was a
Ryūkyūan karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
master. He studied
Tomari-te
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts, such as karate, tegumi and kobudō, which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island. Due to its location (between " Mainland Japan" and Taiwan), Okinawa was influenced by various c ...
under
Karyu Uku
is a Japanese visual kei rock/metal musician, best known as the guitarist and main composer for the now disbanded D'espairsRay.
He is now in Angelo, which he joined in 2011.
Biography Early life
During middle school Karyu's father gave ...
(aka Giko Uku) and
Kishin Teruya. He also studied Jigen-ryu. Among Matsumora's students, who went on to influence new generations through students of their own, were
Choki Motobu Chōki or Choki is a Japanese name that may refer to:
*, was a prince of the Ryukyu Kingdom
*, a martial artist
*, Japanese artist
*, aka Momokawa Chōki, a designer of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints
*, a prince of Ryukyu Kingdom
*, a prince o ...
and
Chotoku Kyan.
Teaching Kyan
Matsumora is credited as the master who taught
Chotoku Kyan the kata Chinto (his own version, not to be confused with
Sokon Matsumura
Seres Group () (previously known as Sokon Group or Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Co., Ltd, ) is a Chinese automotive manufacturer founded in September 1986 with headquarters in Chongqing, China. Born as a manufacturer of components for househol ...
's version of the same kata). Another student of Matsumora, Maeda
Pechin
, or , historically ''Opoyakomoi'', was a rank among the Yukatchu class of the former Ryukyu Kingdom (modern-day Okinawa, Japan), above the rank of Satunushi and below the rank of Ueekata. As scholar-officials, they often served in administrat ...
, is credited with teaching Kyan the kata Wanshu.
Fame
Kosaku Matsumora became famous at the age of 20 when he stole a sword out of the hands of an angry
Satsuma
Satsuma may refer to:
* Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit
* ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails
Places Japan
* Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town
* Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture
* Satsuma Domain, a ...
overlord using only a "wet towel" as a weapon.
[Shotokan's Secret, The Hidden Truth Behind Karate's Fighting Origins by Bruce D. Clayton, p. 70, ] Matsumora quickly revealed the moist Japanese towel which he had recently developed a habit of carrying concealed inside his garment.
[Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters, by Shoshin Nagamine, p. 32, ] Matsumora hit the astonished samurai with the wet towel and grabbed the sword. In the process, Matsumora lost a thumb. He threw the thumb and the sword in the nearby Asato River.
The official story comes from
Shōshin Nagamine
was an Okinawa karate master as well as a soldier, police superintendent, mayor of Naha City, play director and author.
Early life and karate-do
Nagamine was born in Tomari, in Naha, Okinawa. He was a small and sickly child, and he contract ...
. This event was so insulting to the Japanese overlords that Matsumora became an Okinawan folk hero overnight.
Additional information
Akari-ki Karate: Kasaku Matsumora
See also
*
Pechin
, or , historically ''Opoyakomoi'', was a rank among the Yukatchu class of the former Ryukyu Kingdom (modern-day Okinawa, Japan), above the rank of Satunushi and below the rank of Ueekata. As scholar-officials, they often served in administrat ...
/
Peichin
References
Okinawan male karateka
1829 births
1898 deaths
19th-century martial artists
{{Japan-karate-bio-stub