JC THOUGHTS
A lot of history has been written about the Martial Arts, having said that I would like to give you a version you probably haven't heard. In the early 60's to the mid 70's the art of Karate received a big shot in the arm, because of the military conflicts, i.e. World War II, Vietnam, and others. Because of this the island of Okinawan had thousands of American soldiers stationed there. If it were not for the different conflicts I believe two things would have happened. First: The art of Okinawan Karate would have most likely stayed some what secret. Second: The art would still have its original roots, with instructors still teaching the old ways, still being interested in keeping their history and traditions, not just making money off of them. Lets take a look at why I think they have chosen the path of money over that of history, honor, and tradition. In the early 60's Okinawa being located in a central location of Asia and being less that 500 miles from Japan, became a supply link for our troops during the war. The island became a stop over for the thousands of military troops to be stationed there, all military branches were sent there. Okinawa became dependent on the income from the Americans.
We Americans being, young, eager, strong, and knowledgeable, had more money than the Okinawans. The island of Okinawa had very little in the way of technology, however what they did have was some of the best fighting Arts in the world, Karate, rich in history and tradition, and abundant of Karate instructors that were real. At this time the Americans were staying less and less time of the island, for they would to go to Vietnam TDY and some back again to the island. Relationships with the Okinawan, was to become better, we the Americans were eager to learn their Karate, and they were so eager to teach us, however keep this in mind, neither they or us would know what the future would bring to Okinawa.
The systems were hard and difficult to learn, you needed to devote large amounts or time to learn these fighting arts, classes were 7 days per week, training was ongoing every day requiring years to get good at any of the style. The Americans were staying shorter and shorter time periods while assigned to Okinawa, 18 months was the normal tour for the single soldier, maybe 36 months for married with a wife, the normal for the single soldiers that were stationed of Okinawa and sent to Vietnam studied for less than a year most often. The training that once took years to learn now was to condense to that of a few months, the amount of money being exchanged continued to grow as larger and larger numbers of Americans came to the island. It became easier and easier to earn rank, and easy for the Okinawans to earn larger and larger sums of money.
Then the end came, the war was over, so the large amounts of Americans became less and less. Thus the money becomes less and less. The instructors now found that their large number of students disappearing and making matters worst, Okinawa was now under the control of Japan. The Japanese were to putting millions if not billions into Okinawa as well as the States. The 80's had arrived.
The Okinawan no longer had their island, it was now to become a vacation spot for the Japanese, was this to be paradise? Not to the Okinawan. The people of Okinawa did not have the money or the income needed to keep up with the everyday growing process. They would find themselves fighting just for survival of another kind.
They needed to make more money just to live and keep up with the increasing prices. What could they do?
I think we know that answer, they turned to there friends, the young Americans, first their most trusted, then whoever would help them get into the States, so they could grow the associations, teach the Arts, and promote and promote, so they could return home with the funds to be able to live in their once quaint little island. They had to sell them self out, both their history, and their honored Art to survive. I guess we all would have done the same thing if we were in their place.
