{"id":5726,"date":"2016-03-16T05:03:50","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T05:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ryukyu-bugei.com\/?p=5726"},"modified":"2025-03-13T08:59:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:59:30","slug":"paradigm-and-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ryukyu-bugei.com\/?p=5726","title":{"rendered":"Paradigm and Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"

Translator\u2019s note:\u00a0The Japanese language version of this article was published on the\u00a0Motobu-ry\u016b Blog<\/a>. It was translated and published\u00a0here by the courtesy of Motobu Naoki Shihan<\/em> of the Motobu-ry\u016b<\/em> and Motobu Udun-d\u012b<\/em>. Any inadequacy is mine alone.<\/p>\n

Paradigm and Perspective<\/h1>\n

Below can be seen one sheet from the \u201cComplete Picture of\u00a0Ry\u016bky\u016b\u201d (Liuqiu quantu<\/em>\u00a0\u7409\u7403\u5168\u56f3) from the National Palace Museum Collections in Beijing. It shows the \u201cPicture of Shoulder-Palanquin\u201d (jianyu-tu<\/em> \u80a9\u8f3f\u56f3), or in other words a Ry\u016bky\u016ban palanquin (kago<\/em> \u99d5\u7c60). This picture mainly shows the palanquin and a group of retainers (tomo-mawari<\/em> \u4f9b\u56de\u308a).<\/p>\n

\"yomigaeru<\/p>\n

A wooden bearing shaft (nagae<\/em> \u8f45) is attached on top of the roof of the palanquin depicted in this picture. In Ry\u016bky\u016b this type was called\u00a0Un\u0101nda<\/em>\u00a0\u5fa1\u5b89\u99c4 (verbatim, \u201csafe carry\u201d) and used for persons of the social status of Sanshikan<\/em> \u4e09\u53f8\u5b98 and above.<\/p>\n

In case of palanquins used by common \u201csamurai<\/em>\u201d of U\u0113kata<\/em> \u89aa\u65b9 rank and below, the wooden bearing shaft (nagae<\/em> \u8f45) passes through under the roof. These palanquins are called Ukagu<\/em> \u5fa1\u99d5\u7c60. In this way the kinds of palanquins were distinguished according to social status.<\/p>\n

Researchers of Okinawa studies and of karate<\/em> history will probably be caught wide-eyed in surprise by the value of this painting. This is because the tomo-mawari<\/em> retainers are depicted bearing weapons. Especially the two sitting attendants, who wear Japanese swords at their waists, perhaps uchigatana<\/em> \u6253\u5200, however, worn in long sword (tachi<\/em> \u592a\u5200) fashion with the blade (ha<\/em> \u5203) pointing downwards.<\/p>\n

During the latter Muromachi period (1392\u20131573) this sword bearing fashion was called tenjinzashi<\/em> (\u5929\u795e\u5dee\u3057). On the other hand, the Japanese samurai<\/em> of the later Edo period (1603\u20131867) usually bore their swords with the blade (ha<\/em> \u5203) pointing upwards.<\/p>\n

This drawing has been on display in Okinawa for the first time ever in an exhibition in 2008 held at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum. It was an exhibit at the same exhibition as the previously introduced Ry\u016bky\u016ban swords<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to a commonly accepted theory of karate<\/em> history that has been widely spread up to now, since yielding allegiance to Satsuma in 1609 the Ry\u016bky\u016ban people are said to have been deprived of their weaponry by means of the \u201cpolicy of military prohibition\u201d (kinbu seisaku<\/em> \u7981\u6b66\u653f\u7b56) and developed \u201ckarate<\/em>\u201d in order to combat the warriors (bushi<\/em> \u6b66\u58eb) of Satsuma with their bare hands.<\/p>\n

However, with the exception of the firearms, possession of weapons in fact was not prohibited. When it comes to members of the upper class samurai<\/em> (shizoku<\/em> \u58eb\u65cf), when going outside \u2013 especially during official visits to Shuri Castle \u2013 in this way the tomo-mawari<\/em> retainers would carry swords and spears.<\/p>\n

The number and types of weapons of the tomo-mawari<\/em> retainers were strictly specified according to the social status.<\/p>\n

In the Zhongshan Chuanyun-lu<\/a> by Xu Baoguang (1719), the composition of the tomo-mawari<\/em> retainers for all social stati is described in detail.<\/p>\n

Until prior to the war these kinds of weapons were still kept in the homes of the former warrior families (shizoku<\/em> \u58eb\u65cf).<\/p>\n

Mr. Gima Shinkin, a descendant of Gima Shinj\u014d<\/a> (1557\u20131644), bore witness as follows.<\/p>\n

\u201cGima: Indeed, now that you mention it, in my family home also, [weapons such as] short spear, sword, short sword and the like were being preserved and I also recall a spear and sword in the family home (Tokuda family) of the mother of the official guard of the Royal Tea Villa (Uchaya-udun<\/em> \u5fa1\u8336\u5c4b\u5fa1\u6bbf).\u201d<\/p>\n

(From: Gima & Fujiwara 1986,\u00a0page 44.)<\/p>\n

Because during the Taish\u014d period (1912\u20131926) Motobu Ch\u014dy\u016b Sensei<\/em> also showed Uehara Seikichi Sensei<\/em> a knive (tant\u014d<\/em> \u77ed\u5200), pole-sword (naginata<\/em> \u9577\u5200), and spear (yari<\/em> \u69cd) from his possession, it seems that these kinds of weapons were still preserved in the Motobu-udun<\/em> \u672c\u90e8\u5fa1\u6bbf in those days.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m afraid to say the whereabouts thereafter are unknown. Probably they were destroyed by fire during the war.<\/p>\n

The thing called \u201ccommonly accepted theory\u201d is always defined by the value systems, concepts and norms that are characteristic to a certain era.<\/p>\n

The framework of such a perception is referred to as paradigm<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And when such a paradigm is overturned, it is referred to as a paradigm shift<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although paradigm is a term coined by Thomas Kuhn, a similar way of thinking was expressed by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche with the term perspective<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Therefore, in the study of bud\u014d<\/em> history it is necessary as well to begin to always scrutinize the commonly accepted theory, until by the presence of one sheet of a picture the commonly accepted theory and the known facts are overruled.<\/p>\n

\u2741<\/p>\n

Bibliography:
\n<\/strong>Yomigaeru Ry\u016bky\u016b \u014ckoku no Kagayaki: Ch\u016bgoku, Ch\u016bgoku Pekin Koky\u016b Hakubutsuin Hiz\u014d: Okinawa-kenritsu Hakubutsukan Bijutsukan Kaikan Issh\u016bnen Kinen Hakubutsukan Tokubetsuden<\/em>. Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, 2008.<\/p>\n

Gima Shinkin and Fujiwara Ry\u014dz\u014d: Taidan \u2013 Kindai Karate-d\u014d no Rekishi wo kataru<\/em><\/a> [Dialogue – Talking About the History of Modern Karate<\/em>]. B\u0113sub\u014dru Magajin-sha 1986.<\/p>\n

Okinawa Daihyakka Jiten. Volume 1. Okinawa Taimususha, 1983. Entry about\u00a0palanquins (Kago<\/em>).\u00a0p. 692<\/p>\n

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