No doubt you are aware of the modern
history of Karate & it's origins in Okinawa. We have delved a little
deeper and discovered an interesting
history that dates back to approximately 500AD!
The system of martial arts we know, Karate is believed to have originated from India!
Yes India where the biggest Karate club is now Karate Budokan International.
Tradition has revealed written evidence of bare handed fighting arts in a Buddhist scripture, Lotus Sutra indigenous to India.
It appears that an Indian monk named
Bodhidharma introduced an early form of Karate at the shaolin temple in
the Hunan province of Northern
China in around 520AD. According to legend, Bodhidharma travelled from
India and entered into the temple to teach the Shaolin monks Zen
philosophy, but early in his instruction he found the monks to be
inattentive and physically unfit. As a result, he introduced physical
training known as 'shih pa lo han sho' or the 'eighteen hands of
Lo-Han', reputed as the basis for Shaolin chuan fa (Kung Fu). from the
Hunan province, chuan fa spread throughout China and was introduced to
Okinawa centuries later through a tributary relationship between Okinawa
and China.
A new name emerged ' Okinawa te' ( Okinawa
hand), it would eventually become Karate (Chinese hand) and, finally
Karate-do (the way of the empty hand).
There were originally three styles of
Okinawa-te, named for the towns where they were located: Shuri-te,
Naha-te & Tomari-te.
The most significant event, which affected
the development of Karate, was the invasion of Okinawa by Lord Shimazu
of the Satsuma clan of southern Japan in 1609. Following the occupation,
a number of ordinances were introduced, including a ban on all weapons
and the practice of martial arts; this resulted in the three schools
going underground. There is no such written history of this era as it
remained secretive until Japanese feudalism was abolished in 1870. Kata
was formulated prior to the abolishment as a moving dictionary of
Okinawa-te, it was intended to appear as a dance form but actually
consisted of disguised martial arts techniques that could be passed from
generation to generation. Most historians believe that the secrecy
remained until after 1900, when the first public demonstrations were
given on Okinawa and following mainland Japan.
Gichin Funokoshi, an Okinawan schoolteacher
is credited with giving the first demonstration in 1902. Funokoshi was
then selected to give the first demonstration of Karate outside of
Okinawa, this occurred in 1917 at Kyoto Japan. In 1922 Gichin Funokoshi
at the age of 53 was invited back to Japan for a second demonstration,
Mr. Funokoshi remained on the mainland following this last demonstration
and Karate was formally accepted in mainland Japan. In 1936 Funokoshi
established a full time dojo in Tokyo. Mr. Funokoshi had a pen name
'Shoto' which means waving pine. Funokoshi chose this name as he enjoyed
the sound of the wind through the pine trees as he took evening walks
in Okinawa. As a sign of respect his students named the dojo the
Shotokan, meaning 'Shoto's Club'. The style was never actually named by
Funokoshi, but the name of the dojo became associated with the style
itself.
Gichin Funokoshi believed that the aim of
Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in perfection of character.
Training involves very little education on philosophy. Students are
expected to learn the underlying philosophical principles through hard
work and practice, by following the technical directions of the
instructors, the examples of the senior students and applying themselves
completely to each technique the Karate-ka will understand the
technical and philosophical aspects of Karate-do.
So there you have it, from these mysterious
times of feudal war the fastest growing Martial art in the world was
formed. As you are about to discover Budokan was brought to life during
the Second World War in Malaysia.
The following is a brief and interesting story about the founder of Karate
Budokan International and the origins of the style we practice today.
Mr. Chew Choo Soot was born on the 7th of February 1922.
At the age of 15 he became interested in
and involved in weight lifting and fitness training. He became the
Malaysian national weightlifting champion in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942.
He was introduced to the art of “Karate-Do” at the age of twenty during
the Japanese occupation ofMalaya. Mr Chew made it on to the cover of a
local publication and was contracted by a Japanese military officer to
be his personal fitness coach. During one of the scheduled visits the
young Mr Chew discovered the officer practicing movements, which we now
know to be Kata, the styles practiced by the officer were Keishinkan and
Shotokan. Mr chew was impressed and asked for tuition, the officer
agreed. The founders of Karate Budokan International were Mr Chew, his
sons Tony and Richard and daughter Angie, they studied a number of
martial arts including chinese Kung fu, TaeKwonDo, and several styles of
Karate-do including Shito-ryu, Shotokan and Keishinkan. Keishinkan is a
minor style of the Shuri-te strain & is not widely known even in
its country of birth. It comes from the line of Toyoma Sensei and the
excellent qualities of its instructors are well known in Australia,
Malaysia & elsewhere. With the parting of Keishinkan in 1971 there
has been no over riding influences on our style. There was a trend in
the mid 1980’s in our Kata development towards the Shotokan style. It
must be understood that Karate is an ever-evolving art & KBI is no
different in this respect. So from these humble beginnings in a
neighbourhood Malaysian Dojo K B I was formed.
Sadly Mr Chew passed away on July 18th, 1997.
Our Grandmaster now is his son and heir Sensei Richard Chew and Shihan Wayne MacDonald is the International Chief instructor.
We have now reached the 40th year of Karate Budokan International.
It is time to reflect on our humble
beginnings from where our first training centre was opened, occupying a
small space on the 1st floor of a shop house in Petaaling Jaya,
Malaysia on 17th July 1966.
Our Founder Late Mr. Chew Choo Shoot, was
persuaded by his friends to teach them karate so as to enable them to
defend themselves in time of need. They found a suitable premise in
Petaling Jaya for the purpose, and Mr. Chew Choo Soot felt obligated to
start a karate class since his friends had gone to such an extent as to
prepare a place for the dojo. The first course offered to the public was
a “Karate Jodo Self-Defence” 3-Months Course, which would enable a
student to defend himself under normal circumstances.
In two months time the membership grew from
twelve enthusiastic students to more than three hundred and it was
impossible for Mr. Chew to find sufficient time to train them, although
he was assisted by his son Mr. Tony Chew. He then employed from Japan
two Japanese instructors Mr. T. Yoneda and Mr. T. Ishikawa of the
Shitoryu style from Osaka, to assist him to conduct the classes, as
they could not stay in Malaysia for more than a few months the problem
of getting replacements was very acute, as the more senior members in
Malaysia were still too new to become even assistant instructors. In
the meantime membership in the K.B.I. continued to grow by leaps and
bounds.
With Mr. Tony Chew and one employed
Phillipino instructor to carry on with the classes in Kuala Lumpur, Mr.
Chew then went to Tokyo and selected a new group of four Japanese
instructors from Japan to build up the strength of the panel of
instructors. in 1968 when K.B.I. opened the gates of it’s first
headquarters building at the Loke Yew Road,
Kuala Lumpur, we were having four Japanese instructors, one Phillipino
instructor and two Hong Kong Kung-fu instructors to assist Mr. Chew Choo
Soot to handle a membership of more than 6000 in most of the major
towns in Peninsular Malaysia. By then Tony Chew had already left for
Australia for higher education. Besides Karate, the members, who held
the rank of fourth Kyu and above, were also taught oriental Wushu
weapons.
The first official headquarters building of
K.B.I. at the Lote Yew road, Kuala Lumpur, was declared open on 26th
May, 1968 by the honorable Encik Mohd. Khir Jhohiri who was then the
minister of Education of Malaysia. We then had a couple of years of
rapid progress until November 1970, when the Japanese instructors had
completed their term of employment and returned to Tokyo. By then
K.B.I. was celebrating its fourth anniversary and many young black belt
instructors in Malaysia has been trained by Mr. Chew Choo Soot to take
over the classes from the foreign instructors. The young instructors
were ready for the challenge ahead. With continuous training from Mr.
Chew and other foreign visiting instructors brought in by him from time
to time the local instructors improved steadily.
Age-uke (ah-geh-oo-kay): Upper block (Raising)