Tracy System of Kenpo

History and research division
last updated 11/13/00

OKINAWA KEMPO:
KARATE-JUTSU on KUMITE
Author: Choki Motobu (1926)

In the future I will add several more pages because of their historical importance. The books reproduction of photos showing self-defense technique are very faded and barely usable - but they are all Oyata had to work with! Oyata had to use the old black and white photos from one of the original book almost 50 years old. Since the book was originally in Japanese they were able to use modern type (Times Roman) for the English edition.

HISTORICAL NOTE: Many have clamed that Choki Motobu spelled Kenpo as KEMPO! Not true he wrote the book in Japanese. Oyata, when he translated the book to English, used the more common Okinawan spelling of KEMPO. REALITY: if Motobu had used English it probably would have spelled it KEMPO also because that is the way it is pronounced! Notice how James Mitose would also write his first book in 1947 in Japanese and others would translate it into English - Notice now Mitose used Motobu's books as a guide!

OKINAWA KEMPO:
KARATE-JUTSU on KUMITE
Author: Choki Motobu (1926)

What is Self Defense by Kempo Jiu Jitsu
Author: Professor James M. Mitose (1947)
This (1947 edition) of the book is now non-existent)

One thing of importance - most of the techniques are done at very close fighting range. Choki was a fighter and real fighting is always eyeball to eyeball!

If you can find this hard to get book - it is well worth adding to your library! This book freezes Karate in time (1926) so you can see what changes have been made to the original Okinawan Karate!

I have reproduced the cover and first eight pages of the Book:

My personal note on any page will be in BLUE - so you know they are not part of the original book or text!

OKINAWA KEMPO:
KARATE-JUTSU on KUMITE
Author: Choki Motobu

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Scroll down for pages 1-8

OKINAWA KEMPO: KARATE-JUTSU on KUMITE

Originally Published By

_
Author: Choki Motobu


Ryukyu Karate-Do Shihan-Kai
(Rykukyu Style Karate Instructor's Association

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My copy of this book disappeared years ago - MORAL: never loan anyone a book you do not have two copies of

This is Tony Vertburgt's original copy

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Collectors edition No.    562      November 10, 1977

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright: SEIKO OYATA

All rights reserved

 

 

 

PUBLISHER:
        Ryukyu Imports Inc.
        Box 553
        Olathe, Kansas 66061

 

 

 

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Printing and Delivery of Book         May 2, 1926
Publishing Date                                May 5, 1926
Published, Edited and Printed by Choki Motobu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Price of book 1½ Yen (In 1926, this price was about 75 cents)

 

        At  that  time a working man made about 7 Yen per
month. The price of this book was about one-fifth of their
monthly pay.

 

 

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    This book was the  first publication on   Karate  printed in a dialect
other  than  Okinawan.  This  book  was first printed  in   the Japanese
language as an introductory text to inform people about the Okinawan
(Ryukyu) martial art of karate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Choki Motobu

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MY NOTE: Choki Motobu was only about 5' 2" tall - average for an Okinawan!
But as the photo show very thick (NOT FAT) through the body!

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The following pages (6 and 7) were reproduced using an OCR - for better quality!

About the Author

The author, Choki Motobu, was called by his peers "Saru-aji".  This means either monkey king or king monkey.  He was nicknamed this because he was able to climb up and down a tree in the same fashion as a monkey, that is, he would climb both up and down head first at all times; also, he was able to move from branch to branch in the same fashion as a monkey.  He was able to do this because of his excellent muscle tone and control, not because he was as strong as a monkey.  Although he was a strong individual for his size and weight, he was just a little larger than the average Okinawan, but much smaller and lighter than the average Caucasian.
   Choki Motobu was not the first born and at this, time on Okinawa the first born in a Bushi family (warrior class) was given the family legacy.  This included all martial arts instruction.  Because he was not the first born, he acquired his "martial arts instruction" by secretly watching his brother, Choyu, through the wall enclosing the practice area, then diligently practicing what he had seen.
   Of course, the one event that made Choki Motobu famous was a contest between himself and the Russian fighter.  This was a cultural exchange which the Russian had traveled to Japan to fight the Japanese martial artists who were smaller physically than the Russian and had up to this time easily defeated all of them.  This contest was the first time that the large Caucasian was defeated by the small Oriental.  Choki Motobu just happened to be in Japan when the Russian was there and he heard the contest publicity and attended the sporting event to see the outcome.  At this time the Japanese did not know what Ryukyu karate was nor had they ever publicly viewed it.  On the night of the contest, after the Russian had beaten all the Japanese martial artists, he issued an open challenge to everyone in attendance.  Choki Motobu accepted the challenge.  He kicked the Russian in the solar plexus with a front kick.  When the Russian doubled up, Motobu hit him in the neck below the ears; the Russian died off of Japanese soil.

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After the contest his fame spread very quickly.  Many well known private, public and governmental institutions, many being colleges and many well-to-do individuals came to Motobu requesting instruction from him.  Motobu being a humble person believed that not only) did he not have the ability to teach the group of institutions and type( of people but he also did not have proper schooling in the Japanese( manners, customs and language to give proper instruction.  Motobu realizing that he would be unable to adequately teach the people and  institution seeking instruction invited Mr. Funakoshi from Okinawa. Mr. Funakoshi was invited to come to Japan to teach because he had all of the manners, customs and language that Motobu lacked, and these cultural factors were of the utmost importance in teaching the socially and economically elite.  Mr. Funakoshi was a school teacher by profession teaching in the middle school on Okinawa.  He taught the Japanese only kata; he did not teach kumite (fighting techniques).  Mr. Motobu had far the greater fighting ability.
    All this information was told by Master Oyata based upon information given specifically to him from the older Okinawan karate masters such as Master Nakamura and Master Uehara.  

 

 

 

 

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Seiyu Oyata - a "superb" Martial Artist (Old School) who now lives in Kansas City - this is the person George Dillman got his "Pressure Point" information from!

 

                                                            

 

TO BE CONTINUED