なぜか突然、先日の松村宗昆のナイファンチに関する投稿を英語でサマライズしてみたくなりました。へなちょこ英語ですが、まぁ、やってみました(笑)。
This is a summarized & English-translated version of my post "Sokon Matsumura put his foot lightly and flatly in his Naifanchi performing".松村宗昆のナイファンチは足を軽く平らにおろす
I got a reprint version of "Karate Kenkyu"(meaning Study of Karate), seemingly the first Karate journal in Japan which was published in 1934.
Big names appear on this journal as follows;
・Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957, founder of SHOTOKAN-RYU)
・Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952, founder of SHITO-RYU)
・Choki Motobu (1870-1944, Legendary strong fighter , founder of MOTOBU-RYU)
and so on.
I had been seeking this old journal to read Choki Motobu's interview, which is said to include this legendary strong fighter's "testimony" about the difference between modern style Karate and pre-modern (Samurai-era) one.
I got and read it.
Choki Motobu talked about the differences in Naifanchi kata between Sokon Matsumura and Anko Itoshu.
As is well known,
・Sokon Matsumura (1809-1899) was a grand master of pre-modern Karate that must had been a Samurai-class's practical and crucial martial arts and,
・ Anko Itoshu (1831-1915) was one of Sokon' students and a great reformer who created modern style Karate that is safe, sound and educational martial arts which can be taught even in elementary schools.
(For your information; Edo era, that is Samurai times, ended in 1868. Because modernization marginalized samurai's martial arts, each of them had to change itself into sports to survive.Karate, Okinawan samurai's martialarts,was no exception.)
Most of today's Karate schools, including various old-style-claiming ones in Okinawa, derived from Itoshu's new style.
Today's Karate researchers hardly have concreat evidences that tell us Sokon Matsumura's pre-modern style Karate.
That is why this Choki Motobu's testimony is indeed important. Because Choki Motobu is the rare person who actually learned Karate from both masters and had enough(no, we have to say "perfect" !) experience & knowledge to tell the differences among them. And because we can know the one end of lost Matsumura's era Karate.
Let me quote what Choki said on the difference in "Namigaeshi" part in Naifanchi kata.
My translation is...
"While master Matsumura put his foot lightly and flatly, master Itoshu put his foot strongly and heavily. Foot was put not flatly but diagonally. It was true of right foot or left foot."
What do you think of this difference?
My master, Kiyoshi Arakaki said he was deeply moved by the Matsumura's footing way because it implied what he found in Naifanchi kata was right.
I, as a student of master Arakaki, also was thrilled when read Choki Motobu testified-Matsumura's footing.
Why was I so thrilled?
Let us think of the meaning of Matsumura's pre-mordan way of "Namigaeshi" footing.
Footing lightly and flatly indicates, "Namigaeshi" has already functioned and finished as technique before lowering leg in contact to most of today's Bunkai (implecation of fragments of kata).
Then if "Namigaeshi" functions not when lowering a leg but pulling up, HOW will it function as Karate technique?
The reason why I was really thrilled when read the sentence, is ... I have already known the answer thanks to master Arakaki.
I also can say that if "namigaeshi"
functions during pulling-up process,
footing lightly and flatly is possible but not necessary.
Then why master Sokon Matsumura put his foot lightly and flatly?
It is because that if you can foot lightly and flatly, yon can attack your opponent destructively during pulling-up process.
It is an evidence of right controlling yourself.
Note:who is Hamikara
・Name on blog is "Hamikara"
・A beginner student of Musokai Karate, started in November 2016, ranked as 7th kyu (Yes, indeed just a beginner!).
・Have experienced other style Karate (have 1st dan of full-contact style)
・Learning SHITO-RYU karate with 8-years-old son in addition to Musokai Karate, while suffering from huge differences among them.