It is
commonly believed that martial arts began in China between 1122 and 205 B.C.
(the Chow dynasty). However, they actually predate that time. Paintings and
inscriptions of ancient Egypt show that fighting arts were being practiced
as early as 3000 B.C. India and Pakistan also have an ancient history of
martial arts. Though impossible to trace to a single origin, it is possible
to theorize how martial arts began.
As the human
race began to flourish, fighting and eventually warfare came into existence.
Through necessity, people began to develop means of self-protection. On the
most basic level, people protected themselves with sticks and stones.
However, it is fair to assume that some individuals developed more
successful skills than others. These individuals likely began to teach their
allies. This was the origin of Martial Arts.
The word
“karate” is actually two words: “kara” which means “empty”, and “teh” which
means “hands”. The art of Karate, like the word “karate” itself is innately
Japanese. Nearly 1000 years ago, the ruler of ancient Okinawa and later the
fuedal lord of Kagoshima, on the southern-most tip of Kyushu in Japan,
banned the use of weapons. This inspired the development of Japan’s "empty
hand" techniques, a natural self-preservation response to a politically
oppressive situation.
The Masters
over the years developed the kata (forms) to practice their techniques and
pass them on to their students. These ancient kata form the basis of
traditional karatedo as is taught today.
Fushin Ryu
was founded by Grand Master Yoshio Sugihara’s father as a kendo (sword)
style. For this reason, some of the terms used in Fushin Ryu Karate are
more commonly used in Kendo (i.e. Koto Uke: gauntlet block vs. forearm
block). Sugihara Sensei changed the style to Karatedo. As Sugihara
Sensei’s lineage traces back to the ancient masters, Fushin Ryu is a very
traditional style, using the traditional kata: Pinan, Naifhachi, Kushanku,
Seishan, Chinto, Bassai etc. The name, Fushin, while difficult to
translate, is the Japanese word for the “swoosh” sound a sword makes as it
cuts through the air.
The Fushin Ryu style is accurately recreated by the American
Fushin Ryu Karate Association under the leadership of Shihan Cris Kolb.
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