Which Shobukon founder, Gichin Funikoshi, really hates his own style as it exists today? Was Judo founder, Jiguro Kano really bearing with his white belt? They kicked off the launch of our brand new website and released our new 4Fother shirt series. We thought it would be fun to take a quick look at some historical nuggets of these masters and separate truth from mythology. When it comes to names in Karate history, few are recognizable as the name Miyagi. Now for many outside the martial circle or as young children in the 80s, the name Miyagi was synonymous with patent-readers portrayal of the Karate master in the Karate Kid franchise. Now those in the martial arts, however, know that he was based on real-life grandmaster, Chojin Miyagi. Taking his experience in the original Okinawan system of Naha Te, Miyagi added his own influences and founded what is known today as Gojurio. Literally translating to hard soft style, it's interesting to know that it got it same somewhat by accident. As it's generally documented, Miyagi was invited to Tokyo in 1930 to demonstrate at a martial arts convention. However, unable to attend, he sent one of his senior students, Shenzato Jinan in his stead. Now Shenzato impressed those in attendance, and at the end of the demonstration, officials were asking him the name of the style he had just performed. There was just one problem. Miyagi had not designated the name. So in an attempt to avoid embarrassment or to have them look down on his master system, he improvised on the spot and he referred to it as Honkuru or Half-Hard Style. Upon returning to Okinawa, he informed Miyagi of this who he then wanted to elaborate on his designation. He turned to a famous text of poems called the Kempohaiku and drew influence from the Third Verse, which reads, the way of exhaling and inhaling is hardness and softness. Now this name is highly appropriate to describe the heavy emphasis on breathing and the balance between linear and circular techniques. So last year we released the History of Gojuru documentary and along with that, a Jojimiyagi commemorative shirt. Then we had an outpouring of positive feedback from the episode and requests for more shirts, so we listened. We are pleased to reveal our new Four Father series that commemorates the legacy and impact of these masters and that what they've left upon the martial arts. Now the first four shirts are available now on our brand new website and store, artofondojo.com. Now this collection also includes a remastered version of Jojimiyagi as well as Judo Founder Jigaro Kano, Shoto Kump Founder Gigi Funikoshi and Wing Chun Grandmaster Itman. In addition to that, we have eight more masters that will be released in the next several weeks, so this catalog will continue to expand. Now I'm going to be honest and fully upfront with all of you. We'd love doing this channel, but we are a small operation and we put in full time hours on this project in addition to full time jobs. So there are schools that we'd like to visit and topics we want to address, but we need help to do that. And we thought that by providing our own site, would first help offset the cost of this channel, second offer waste for our viewers to proudly display their own arts and philosophies, and finally to create options for us to do more with this channel. So I sincerely sincerely appreciate all the support you show us and I hope you enjoy these shirts, especially for the holiday season, they make great last minute gifts. Now there's a link in the description below underneath the video or you can just go to artofondojo.com to check them out. So since we're talking about names, let's take away into Shodokon. It's well known that the name actually stemmed from founder Geechin Funikoshi's pen name as a poet. He wrote under the name Shodok, which means pine waves. Now he adopted the moniker as he observed the wind blowing through the pine trees during the time he spent in the mountains riding his poetry. However, while he founded the art of Shodokon by taking his Okinawan training and adapting it into a modified style, that he felt was better suited for Japan, he never actually gave the art a name. He simply referred to it as karate. The name arose from his students addressing the physical dojo. Kahn means hall, so students would go to the Shodokon or hall of pine waves. Now this bit of trivia is pretty well known in the martial arts. However, what is less to known is that perhaps Funikoshi himself didn't approve of this thing. There is a quote often attributed to him that says, there is no place in contemporary karate dough for different schools. Some instructors I know claim to have invented new and unusual kata and so they irrigate to themselves the right to be called founders of schools. Indeed, I have heard myself and my colleagues refer to as the Shodokon school, but I strongly objected as attempt at classification. My belief is that these schools should be amalgamated into one so that the karate dough may pursue an orderly and useful progress into man's future. Not only that, but there is evidence to suggest that he also did not like the path the art itself was taking. Now there are two distinct styles of Shodokon that stand out. The first, by Genshin Funikoshi, as he attempted to preserve and import the karate he learned, and the second modified version developed and propagated by his son, Gigo. Gigo placed greater emphasis on the lower stances, hip-generated power, and competitive fighting, very different than his father's teachings. So it's hard to know exactly how Genshin Funikoshi felt about this, but in one of his preserved and more recent poems, a full determination, he wrote, on the island to the sea to the south, there is transmitted an exquisite art. This is karate. To my great regret, the art has declined and its transmission is endowed. Who would undertake the monumental task of restoration and revival? This task I must undertake. Who would have I didn't? I vowed to the blue sky. Was he talking about the disapproval of the direction that his art was going? Now I invite scholars much more knowledgeable than myself to shed some more light on the subject. Regardless, we can't ignore the absolutely legendary stamp Funikoshi left on the martial arts. Shodokon went on to spread globally and become the foundation for several amazing arts that we have today. And he certainly wasn't the only one who left the mark. Judo founder Jigaro Kano created many traditions that became embedded in karate today as we know it. Namely, he introduced the GEE as the formal training uniform. Taking the traditional Japanese Komodo and altering it with tougher material, suitable for tugging and pulling, he created with his now the most traditional uniform in karate. He also created the belt ranking system that we see today. Taking influence from Japanese swim teams who were said to have awarded expert swimmers with black arm bands to show the proficiency, it is believed that Kano applied the same sentiment to his students, providing the black belt to those who show sufficient skills. So the myth of the black belt that was just a white belt that got dirty over time, that's just a myth. The original ranks were no belt and belt, so black belt was the first rank. And as time progressed, the white and brown belts were added and as this trend cut on, the full spectrum of colors were introduced. But Kano was also credited with another act that may fall myth side. Legend tells that on his deathbed, Kano was surrounded by many top students and he expressed his wish to be buried with his white belt to symbolize forever being a student. That sounds romantic and insightful. However, there are three problems with this claim. First is that Kano did not die surrounded by his students. He passed away in 1938 while on ship at sea, not in the presence of his students. The second issue is Japan cremated through dead and Kano was not buried. And finally, Kano came from traditional Jijitsu training that utilized a more familiar structured ranking and he technically didn't hold official Dan ranking. So it would have been hard for him to be buried in his white belt when he wasn't even buried and didn't even have a white belt. It's easy to understand the why and idea like this would stick. Jiguro Kano's influence on Japanese martial arts spans an incredible reach. His traditions became so well and grain that they even traveled back to Okinawa over older Krati styles adopted them. His legacy should be celebrated and memorialized. And this brings us to Itman who is a unique addition to today's video. He's the only one in his list who is the most recognizable and monumental figure in his art despite not being the founder of the art. It would be fair to say that Itman is the face of Wing Chun and his teachings have spanned generations, navigated around the globe, and created some of the fiercest competition in system lineage. His legacy has been inspiration for several films including the Itman quadrilogy starring Donnie N. Now, well, the N is in the accomplished martial artist in his own right and the films aren't entertaining. They leave a lot to be desired for historical accuracy. Itman was not documented to have fought a Japanese general, did not take on a room full of black belts, and despite with the fourth film portrayed, he never even stepped foot in America. One of the most disputed legends of Wing Chun may be actually its origin. The general legend, as it's told, depicts a tale of the burning of Shaolin Temple, the escape of five elders, and a nun teaching a woman by the name of Yin Wing Chun how to fight in the feet of local bully. Now, this is often generally accepted history, however, there is very little historical evidence to back this up. There are documents found after the death of Itman that outlined this tale, and it is believed that that was part of an effort to form a unified Wing Chun organization. However, details of the story have no further verification, and this document stands as the oldest record of this telling. Scholars have investigated and not only have they not been able to confirm this, there was no burning of the Shaolin Temple, and the nun bears too much resemblance to other female folklore heroes. So this is a great example of how easily a legend can take over, and in an art as old as Wing Chun, and the early history was told verbally for generations, it may be fully impossible to know the true origin. What we do have, however, is Itman's teaching, which stands as a pillar in the art of Wing Chun, and establishes place a modern martial arts. He was the first to widely open training to the public, and has definitely earned his place as a forefather in the martial arts. So what can we take away from all of this? I personally find martial arts history fascinating, however, if we're not careful, it can act as a poison and promote toxicity. It's a good idea to know how much history in the art exists that you train in, however, it's far more important to understand the meaning of what's being taught. If you want to order these legacies, then it's about how to take their teaching and carrying it forward into the future and using it not only to better your own life, but those you influence as well. And that's why we want to honor these men today, for their everlasting imprint on the arts. So please visit our new website, artofwondoja.com, or click right here and pick up your shirt today, or grab a haul they get from a loved one. Your support means a lot to us, and it's the viewers like you that help make this channel what it is today. It makes me super excited to carry this forward into the future. Thank you so much.