How the Japanese Improved Okinawan Karate

I have read much about the ways that karate degenerated when it was adopted and modified by the Japanese.

Many writers who have studied with Okinawan instructors have waxed ecstatic about the ways that the pure version of Okinawan Karate beats that silly Japanese stuff all hollow.

Maybe true, maybe not. I've seen great exponents from both traditions, and both of those, after all, are offshoots of Chinese Martial Arts.

But Okinawan Martial Artists were more effective after Japanese domination for one simple reason, which was discussed by Funakoshi in his autobiography.

After Japanese domination of Okinawa, the wearing of the traditional Okinawan hair arrangement, a sort of top-knot, was forbidden. Gichen Funakoshi writes about how difficult it was to shear them off some schoolchildren in Okinawa.

But long hair (and, for that matter, beards) have always been great handles for hand-to-hand combat.

Which is why Philip of Macedon and his son (a guy named Alexander, remember?) told their troops to keep it short.

So after the Japanese took over control of Okinawa, they provided one gift to local martial artists, even if it was not intended as a gift.

And you can see how effective the use of the topknot grab was, because it shows up in bunkai to most of the kata!