Isshinryu, Kanji, Kenpo Gokui: "The House That Tatsuo Build"

It "may be" prudent for a practitioner to relate the naming of Isshinryu by its founder, Bushi Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei, to the Kenpo Gokui thus the ancient texts such as the I Ching and the Mysteries.

This is an exercise in knowledge for to conduct such experimental analysis may assist me, and maybe you the reader, with understanding not only the gokui as it applies to our style but to the founder and thus Okinawa, culture, etc., in general.

Symbols and symbolism is used a lot when dealing with the gokui, I Ching, and Mysteries and we can find relations in the Isshinryu system such as the gokui and the me-gami. Kanji are pictures or symbols that can have a variety of meaning depending on its usage. The kanji characters used in Japan and Okinawa come from the Chinese. Apparently the Chinese have had great influence with all things Asian and more so with Okinawa through out its colorful history.

Bushi Tatsuo Sensei expressed his desires that his students search out the meaning behind the gokui and mentioned many times to learn about others, others culture, and others beliefs, etc. This is one of my attempts to come to a better understanding of Isshinryu, the gokui, the classics and of Okinawa.

I believe through this endeavor we come to understand the importance of what Bushi Tatsuo Sensei taught and hope that we all can use this knowledge so we may come to understand our world, those who live in it, and thus become one world family where we all understand the meaning of "us" vs. "me and I" so we can care for our family and understand our family.

ICHI:

I pulled the character for "one" from the kanji used to name the style called Isshinryu. This is represented by our English characters of "Is" which I will take as a prefix for the entire word. Normally the character by itself represents the English characters of "Ichi" which is translated as "one" but is that the end of it, no.

This is why I stress in my writings that the use and understanding of the characters used to represent various things and aspects of the practice of Karate-do are so important to assist us, as Americans, in our understanding of what we practice and teach but also to understand those who created and passed on to us their ancient practices in the fighting/martial arts.

The dictionary of Kanji for Ichi or "Is:"

ICHI; ITSU; hito-; hito(tsu)
hi; hajime; osamu; makoto; susumu
ONE, unity, first
onetime, once
make one, unify, become one

Isshun: instant, moment

All in one, everything, the whole, one and only, sole, exclusive

Isshin ni: wholeheartedly, with one's whole heart.

If you have spent any time in the study of the kenpo gokui kanji and its English translation you will immediately see connections in just the words. I believe that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei though his years of practice and studies along with his devout belief in the ancient classics, etc. took that time to come to realize how we are all "one" in the Universe and with such deep understanding created a style with tons of symbols and symbolism within it that only those who devoted the time and effort would come to "see" within the words, kanji characters, practice and so on the deep meaning and connectivity he wanted us to discover, understand and pass on.

Everywhere though out my studies there are direct, indirect, and still more to be discovered connections to the "one" spoken in the character for "Is." Sensei, I believe, wanted us to discover that "one" that connected us to the Universe. The definitions above show that directly by "once," "make one," "unify," and "become one."

I believe to "isshin ni" or to give "one's whole heart," we must practice "wholeheartedly." The first precept tells us that each of us as individuals, i.e. person or man, must discover what it is and means to be the same as the heaven and earth. In order to discover and understand this we have to take on the acquisition of knowledge of the culture of both Okinawan's and the Chinese.

Everywhere in practice, training, the gokui and all its brothers, i.e. kata no gokui, etc. and the classics we see references to heaven, earth, and man. As stated by Advincula Sensei through a posting on the Isshinkai,

"(14483) AJA: All the codes apply to all the kata but certain codes apply to certain Philosophy or characteristics of each kata. As stated before, the kata Kusanku, the opening move is symbolic for Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth in Chinese Philosophy means The Universe or the Whole World. This symbolically means world peace to get along with others in the world (World Peace). As the move starts at the top (Heaven) and ends at the bottom (Earth) and chops forward (Man), it is the triad Heaven, Earth and Man or unity."

The triad of Heaven, Earth and Man" refers to "unity" which you can now see is also in the description/defining of the usage "Is" for our name, "Isshinryu." Also as stated in a commentary of the I Ching (stated by Advincula Sensei on Isshinkai Yahoo Group):

~ Confucianism. I Ching, Great Commentary 2.4.13
Based on Confucianism and the three powers, Heaven, Earth and Man, is all about social order. In the world of man (human beings) our structural patterns in society our based on education of what we are taught and learn. Confucianism is based on education. In Isshin-ryu we have the teachings of Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei through the symbol of Isshin-ryu No Megami, The Kenpo Gokui, and Dojo kun.
Which I also include a relationship of the naming and name to the gokui and thus to the I Ching where through out talks about Heaven, Earth, and Man.

SHIN:

HEART
Shin; kokoro; -gokoro; mune
makoto; mi

Heart, mind, spirit, feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Shinshin: mind and body.
Shinchu: heart, mind, true emotions.
Kushin: pains, efforts, hard work.
Koshin: filial devotion [affection]

HEART, center, core
HEART of a matter, vital point.

HEART, mind, spirit, should; thoughts, idea's.
attention, mind, interest.

When I started to seek out the connections of everything Isshinryu I was totally startled at the length and breadth of his knowledge and implementation of the style. No where else is this more evident than when you delve into the characters which turn into symbols/symbolisms of our system of karate-do. If we just settle for the English word, "Heart," we will miss plenty as can be seen on the surface when reviewing the above meanings of the character used for "Shin."

Just look at one word that falls under "shin," which is "kokoro." Kokoro means, loosely, "mind, heart, spirit." If we take a look at the gokui we see references to different aspects of the mind, heart, and spirit such as "eyes seeing," "ears listening," and "a person's heart." Take the literal view and then discover through study and practice the more esoteric connections.

Even in all the views of shin can we see where the direct and indirect meaning is to bring all of it into "one" such as the "unity" of mind, body and spirit. Our physical practice does this as well as our spiritual. The gokui alludes to that bringing together as one by its inferences to creating a balance or equilibrium which can be thought of as "one." This also brings to mind Bushi Tatsuo Sensei wishes for all of us to come together as "one" though the practice of Isshinryu where we learn about our fathers in the fighting/martial art of karate-do.

I can also derive from this that he also meant for us to go beyond his teachings. Every one of us that teaches and taught hope the most for our students to stretch beyond us and become more so we build a better family of Isshinryu'ests and a better family of the world. If we practice and teach wholeheartedly, with true spirit, mind and body, with thoughts of "us" to include Okinawans and the world, to find our center and connect it to others, to create a core of practitioners who can convey this to our brethren regardless of style, race, creed, cultures, etc. then we can truly say we practice the spirit of Bushi Tatsuo Sensei Isshinryu.

RYU:

FLOW: CURRENT: STYLE
RYU; RU; naga(reru); naga(re)
naga(su); -naga(su)
nagashi

STYLE, way, mode, manner, form, fashion.
school, style, system

ryuha: school
ryugi: school, style, system, method

Isshinryu no: in the style of Isshin.
Jikoryu: one's own style, one's way of doing things.

Here is another reason I find the language and especially the characters of Asia so descriptive and wide range in nature which I find superior in describing the intricacies of the Asian Fighting/Martial Arts. If we limit our understanding of it by the English translation we limit our capabilities. Using the language/characters to discover the possibilities opens many doors where we would have missed out if not for Bushi Tatsuo Sensei and his creation of Isshinryu.

To me and to my studies the word and character "ryu" leads to so much more such as describing our system as a way, mode, manner, form and fashion. It includes the direct and indirect meaning of each descriptive word and takes it beyond just being a school.

In English we limit our understanding by the word and our perception of that word. A school is somewhere you go to receive instruction in a particular subject which is regulated for groups by a syllabus and a limited form of grading and testing for knowledge and understanding. When you see that word "school" you relate it to "schools" as we attend learning such things as reading and writing, etc. Math and Geography and so on when to enter into an agreement to practice a far reaching form as karate-do is between two individuals where much more is required to achieve proficiency such as the tori-uke, sensei-deshi, etc. relationship which goes beyond merely attending a classroom where one lectures and one studies and then takes a written test, etc.

As you can see by this short writing of the title, "Isshinryu," as well as its many ways of understanding thus opening many doors to knowledge and understanding that we should look outside the box and discover many wonderful aspects of this Asian Okinawan Fighting/Martial Art we call Isshinryu.

It is my hope that everyone who reads this short post comes to realize the importance of what Bushi Tatsuo Sensei desired of his practitioners and that it encompasses so much more than mere rank, trophies, and power. I hope it opens the door to a desire to reach beyond the fundamentals of Isshinryu, the physical and takes you into a greater world, a greater Universe.