The growing nationalist
feelings of the Japanese, and the anti-Chinese sentiments led
to the kanji character for “Tang” being replaced by
a homonym, which substituted the word with the kanji character
which means “empty”. Thus Tang Hand became gradually
replaced by Empty Hand. In 1936 several notable Okinawan Karate
Masters had a meeting where they agreed to officially change the
kanji character to “Kara”, written as Empty.
Modern karate usually consists
of basic combinations (Kihon), Sparring (Kumite) and forms (Kata).
Some clubs will spend a further proportion of time analysing the
kata for self defence applications (Bunkai and Oyo).
Different styles of Karate within
Okinawa
Tote developed primarily in three
cities within Okinawa; Shuri, Naha and Tomari. In 1926 the various
methods were classified according to their geographical location,
and became known as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te. However it
is a commonly accepted myth that these styles differed in any
major way. The cities were situated extremely close to each other
and it was not unknown for the various practitioners within the
“styles” to train and learn from one another whenever
possible. It is likely that they adapted their own training whenever
they found anything beneficial from this cross-training.
The Shuri and Tomari styles of
karate were eventually grouped into one classification; Shorin-Ryu,
whilst the karate of the Naha area was known as Shorei-ryu.
"It is important to note,
however, that the towns of Shuri, Tomari, Naha are only a few
miles apart, and that the differences between their arts were
essentially ones of emphasis, not of kind. Beneath these surface
differences, both the methods and aims of all Okinawan karate
are one in the same" (Howard, 1991).
Shorin kata tend to be faster,
and more whippy, whilst Shorei kata tend to be more rooted and
slower. |
