 Combined from early forms of Okinawan karate and adapted to blend into the Japanese culture, Shodokan has flourished across the world, spawning several derivative arts and even working its way up into the UFC. So, how did Shodokan become the most popular and the most influential style of karate in the world? Well, we're going to answer that in today's conclusion of the history of Shodokan. I would like to thank some of our viewers for their help with this video. A special thanks to William Armenteros, Keith Westmoreland and Sensei Santino-Ramos for helping connect us with footage and a special thanks to Ryan Mooney from Combat Karate for filming original footage for this series. Now, this is part three of the history of Shodokan and if you haven't seen parts one and two yet, I highly encourage you check them out. Part one shows us the origin of the art that founder Gijin Funagoshi put together and part two takes a closer look at the art and its standards that are still present today even in the MMA and you can find a link to both of those in the video description below. Okay, so what makes Shodokan the most influential style of karate in the world? In order to begin to answer that, we need to define its place in the history of karate. Traditional karate originated in Okinawa. With local fighting systems combined with Chinese influences, this led to the rise of three primary classifications of Okinawan karate, or Teh as it was called at the time. So we had Shurite, Naha Teh and Tomari Teh, each named after the village it was primarily present in. Now, Gijin Funagoshi had an extensive training in Shurite and Naha Teh in the form of Shorinru and Shoriru respectively. He combined a lot of the elements between the two systems infused a strong sense of his philosophy and he took it to Japan calling it simply karate or empty hands. And again, we went into much more detail in part one, but this is just to get us started. So Shodokan became very popular in Japan and it spread very quickly. But before we could talk about how it grew and branched to future arts, let's take a moment and acknowledge the history and contribution of the Okinawan arts because to be quite honest, without them Shodokan would not exist and would not have proliferated into the several arts that we have today. So many traditionalists will consider the Okinawan karate to be the true official type of karate and they wouldn't be wrong. However, I think it's very important to both respect its origin while also appreciating and exploring the ways that karate has grown and evolved from there and I believe that Shodokan has been a very powerful vehicle in that respect. So before we talk about where Shodokan is taking karate, let's observe how it differentiated from its source material. So how do Okinawan karate and Japanese karate compare? Well, I've talked to enough people who have trained in both know that it would have to be a video in and of itself to cover this adequately. There are some big differences between them both in philosophy and in technique. Now this is by no means a comprehensive comparison, but rather just a few ways in which they differ. In Japan, formality and honor are extremely important and they often take a regimented approach through cultural activities extending to the martial arts. Now there is a strict sense of etiquette in Japanese dojos. For example, the requirement of bowing before and after class and in response to instruction from the sensei. Also in Japanese karate, priority is often placed on form, timing and perfection of technique. Uniformity plays a big role and in an art such as Shodokan, it is extremely efficient to teach a large academy of students at one time if everything is well regimented. It preserves the details of technique and also facilitates the transmission of the knowledge. In contrast, Okinawan karate tends to be a little less formal, less emphasis on bowing and formality and dojos in general tend to have smaller rosters. As a result of this, a lot of Okinawan senseis will often tailor techniques based on the individual's learning it, focusing more on the efficiency of what works for that person as opposed to a uniform solution intended for a large class. Now this uniformity has probably contributed to how fast Shodokan spread around the world, becoming one of the most common styles of karate taught. It is streamlined, efficient and even Funakoshi himself has said to have wanted to implement it into elementary schools as a core subject. Traditional Okinawan schools tend to be smaller, often hidden within the town, with a tendency towards individualized teachings over mass instruction. Also, generally speaking, you can see a lot of differences and stances. Japanese karate tends to focus on developing the lower body and implementing some deep stances. This is often attributed to Funakoshi's son, Gigo, who loved deep stances, diverse kicks and loved to compete. This in contrast to his father who had preferred the higher stances he had learned in the traditional Okinawan shirite and nahate. Now it's pretty interesting to watch the performance of a kata that exists in both Japanese and Okinawan styles of karate. Again, generally speaking, you'll often see a greater emphasis on lower stances in Japanese kata and higher, more upper body focused movements in Okinawan kata. When it comes to martial arts weapons, you're more likely to see them in Okinawan karate. Now this is not to say that Japanese systems don't use them, but typically they focus more on open hand techniques. And honestly, most of the traditional weapons you see associated with karate, you know, the bow staff, nun jugs, sai, the tonfa, all originated in Okinawa and Kabuto, the martial way, is a big part of Okinawan arts. So while you may see weapons in both styles, you're more likely to encounter them in Okinawan teachings, at least historically. Another stark difference is competition. Japanese karate has far more emphasis on competition in sport than Okinawan karate does. In Okinawa, karate is embedded into a part of their lifestyle. A person doesn't merely do karate, it is part of their heritage and their family life. Now while some Okinawan schools do compete, such as Gujiru and Shitoru, which are represented in the world karate federation, it is far more common to see Japanese karate take part in sport fighting. Now with all that being said, both Okinawan and Japanese karate have a lot to offer, and it would be a very interesting topic to go down that rabbit hole in the future episode, as there are a lot more differences than what we can cover today. Sensei Jesse Enkamp from the Karate Nerd YouTube channel has an absolutely fantastic mini series on his trip to Okinawa and experience with Okinawan karate, and I have included those links in the description below if you are interested in checking those out. In 1930, Funukoshi officially established his organization, Dainihon Karate-do Kenkyukai, which was later known as the Shotokai, which basically refers to Shoto society. Now Shoto was Funukoshi's pen name that he used when he wrote poetry, and Shoto means pine waves, referring to the sound that wind makes as it ripples through pine trees. So with Shoto-kon taking root in Japan and flourishing among a wide range of students, it was only a matter of time before the art itself became a starting point for future systems. Prior to World War II, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Koreans had limited options regarding the martial arts. A lot of their own local ways were forbidden, and many were forced to learn Japanese arts. Shoto-kon was one of those primary arts being taught, so naturally it became implemented into the training of any Koreans that wanted to train in the martial arts at that time. And one of these men was the man who would go on to later found Tangsudo. Now another Korean national who was in Japan immediately after the end of World War II was Masoyama. He grew a love for the martial arts, and he sought out the training of Shoto-kon, and he was actually a direct student under Gigo Funakoshi, the son of founder Ginchin Funakoshi. Now this was also the time that American soldiers were based in Japan and Okinawa, and they began their introduction to karate. In the 40s karate was a very unfamiliar art in America, so many soldiers wanted to learn this new combat style. So right away I think we can start to see how some of the early seas were planted. Shoto-kon was growing in scale and popularity, and it was in 1949 that some of Funakoshi's senior students decided to establish an association to help govern, promote, educate, and spread the teachings of Shoto-kon. So, led by Masatoshi Nakayama, the Japan Karate Association, or JKA, was formally established as the central authority on Shoto-kon. An elderly Funakoshi, aged 80 at this time, was named an honorary head of the organization. Now we have already established that the basis of Tangsudo was Shoto-kon. You see key mixed in some other influences from Chinese and other martial arts to direct the path of Tangsudo. Now this includes Taekwondo, which is the derivative of Tangsudo, and still has a lot of Shoto-kon in this lineage. So Masayama had trained directly under Funakoshi's son Gigo and Shoto-kon, and then later he took up the Okinawan art of Gojiru, training under a senior student of founder Chojomyagi. Now Masayama took this material and it went into years of seclusion into the mountains for vigorous training, and he came back and introduced his own art of Kiyokushin Karate, an amalgam of Shoto-kon and Okinawan systems. Actually in fact, Kiyokushin retains two sets of kata, both from Shoto-kon and Gojiru. Kiyokushin has then since also branched off and spawned further derivatives such as Kudo, Ancient Karate, Akihara Karate, and others. Wataru and Kajukubo have also been influenced by Shoto-kon in their early development. Wataru was founded by Hironori Otsuka in 1939. Otsuka was one of the first students to receive a black belt in Shoto-kon Karate directly from Kichin Funakoshi, and then he went to blend in Shoto-kon with Okinawan Karate and Jujitsu and came up with what is now known as Wataru. There are trace elements of Shoto-kon and Kajukubo, a greater mixed pot of arts founded by the efforts of many martial artists including the notable Adriano Imperato. So Shoto-kon has definitely cemented its place as one of the pillars of the martial arts and it's hard to ignore the influence and reach it has and it continues to have. Unfortunately, Shoto-kon was not immune to the affliction that most major martial arts are stricken with, politics. Now, when we announced the series, I received many messages asking me to highlight the differences between all of the different Shoto-kon associations. I'm going to go over a very brief summary of some of the couple top prominent ones, but a full deeper look will have to be in a future video. The topic of that scale alone is an episode in and of itself. But like most arts that have toxic politics, we started at the same trigger, the death of the founder. Kichin Funakoshi passed away in 1957 at 88 years old. He had left his mark on the history of the martial arts, but what he did not leave was a successor. It did not take long for the rifts to begin starting with his own funeral. Funakoshi's original organization, the Shoto-kai, formed in 1930 and focused on the spread and education of Shoto-kon. They represented students from many universities to help spread the art. This was the first and oldest Shoto-kon organization. The Japan Karate Association, or JKA, registered with the Japanese government in 1957 just prior to Funakoshi's death. They wished to represent Shoto-kon on a larger professional scale. The JKA was the only legally recognized Karate Association at the time. Now, there is said to have been disputes over the arrangements of Funakoshi's funeral. Supposedly, both the Shoto-kai and JKA asserted the right to arrange it, and the rift between organizations only continued from there. Now, as with what happens with any organization with new leadership, changes began to occur. The Shoto-kai was largely influenced by one of Funakoshi's senior students, Shiguro Igami. Igami had originally began training under Funakoshi's son, Gigo, but then he began to stray away from Shoto-kon's competitive nature. He did not believe that karate should be a sport and he withdrew the organization from tournaments and other competitive events. Igami continued to alter the teaching of the system, focusing on looser and less explosive training methods, and placing greater importance on spirituality, mental balance, and sticking closer to the Niju-kun or the 20 principles established by Funakoshi, and stressing an emphasis on kata. I would like to read an excerpt from the Shoto-kai official website. Shoto-kai follows the words of Master Funakoshi who said, Karate-do is an art for training our own minds, sports that can be practiced by people with little physical strength, an art for maintaining health, and the art of self-defense. Therefore, Karate-do is not a martial art only for people who have strong muscles and physical strength, but is an art that all people of all ages all over the world need and can practice. Shoto-kai follows the last instruction of Master Funakoshi. There are no contests on Karate. Be devoted to kata. Shoto-kai has a lesson system that focuses on practicing kata. The Shoto-kai often refers to itself as the system closest to the original teachings of Ginchin Funakoshi. Now the JKA went a different direction. First, they asserted their position of being the only legally recognized Karate organization. Led by Master Funakoshi Nakayama, the JKA began to make changes to the material, hardening the art, and focusing on explosive power and rigorous training. Now unlike the Shoto-kai, they do engage in competition, but they take it much more seriously than your typical point-based tournaments. Two different excerpts from their official website highlight this philosophy. Unlike many other Karate organizations, the JKA was not created as an organization whose major purpose is holding matches and tournaments. Though it does sponsor tournaments, its major focus is the practice of Karate. Its purpose is the teaching of Karate as a way of life. The website also goes to say, Karate is not a sport one plays for points. In JKA Kumite, there are no weight classifications and no arbitrary point system. JKA tournaments are much stricter. At the JKA, there is only Ipon, one full point, which means you have downed your opponent in one. The basis of JKA Karate is the ability to take down your opponent regardless of size or weight with one blow. There is no room for incremental points in such a tradition. The difference is obvious. We teach our students how to gain mastery of themselves and overwhelm the opponent. Two pretty diverse philosophies and unfortunately these were not the only disagreements. Other senior students disagreed with the direction the JKA was going with the Shoto-Kan and the JKA splinted off into several groups, which we will have to elaborate more on in another future episode. Shoto-Kan Karate found a strong foothold in the United States as well. Shoto-Kan Karate of America was founded in 1959 by Tsutomu Oshima, who currently at age 89 still leads the organization and teaches to this day. Oshima was a direct student of Geeking for Nukoshi himself and in 1955 came to America to continue school at the University of Southern California. Now at the school he opened the first American Karate club in 1957 and established the Southern California Karate Association in 1959, later being renamed to Shoto-Kan Karate of America. The SKA is a non-profit organization with a strong goal to lead Shoto-Kan in the United States and reach a wide base of students, offering traditional karate under one of the original students of the system. The SKA does perform in competition and tournaments, although they stress their balance on karate as a lifestyle. They are also known for holding special training events twice a year, typically in the summer and the winter. The goal of these events is to engage in an intense training session for a short duration with large groups of practitioners. It's basically a karate camp. Kyokushin Karate is also known for their intense karate camps held twice a year. So one notable mark on the SKA is that Oshima received his 5th Don Block Belt directly from Geeking for Nukoshi himself. Now this was the highest rank ever given out by Nukoshi and in the spirit of the tradition of the SKA, they retain the original ranking system used by Funakoshi and does not recognize any ranks above Godan. Now there are many many many more Shoto-Kan organizations and notable practitioners worth getting into, but it would not do them any justice to just cram them in here. And I do apologize to those of you who are hoping to dig deeper into that topic. However, they would require an entire episode for themselves and I thought it was worth doing a quick overview just to kind of set the first stone of that path. I do of course welcome any contributions to those of you who can expand or elaborate or want to add to the different Shoto-Kan associations of the world and if we get enough information then we can do a follow-up episode in the near future. So how is Shoto-Kan one of the most influential styles of karate in the world? Well it started with one man learning the roots of Okinawan karate, combining them into his own practice, resorting to the poet that he was and infusing his own deep philosophy and crafting a balance between the importance of physical and mental training. He knew how to adapt the system to fit different political paradigms. He adopted and established standards in ranking, etiquette, practice and teaching that resonated in the cross generations of future karate styles. His influence rippled back to Okinawan roots, some of which took on some of his new standards and the threads of Shoto-Kan can still be found today in many derivative arts and even in the UFC. So this concludes our series on the history of Shoto-Kan. Now Shoto-Kan may not have been the original form of karate but there is no doubt that Ginchin Funakoshi was a true pioneer and his legacy will be embedded in the foundation of martial arts forever. Thank you all so much for watching our history of Shoto-Kan series. Now these videos take a tremendous amount of time and effort so if you do enjoy them and would like to see more art history videos then please join us on Patreon. It helps keep the channel going and the more support we get the more these we get to do. We also have a ton of exclusive content and episodes available so there's lots of stuff for you to dig into. We appreciate all of you especially anyone who likes and subscribes and joins us here on the mat every week.