“Recently I hear people saying that sports karate, competition karate, is the tradition of our time…. But if I may express my personal opinion, I’d like to ask ‘so then what is karate in Okinawa?’…..
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It is an unbroken culture and tradition that our ancestors have carried through history. For hundreds of years especially for Shurite, it’s around two hundred years since Matsumura Sokon, and it existed before him, we can say three, four, five hundred years, so it is a very old tradition. This tradition that has lasted until our time, is it turned into sport now?…..
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Winning is the reason why you compete and why sports exist, more than anything else. Is karate such a thing? Has karate been built on the principals of competition and winning? Or is karate based on forging a better person?…..
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In Okinawan karate, this aspect of forging people has been followed since long ago. In short, you can’t call it tradition, if there is no building of leaders good for society. Forging the exceptional, out of the ordinary, through hard training and discipline.“ ~ Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Oshukai Shorin Ryu ??
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? Photo Credit: karate-okinawa.pl:……. From an interview with Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Shorin Ryu – by Chris Wilson & James Pankiewicz