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MATAYOSHI
SHINKO SENSEI
Matayoshi Shinko Sensei or "Kama nu Matehi" (Matayoshi
the Kama) as he was often called, was born in the city of Naha, Okinawa in
1888. As the third son of Matayoshi Shinchin, a wealthy businessman, Shinko
was the only member of the family to become involved in the martial arts.
Although Matayoshi Shinko, Sensei grew up predominantly in Okinawa, he
traveled later on in his life around different areas of Japan and China. It
was in Okinawa, Hokkaido, and China that Matayoshi Shinko Sensei received
the majority of his exposure and training in various weapon arts. Matayoshi
Shinko Sensei would later incorporate many of the weapons and styles of his
instructors to form the foundation of what we know today as Matayoshi Kobudo
system.
Matayoshi Shinko Sensei had the opportunity to
experience the art of weapons from many different instructors. During his
teens, Matayoshi began his training in kobujutsu, under the instruction of
Agena Chokuho Sensei of Gushikawa Village. From Agena Sensei, Matayoshi
learned Bo-jutsu, Sai-jutsu, Kama-jutsu, and leku-jutsu.
Matayoshi Shinko Sensei then became the student
of Irei Sensei of Nozato, Chatan Town, from whom he learned the arts of
Tonkua-jutsu and Nunchaku-jutsu.
Not long after, at the age of 22, Matayoshi Shinko
Sensei left on an adventure to Manchuria where he joined a mounted nomadic
tribe, from whom he gained exposure in the arts of Ba-jutsu (bow and arrow
while riding a horse), Shuriken-jutsu, and Nagenawa-jutsu (rope throwing).
Shinko Sensei continued in his travels to expand his
knowledge of the art of weaponry, arriving in Shanghai where he learned the
arts of Nunti-jutsu, Tinbei-jutsu, and Suruchin-jutsu. while in Shanghai, he
began to develop interests outside of kobudo, yet still within the realm of
the martial arts. Matayoshi Shinko Sensei became involved in the study of
Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine under the instruction of Kinkoroushi.
He furthered his studies in China, learning Chinese boxing and
Shorinji-Kempo in Fuchow, China.
Because of his abilities and knowledge, windows of
opportunity were opened to Matayoshi Shinko Sensei, and he was able to
participate in two very notable moments in the history of the martial arts.
In 1915, during the Imperial Memorial Budo Demonstration Festival at the
Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Shinko Sensei demonstrated Tonkua-jutsu and
Kama-jutsu, while Funakoshi Gichin Sensei (the founder of Shotokan)
demonstrated karate. This was the first time that Okinawan Kobudo was
publicly demonstrated in mainland Japan, and remains a very important event
in the history of Kobudo. Later, in 1921, during the honorable visit of
Prince Hirohito (Showa) to Okinawa, Matayoshi Sensei demonstrated Kobudo,
and Miyagi Chojun Sensei (the founder of Goju Ryu) demonstrated Karate for
the distinguished guest. It was not until 1935 when Matayoshi Shinko Sensei
returned to Okinawa, settled in the city of Naha, and shaped his experiences
to the point of developing the Matayoshi style of Kobudo. Matayoshi Shinko
Sensei passed away in 1947 at the age of 59. |
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MATAYOSHI SHINPO
SENSEI
Matayoshi Shinpo Sensei, son of
Matayoshi Shinko Sensei and successor to the Matayoshi line of Kobudo, was
born in Okinawa in Yomitan Village, located in the Kina District on December
27, 1921. Shinpo Sensei was introduced to the martial arts by his father at
the very young age of 6. However, Matayoshi Shinko Sensei did not limit his
son to the practice of Kobudo; he also exposed Shinpo Sensei to Kingai Ryu,
a White Crane open hand system. In 1937, Shinpo Sensei's father also
introduced him to the open hand system of Hakaku Kempo, which he learned
from Gokenki Sensei. Although Shinpo Sensei would have various instructors
throughout his life, his father remained his life-long instructor and
mentor.
Matayoshi Shinpo Sensei remained in Okinawa until 1938,
when he moved to Kawasaki-Shi in Kanagawa-Ken. He spent 19 years in the city
of Kawasaki teaching and training. The year 1957 brought Shinpo Sensei back
to Okinawa, where he taught kobudo predominantly in Goju Ryu dojos, namely
that of Higa Sensei. While teaching kobudo in various karate dojos,
Matayoshi Sensei realized that karate was growing in popularity, where as
kobudo was not. Matayoshi Sensei wanted to increase the exposure of kobudo
among the people of Okinawa, so he decided to form his own dojo.
In 1960, Matayoshi
Shinpo Sensei founded his kobudo dojo in the city of Naha, and he called it
the "Kodokan" in memory of, and as a dedication to his teacher and mentor
Matayoshi Shinko Sensei. The significance of "Kodokan" is based on the kanji
"Ko" (meaning "Light"), and is a tribute to the "Ko" from Shinko; for what
Kodokan translates to the "Hall of the Enlightened Way
Once Matayoshi Sensei opened his dojo, he focused on
contacting Kobudo instructors and students all over Japan. His intention was
to unite Kobudo practitioners under one goal; to not only to spread the art
of Kobudo, but also to try to maintain the traditions that had been passed
down from Kobudo Senseis of earlier days. Matayoshi Sensei had a strong
interest in promoting Kobudo among young students to help make them better
citizens and contributors to society. As a result of this interest,
Matayoshi Sensei formed the Ryukyu Kobudo Association in 1960. This
association became the foundation of the Zen Okinawa Renmei or All Okinawa
Kobudo League, which formed in 1972 and still exists today. Matayoshi Shinpo
Sensei passed away in Okinawa on September 7, 1997, at the age of 76.
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Multi Weaponed Art of Matayoshi Kobudo
The ancient history of Okinawa tells us a turbulent story,
with violent political upheavals characterizing a major part of the now-peaceful
island's heritage. It was out of these days of unrest that the art of kobudo
(the ancient martial way) was born, due to a necessity for peasants to defend
their families or property by turning common, everyday items into weapons that
could be used for self defense. In times of political strife, war faring weapons
such as swords and spears were forbidden to the general populace, which left
farmers and fishermen easy prey for armed bandits and pirates. To counteract the
decrees than rendered them weaponless, Okinawans as well as the inhabitants of
the other islands within the Ryukyuan chain became highly proficient in the use
of implements such as water-bucket carrying poles, boat oars, and grist mill
handles as means of self protection. Kata were eventually developed, usually
named after a founder or village of origin, and various styles of kobudo came
into being. One of these traditional systems is the Matayoshi style of kobudo
practiced by Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei (All Okinawan Kobudo Federation), which
is now recognized world-wide as a leader in the art that was so desperately
needed and so carefully developed to preserve the well-being of the Ryukyuan
citizenry.
The Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei has deep roots in the teachings
of Shinko Matayoshi (1888-1947), who comes from a family that has one of the
oldest lineages on Okinawa, and is distinctive in that every member has been
involved in the martial arts to some degree. The unusually wide variety of
weapons that are taught within the Matayoshi system evolved from the ability of
Shinko Matayoshi to travel and learn all aspects of the art, as he spent a total
of thirteen years studying in China, along with making frequent excursions to
other areas to experience different cultures and learn about the weapons that
were used for self defense. Shinko Matayoshi's later travels were for the
purpose of promoting his system, which became known as Ryukyuan Kobudo
throughout Okinawa and mainland Japan. Today, Shinko Matayoshi's work is upheld
by his son, Shinpo Matayoshi (1923- ), who began training under his famous
father's instruction at the age of four. Like his father, Shinpo Matayoshi (as
pictured to the right in his Kodokan Dojo in Okinawa training with a sai that is
unique to the Matayoshi Kobudo system as it is angled differently from the more
common type) travels extensively to promote kobudo, and founded the Ryukyu
Kobudo Renmei in 1970, which was reorganized two years later into the Zen
Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. Shinpo Matayoshi's dojo is named Kodokan (Enlightened
Way) in honor of his father, whose first name Shinko means "True Light."
The differences between Matayoshi Kobudo and other systems
result from, a strong Chinese influence, which came about from Shinko Matayoshi's studies. Overall, the movements in the Matayoshi system are more
relaxed and flowing, with both linear and circular strikes forming a smooth,
fluid style. While the stepping movements within Matayoshi Kobudo are somewhat
similar to those used in Okinawan karate, the stances are designed differently
for very quick, light movements. For example, the foot positioning for the sumo
stance (shiko dachi) is not as wide, and the front foot positioning of the cat
stance (neko ashi dachi) is dissimilar from that used in karate and other kobudo
styles. The Chinese influence also becomes apparent in bo (wooden staff)
techniques where chambering of the close end of the weapon takes place outside
the arm, rather than under the arm. Positioning the bo on the outside of the arm
lends greater protection to the inner part of the body, and avoids the injuries
that could occur when the bo whips around and snaps up under the user's arm,
striking vulnerable areas in the armpit and side of the torso.
The Matayoshi Kobudo system places great emphasis on the use
of the bo, an implement said to be derived from the tenbib, which was a wooden
staff that was slung across the shoulders in order to transport buckets of water
on each end. The most popular type of bo is the rokushaku, which measures six
feet in length and 1 1/4 inches thick at the center, tapering down to 3/4 inch
at the ends. Other types of bo range in length from four to nine feet, and can
be round (maru-bo), four-sided (kaku-bo), sixsided (rokkaku-bo), or eight-sided
(hakkakubo). The most common bo kata are Shushi- No-Kon, Choun-No-Kon,
Sakugawa-No-Kon, Tsuken-No-Kon, and Shiishi-No-Kon. Other staff-type weapons
include the hanbo (threefoot wooden stick), jo (four-foot wooden stick), tetsubo
(Iron staff), sansetsu-kon (three-sectioned staff), and the konsaibo, which is a
wooden staff studded with iron nubs.
Many traditional Okinawan kobudo weapons were developed to
defend against opponents wielding spears or swords. Implements such as the sai,
which is a three-pronged metal truncheon, were often used in sets of two or
three for the purpose of entrapping an attacker's weapon and using the pronged
ends in a jabbing, puncturing strike. Although the exact origin of the sai is
obscure, it closely resembles an instrument that was used in China, and is also
believed to have been derived from a farming implement that was used for digging
furrows in the ground for planting seeds. A third sai was often carried behind
the back in the belt sash (obi) as a replacement for a hand-held sai that was
thrown at an opponent. The nunti is a threepronged weapon that is sometimes
incorrectly referred to as a manji-sai, with one of the outside prongs facing in
the opposite direction, toward the handle, and which often attached to the end
of a bo. Other truncheon weapons are the juste and the tokushu-keibo, a
collapsible metal instrument.
The nunchaku is a weapon made from a horse bridle strap and a
tool that was used to pound grain or rice. In the Matayoshi system, the most
common types of nunchaku have octagonal (hakkakukei) or round (maru-gata) wooden
handles of equal length connected by a length of rope or chain. A vine (kanda)
can also be used as a longer connector, in order to bind an opponent's head and
hands together in an "Okinawan Handcuff." Matayoshi Kobudo instruction includes
nunchaku with one handle half the length of the other, both handles half the
normal size, three-sectioned and four-sectioned. The han-kei nunchaku, with the
circumference of the handles halved, is designed for easier carrying and
concealment, as both handles fit together smoothly.
Sickles that became useful weapons for self defense includes
the kama, which has a curved blade, and the naginata, a curved blade, sickle
like spear seven feet in length. The nagemaki is a heavier version of the
naginata with a larger blade, while the rokushaku-kama is a sickle with a six
foot handle.
Wooden implements played an important role in the history of kobudo, and tools such as the tounkwa (tuifa, tonfa), which were used as grist
mill handles, served as effective weapons. The eku (boat oar) was a popular item
in Okinawan fishing villages, and has a unique feature in allowing the defender
to fling sand in an attacker's face by holding the eku straight up with the
paddle end down, and kicking the bottom out in a swift, forward and upward
motion. There is also the abumi (wooden saddle stirrup) and the tecchu
("knuckle-duster") made from yarn spindles.
Chizikanbo, made from wooden fish floats, is another weapon
that is attached to the hands to aid punching effectiveness. The bokken, or
wooden sword, was employed as a training device, while the kendo practice sword
made of bamboo shoots (shinai) served as a conditioning implement.
Knife-like weapons that could be concealed within clothing
and easily produced when needed are the kaiken (six- inch knife), juken
(bayonet), and the tanto (dagger with a blade measuring eight to sixteen inches
in length). Another device is the ninshokudai, or candles on an L-shaped,
iron-spiked holder that was said to be carried by Okinawan women.
Chains produced large, heavier weapons such as the surushin (Manriki-gusari),
which was weighted at one end, and the gekigan (ball and chain). The chigiriki
is a weapon that has a three-to-ten-foot chain attached to an iron ball at one
end and a staff at the other end. The nagegama is a retractable walking stick
made from chain links.
Other items on the lengthy list taught in the Matayoshi
Kobudo system include the halberd, a heavy, axe-like weapon with a coin-shaped
blade. The tecchu is another form of "brass knuckles," as is the tatsuko, which
is made of metal and studded. The timbei (timbei, tembe, timpei), which is a
shield made from the shell of a giant sea turtle, proved effective for repelling
sword or spear attacks, and was often used with the small dart-like weapon known
as rochin.
It must be pointed out that the study of the multitude of
weapons in the Matayoshi system takes place on a complete basis, and students
are not encouraged to merely dabble in various areas in an attempt to "learn a
little bit about each weapon." The founding master's principles are based upon
thorough knowledge of the purpose and origin of each weapon, and it takes many
years of dedicated training to become proficient in the use of a single item.
Matayoshi Kobudo has become very popular among practitioners
of the major Okinawan karate styles, as it fits in well with empty-hand arts and
rounds out a student's martial training. One of the traditional Okinawan
principles concerns the fact that Shinpo Matayoshi views kobudo as not only an
art for self defense, but also serves as a means of obtaining and maintaining
inner peace.
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