10/27/22, 9:16 AM Motobu Chōki - Wikipedia

Motobu Chōki
Motobu Chōki (本部 朝基, April 5 1870 – April 15 1944) was an
Motobu Chōki
Okinawan karate master and founder of Motobu-ryū. He was
born into a branch of the Ryukyuan royal family, and at the age of
12, he and his older brother Motobu Chōyū invited Ankō Itosu to
learn karate. Chōyū was also a noted martial artist.

Motobu also studied karate under Sakuma, Matsumura Sōkon,

and Kōsaku Matsumora.[1] He excelled especially in kumite and
was already known throughout Okinawa in his twenties.[2] As he
grew up, he came to be regarded as the best in Okinawa in terms
of practical karate techniques.[3][4] He is reported to have been
very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru
("Motobu the Monkey").

Motobu later moved to mainland Japan, and at the age of 52, he

beat a foreign boxer in Kyoto, Japan, and his name became
instantly known throughout the country. He distanced himself
from the modernization trend in karate, focusing only on kata Motobu Chōki
Naihanchi and concentrating on kumite practice.
Born April 5, 1870

Akahira Village, Shuri,

Ryūkyū Kingdom
Contents Died April 15, 1944
Early life and training (aged 74)

Activities in Mainland Japan Shuri, Japan

The boxing match Style Shuri-te, Tomari-te,
Motobu-ryū Karate Motobu-ryū

Return to Okinawa Teacher(s) Sōkon Matsumura,

Sakuma Pechin, Ankō
Motobu's legacy and notable students
Itosu, Kosaku
See also
Matsumora
Notes
Rank Sōke, Founder of
References Motobu-ryū
External links Notable His son Chōsei
students Motobu, Tatsuo
Yamada, Sannosuke
Early life and training Ueshima, Yasuhiro
Konishi, Hironori
Motobu Chōki was born in 1870 in Shuri Akahira, the capital of Ōtsuka, Tatsuo
the Ryukyu Kingdom, the third son of father Chōshin and mother
Shimabuku, Shōshin
Ushi. His father, Prince Motobu Chōshin (Motobu Aji Chōsin)
Nagamine, Katsuya
was a descendant of Shō Kōshin, aka Prince Motobu Chōhei (1655
- 1687), the sixth son of Shō Shitsu (1629–1668), the King of Miyahira

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Ryukyu. The Motobu family was one of the cadet branches of the Website Motobu-ryu (http://moto
Ryukyuan royal family called the Motobu Udun ("Motobu bu-ryu.org)
Palace") and was one of the most prominent families in Okinawa.

He studied karate primarily under Ankō Itosu (1831 - 1915), Sōkon Matsumura (1809 - 1899),
Sakuma, and Kōsaku Matsumora (1829 - 1898), but also occasionally under Kunjan Pēchin and
Kuniyoshi Shinkichi.[5] He studied under Itosu for seven or eight years. With the abolition of the
Ryukyu Kingdom, these teachers lost their jobs and became impoverished. The Motobu family was
wealthy because they received income from the Japanese government as a member of the former
royal family. Therefore, the Motobu family employed them as karate teachers and assisted them.[6]

Motobu was taught Naihanchi and Channan (the original form of Pinan) by Itosu. However, under
Itosu's tutelage, Motobu found it difficult to defeat his older brother, Motobu Chōyū, in kumite.
Therefore, he secretly continued his training under Sōkon Matsumura and Sakuma from Shuri, and
by the time he was over 20 years old, he was confident that he could defeat his brother in kumite.[7]

From the age of 19 or 20, Motobu, along with his older brother Chōyū and his friend Kentsū Yabu,
began studying under Kōsaku Matsumora. He was taught by Matsumora, especially irikumi, an
ancient form of kumite, and Matsumora praised him as being very talented in the martial arts.[8]
Yabu was a good friend of Motobu's and they practiced karate together throughout their lives.[9]

Motobu famously emphasized Naihanchi kata, but also taught Seisan, Passai, and Shirokuma (White
Bear). There is a theory that Shirokuma is Channan because of its resemblance to Pinan.[10]
Furthermore, he taught Wanshū and Jitte.[11]

Activities in Mainland Japan

The boxing match

Around 1921, Motobu moved to Osaka, Japan. In

November 1922, a friend convinced Motobu to
enter a "boxing vs judo" match which was taking
place. These matches were popular at the time,
and often pitted a visiting foreign boxer against a
jujutsu or judo man. According to an account of
the fight from a 1925 King magazine article,
Motobu is said to have entered into a challenge
match with a tall, burly foreign boxer called
George. Motobu, on the other hand, recalls that
the boxer was John "somebody." Early rounds
Illustration depicting a match between Motobu Chōki and
involved evasion by the smaller man. Motobu
a foreign boxer
recalls the boxer fought very sluggishly.[12]
Taking advantage of this, after a few rounds,
according to the account, Motobu moved in on the taller, larger boxer and knocked him out with a
single hand strike to the head. Motobu was then 52 years old.

The King article detailed Motobu's surprising victory, although the illustrations clearly show
Funakoshi Gichin as the Okinawan fighter in question. The two were often at odds in their opinions
about how karate ought to be taught and used.

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Motobu-ryū Karate

The popularity generated by this unexpected victory propelled both Motobu and karate to a degree of
fame that neither had previously known in Japan. In 1923, he opened a karate dojo in Osaka. Among
his students at that time were Tatsuo Yamada and Sannosuke Ueshima. In 1926, he published his first
book, Okinawa Kenpo Karate-jutsu Kumite-hen (Kumite Edition of Okinawa Kenpō Karate Art). This
is the oldest book on kumite, and the 12 kumite drills presented in this book are still passed down in
Motobu-ryū today.

Around 1927, Motobu moved to Tokyo to establish the Daidōkan dojo and also became the first
Shihan of the karate club at Toyo University. Regular students at the dojo at that time included
Higaonna Kamesuke and Marukawa Kenji. In addition, his guest students were Yasuhiro Konishi,
Hironori Ōtsuka, and boxer champion "Piston" Horiguchi.

Motobu had no small amount of difficulty in teaching karate in terms of language. He moved to
mainland Japan after the age of 50, so he was forced to teach exclusively in the Okinawan dialect at
the dojo. As a result, those who were not pleased with his success spread a rumor that he was
illiterate. This rumor has been largely discredited by the existence of samples of Motobu's
handwriting, which is in a clear and literate hand. In a Tsunami video production on Motobu-ryū,
Motobu Chōsei comments that his father's language difficulties may have been motivated more by
protest at being a displaced member (by the Japanese annexation of Okinawa) of the Ryukyuan
aristocracy than by inability.

In the fall of 1936, Motobu temporarily closed his Daidōkan dojo in Tokyo and returned to Okinawa.
He then attended a roundtable meeting of karate grand masters held in Naha on October 25. He
stayed in Okinawa for a while and returned to Osaka the following year. There he began teaching
karate to his son Motobu Chōsei. Motobu occasionally traveled to Tokyo to teach karate, but due to
deteriorating health he closed his dojo in the fall of 1941 and returned to Osaka. In June 1942 he
taught karate briefly at the Tottori Agriculture High School (present-day Tottori University Faculty of
Agriculture).[13]

Return to Okinawa
After moving to mainland Japan, Motobu occasionally returned to Okinawa for short periods of time.
In late 1926 and 1927, Motobu returned briefly to Okinawa. On January 7, 1927, Motobu
demonstrated wood-board breaking and kumite in front of Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo, who was
visiting Okinawa. He was introduced as "Okinawa's Number One" in kumite and was greatly admired
by Kanō.[14][15]

In late 1936, Motobu returned briefly to Okinawa again and attended a roundtable discussion of
karate masters in Naha on October 25. In November, he also attended a roundtable discussion
organized by young Okinawan karate practitioners. Motobu was invited as the most practical karate
master.[3]

In late 1942, Motobu returned to Okinawa, hoping to die in his hometown. He died in April 1944.

Motobu's legacy and notable students

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Motobu Chōki's third son, Chōsei Motobu (1925- ), still teaches

the style that his father passed on to him. As a point of reference,
it is important to distinguish between the "Motobu-ryū" which
Chōsei teaches, and "Motobu Udundi", the unique style of the
Motobu family, which bears a resemblance to aikijutsu. Now
Chōsei Motobu is the second Sōke of Motobu-ryū and the 14th
Sōke of Motobu Udundi.

Motobu's karate is characterized by its emphasis on kumite as well

as kata. He learned kakidi (kakede in Japanese), an ancient form
of kumite from Sakuma and Kōsaku Matsumora, and it is
practiced at Motobu-ryū to this day. He also favored kumite
matches based on this kakidi form, called kakidamishi
(kakedameshi in Japanese).[16] kakidamishi is often mistaken for
brawling, but it was a rules-based kumite match.

Motobu published a series of kumite drills in 1926. These are

among the earliest kumite drills. In these drills, Motobu drew on
the theory of Naihanchi kata, which he emphasized, as well as on Motobu Chōki performing kakidi
his experience in practicing kakidi and kakidamishi. (1926)

Below are some of his ideas regarding the kata:

"The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin (the old name for Naihanchi) no Kata is the
basics of karate."
"Twisting to the left or right from the Naifuanchin stance will give you the stance used in a real
confrontation. Twisting one's way of thinking about Naifuanchin left and right, the various
meanings in each movement of the kata will also become clear."
"The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one
hand and then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and
blocks and counters in the same motion."

Motobu trained many students who went on to become noteworthy practitioners of karate in their
own right, including:

Nakamura Shigeru, founder of Okinawa Kenpo

Tatsuo Yamada, founder of Nihon Kenpo Karate-dō
Sannosuke Ueshima, founder of Kushin-ryū
Yasuhiro Konishi, founder of Shindō jinen-ryū
Kōsei Kokuba (Japanese: Yukimori Kuniba), founder of Seishin Kai
Hironori Ōtsuka, founder of Wadō-ryū
Tatsuo Shimabuku, founder of Isshin-ryū
Shōshin Nagamine, founder of Matsubayashi-ryū
Katsuya Miyahira, founder of Shōrin-ryū Shidōkan

See also
Pechin/Peichin

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Notes
1. Motobu 2020, p. 179.
2. Motobu 2020, p. 180.
3. Motobu 2007, p. 50.
4. "Interviews with Respected Elder Bushi, Choki Motobu Regarding Real Self-Defense - (Jissen)
Episodes" (https://www.motobu-ryu.org/motobu-kenpo/lost-interviews/). Motobu-ryu. Ryukyu
Shimpo. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
5. Motobu 2007, p. 51.
6. Motobu 2009, p. 33.
7. Motobu 2020, p. 35.
8. Motobu 2007, pp. 52–53.
9. Motobu 2020, p. 199.
10. Jesse Enkamp. "Re-Examining Channan: The "Lost" Kata of Itosu?" (https://www.karatebyjesse.c
om/channan-the-lost-kata-of-itosu/). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
11. Motobu Naoki (2022-04-06). "Motobu Chōki's Kata" (https://ameblo.jp/motoburyu/entry-12735912
822.html). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
12. Motobu 2007, p. 55.
13. Motobu, Naoki (2021-10-10). "Motobu Chōki and Tottori Agriculture High School" (https://ameblo.j
p/motoburyu/entry-12702947499.html). Retrieved 2022-08-04.
14. Yokomoto, Isekichi (March 1927). "A Companion's Account of Ryūkyū and Kyūshū" (https://dl.ndl.
go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2254380?itemId=info%3Andljp%2Fpid%2F2254380&__lang=en). Sakkō.
Kōdōkan Cultural Association. 6 (3): 34, 35.
15. Motobu, Naoki (2021-07-17). "Kanō Jigorō and Motobu Chōki (1)" (https://ameblo.jp/motoburyu/en
try-12687021633.html). Retrieved 2022-08-05.
16. Andreas Quast (2015-03-31). "On Kakidī" (https://ryukyu-bugei.com/?tag=kakidi). Retrieved
2022-08-06.

References
Motobu, Choki (2020) [1932]. Quast, Andreas (ed.). Watashi no Karatejutsu 私の唐手術 (https://bo
oks.google.com/books?id=GKdSzQEACAAJ) [My Art and Skill of Karate]. Translated by Quast,
Andreas; Motobu, Naoki. Independently Published. ISBN 979-8-6013-6475-1.
Motobu, Choki (2007) [1936]. Translated by Asai Ferreira, Kiko. "Bushi Motobu Chōki Ō ni 'Jissen-
dan' o Kiku!" 武士・本部朝基翁に「実戦談」を聴く！ (https://www.motobu-ryu.org/motobu-kenp
o/lost-interviews/) [Choki Motobu's Lost Interviews from 1936]. Classical Fighting Arts Magazine.
Dragon Associates Inc. (34). ISSN 1547-416X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1547-416X).
Motobu, Chosei (2009). "Memories of My Father, Choki Motobu". Classical Fighting Arts
Magazine. Dragon Associates Inc. (40). ISSN 1547-416X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1547-416
X).
McCarthy, Patrick; McCarthy, Yuriko (2002). Motobu Choki: Karate, My Art. Australia: International
Ryukyu Karate Research Group. ISBN 978-1723105609.
Noble, Graham. "Master Motobu Choki: A Real Fighter." Dragon-Times, 2003 (http://www.dragon-t
sunami.org/Dtimes/Pages/articlec.htm)

External links
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10/27/22, 9:16 AM Motobu Chōki - Wikipedia

Motobu-ryū (http://motobu-ryu.org)
Okinawan Karate and World Peace (http://www.furyu.com/archives/issue8/NagSpeec.html)
The Hawaii Karate Seinenkai Salutes: Shoshin Nagamine (http://seinenkai.com/salute-nagamine.
html)
Techniques of the Masters: Shoshin Nagamine (http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/014/009/)
Akari-ki Karate: Nagamine (https://web.archive.org/web/20090418223303/http://www.geocities.co
m/karatejmh/shoshinnagamine.htm)
Shugyokan Shorin Ryu Dojo (https://web.archive.org/web/20091025163646/http://www.alljapanka
rate.com/)
“Karate Ni Sente Nashi” á la Motobu Choki (http://www.karatebyjesse.com/?p=5249:)

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