. Miyagi, did you go all the way to China for studying karate?

Chojun Miyagi: At the beginning I had no plan to practice kungfu in China,
but I found the kungfu excellent, so I leaned it.

- to be continued -

Sanzinsoo
sanzinsoo@...

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