Arakaki Seishō (新垣 世璋, 1840–1918) was a prominent Okinawan martial artist and master of Tōde who influenced the development of several major karate styles.[1][2][3] He was known by many other names, including Aragaki Tsuji Pechin Seisho.[4]
| Seishō Arakaki 新垣 世璋 | |
|---|---|
 Historical drawn portrait of Arakaki Seishō | |
| Born | 1840 Okinawa, Ryūkyū Kingdom |
| Died | 1918 (aged 77–78) Naha, Okinawa, Japan |
| Other names | Arakaki Ou, Mayā Arakaki, Arakaki Kamadeunchu, Aragaki Tsuji Pechin Seisho |
| Style | Tōde |
| Teacher(s) | Wai Xinxian |
| Notable students | Chitose Tsuyoshi, Funakoshi Gichin, Higaonna Kanryō, Uechi Kanbun, Kanken Tōyama, Mabuni Kenwa |
Life and martial arts
editArakaki was born in 1840 in either Kumemura, on Okinawa Island, or on the nearby island of Sesoko.[3] He was an official in the royal court of Ryūkyū, and as such held the title of Chikudon Peichin,[2] which denoted a status similar to that of the samurai in Japan.[1] On 24 March 1867, he demonstrated Okinawan martial arts in Shuri, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, before a visiting Chinese ambassador; this was a notable event, since experts such as Ankō Asato, Ankō Itosu, and Matsumura Sōkon were still active at that time.[1] Arakaki served as a Chinese language interpreter, and travelled to Beijing in September 1870.[2][3] His only recorded martial arts instructor from this period was Wai Xinxian from Fuzhou, a city in the Fujian province of Qing dynasty China.[1][2][3] Arakaki died in 1918.[2][3]
Kata
editArakaki was famous for teaching the kata (patterns) Unshu, Seisan, Shihohai, Sōchin, Niseishi, Shisōchin and Sanchin (which were later incorporated into different styles of karate), and weapons kata Arakaki-no-kun, Arakaki-no-sai, and Sesoku-no-kun.[3]
Legacy
editWhile Arakaki did not develop any specific styles himself, his techniques and kata are obvious throughout a number of modern karate and kobudo styles.[1][3] His students included Higaonna Kanryō, founder of Naha-te; Chōjun Miyagi (宮城 長順), founder of Gōjū-ryū; Funakoshi Gichin, founder of Shotokan; Uechi Kanbun, founder of Uechi-ryū; Kanken Tōyama, founder of Shūdōkan; Mabuni Kenwa, founder of Shitō-ryū; and Chitose Tsuyoshi, founder of Chitō-ryū.[1][2]
Some consider Chitō-ryū the closest existing style to Arakaki's martial arts,[3] while others have noted that Arakaki's descendants are mostly involved with Gōjū-ryū.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Sato, S. (c. 2005): Seisho Aragaki Archived August 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 17 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Karate-Do Shito-Kai Murayama USA: Shito-Kai Kata Archived May 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (c. 2006). Retrieved on 17 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate Academy: Seisho Arakaki (24 January 2008). Retrieved on 17 March 2010.
- ^ McCarthy, P. (1997): The Bible of Karate Bubishi (3rd ed., p. 36). Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing. (ISBN 0-8048-2015-5)