Anko Azato's Influence on Shotokan & Kyan's Karate
By Dan Smith
(Proprietary material to be used only with the permission of the US Seibukan Yudanshakai)
Chotoku Kyan began studying with Sokon Matsumura in approximately 1889. This date is derived from the fact that he began his studies shortly after returning from Japan where his father had been living representing the king of Okinawa. Kyan trained with Matsumura until Matsumura’s death in 1903.
Kyan began his training with Matsumura just after he retired from being the chief of security for the Ryukyu Kingdom. Matsumura was the last of the Chikudoun Pechin or professional body guards for the kings of Okinawa. Matsumura lived in a village in the Shuri area called Sakiyama.
Both Kyan and Funakoshi provided reference in several documented conversations that their training with Matsumura was conducted at the Sakiyama garden dojo of Matsumura. Kyan’s students, Zenryo Shimabukuro and Joen Nakazato confirmed this information as the place and time that Kyan trained with Matsumura. Funakoshi writes in his book, Karate-do Kyohan, of his training with Azato during this time. Azato was teaching for Matsumura who was too old to be actively teaching so therefore I have reached the conclusion that Azato was teaching for Matsumura and thus it was highly probable that Azato taught to some extent both Kyan and Funakoshi at the Sakiyama dojo.
Funakoshi stated that Azato was the best karate man in Okinawa at this time but yet Azato did not have any students or a dojo. I believe the reason is that he did not have students or a dojo was that he was assisting Matsumura, due to Matsumura’s age. It would stand to reason that Azato was assisting his teacher because Funakoshi stated that Azato’s only teacher was Matsumura. It has often been stated that Itosu was the primary student of Matsumura but this is not true as Itosu and Azato were considered peers and Itosu’s primary teacher was not Matsumura but Nakahama also of the Sakiyama area. Itosu came to Matsumura at the time of his teacher’s death. His teacher told Itosu as he was dying that he should go to Matsumura because he had not taught him to fight but to only perform hojo undo and kata. The lack of training in fighting during this time was not uncommon as the need for security had been filled by the Japanese. Too many karate training had become a method of physical, mental and spiritual conditioning without combat. Matsumura was one of the last body guards or security to the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Funakoshi states that Azato’s only teacher was Matsumura. I determined from this that Azato had a stronger relationship with Matsumura and potentially passed along a closer version of Matsumura’s karate. I have concluded that Azato taught the Matsumura system more closely than Itosu due to Itosu’s previous training and the short period he could have trained with Matsumura before Matsumura’s death. This is possibly the reason for the Itosu lineage not having a Seisan Kata, the use of lower stances and a strong emphasis on hip twisting.
Additional evidence that Kyan and Funakoshi studied from the same source is the Seisan Kata. The Kyan version of Seisan is not by coincidence close to the version of Seisan of Funakoshi that became Hangetsu when Funakoshi went to Japan
I began the study of Shotokan in 1962 in the USA. I learned the Shotokan Hangetsu kata in 1966. Upon arriving in Okinawa and beginning to practice in the Seibukan dojo of Zenryo Shimabukuro in 1968 I immediately recognized the Seisan kata as being almost identical to the Hangetsu kata I had learned in Shotokan. During the years I lived on Okinawa and in return visits I have never seen a Seisan kata like the Hangetsu kata unless it had a Kyan lineage. I am of the belief that Kyan and Funakoshi had a common beginning for their kata and Azato was the source.
Are there other reasons that this common influence on Seisan could have come from other sources? I am sure that there are other possibilities but I have to come to the conclusion that Kyan and Funakoshi both being about the same age, having studied with Matsumura and Azato, and the kata being the only similar Seisan in any other lineage must have come from the same origin. I strongly believe that that origin is from Azato and indirectly from Matsumura.
A comparison of the physical techniques is even more revealing. The kihon of the kata is similar. The utilization of the shiko dachi in Seisan and Hangetsu (until it was changed by Funakoshi’s students to fudo dachi) is exactly the same. Pictures of Gigo Funakoshi, Funakoshi’s son, in H.D. Plee’s book reveal the early use of the shiko dachi by Shotokan practioner’s in Japan. Kyan’s lineage is the only ryu ha on Okinawa that continues to use the Seisan that came from Matsumura and Shotokan is the only Japanese style that uses the Hangetsu kata. The Chito Ryu karate of Chitose has a version of Seisan that is very similar due to Chitose’s training with Kyan before he moved to the Japanese mainland.
Matsumura’s Seisan is clearly different than the Seisan of Higaonna. Which version came first ? Matsumura trained before Higaonna and Higaonna version came from China. I conclude that the Matsumura Seisan is the older of the two kata on Okinawa. Kyan and Funakoshi both kept the kata as close as they could to the way they were taught and always gave credit for the Seisan kata coming from the Shuri Te versus the Shorei Te. I believe this is what causes the confusion in Funakoshi’s book when he is describing the kata that come from Shuri and Shorei.
A further analysis of kata that Kyan received from Matsumura; Chinto, Gojushiho and Naifanchi show no similarity except for Niafanchi to Funakoshi’s kata. This brings me to the conclusion that Funakoshi did not learn any kata from Azato but the Seisan and Naifanchi. This would be representative for this period of time when only one or two kata were taught to a student unless they stayed for an extended period of time. Funakoshi learned the Pinan kata form Itosu after 1908 which is after Azato died. Funakoshi learned most of the additional Shotokan kata from Mabuni after he was living and teaching in Japan. Funakoshi needed more kata material for his university curriculum and added the kata from Mabuni.
The Shotokan relationship to Seibukan members is important to understand as it provides the link between the modern Japanese karate and the koryu(old ways in the Unchinan gushi or Okinawan dialect) karate of Matsumura, Azato and Kyan that the Shimabukuro family has passed on to us. Shotokan appears to be a close cousin of Seibukan. We should be sharing our heritage with all Shotokan members around the world.
Part One and Two found in Classical Fighting Arts magazine gives an account of my early days of Shotokan and my Seibukan practice on Okinawa and the relationship of Shotokan and Seibukan that I found in the Jagaru Dojo. I went to Okinawa looking for Funakoshi’s karate. I visited numerous dojo until I found the Seibukan dojo and I believed I had found Shotokan’s roots.
I cannot prove my hypothesis that Kyan and Funakoshi both trained with Azato. I have discussed the potential relationship with many Okinawan karate historians and while it may sound plausible there is no supporting proof for the premise. I certainly believe that Funkakoshi’s basic Shotokan came from Azato and Kyan’s basic methods have a strong resemblance to the early Funakoshi methods through his son, Yoshitaka, as evidenced by the pictures in H.D. Plee’s books but no proof of the relationship exist.. If you take the Pinan kata out of the Shotokan curriculum and focus on Hangetsu as the basic methods as did Kyan with Seisan the hypothesis takes on a greater plausibility. The Pinan along with the Taikokyu kata change the basic methods of Shotokan from Kyan’s karate. Of course the Pinan and Taikokyu kata did not exist at the time Funakoshi and Kyan trained with Azato. I believe Funakoshi moved toward modern Japanese karate while the Kyan and his students continued with the post-modern Okinawan karate methods.
I have written this paper as a vehicle to inspire further research and comment.