Bōgutsuki Karate

Bōgutsuki Karate

Kumite competition of the national armored karate championship (Renbukai)
Also known as	Bōgu karate, Armour Karate, bōgu-tsuki shiai, bōgu-tsuki kumite, Kumite with Armour
Focus	Striking, Full Contact with protective gear
Country of origin	Japan
Creator	Either: The Karate Study Group of Tokyo Imperial University[a] Kanbukan[b]
Parenthood	Okinawan martial arts, Karate, Kendo[c]
Descendant arts	Kyokushin, Taekwondo (Kukkiwon/WT-Style),[1] Kyeok Sul Do
Olympic sport	No

Bōgutsuki Karate (防具付き空手 or ぼうぐつきからて, eng. Karate with Armour) is one of the competition formats of Karate. It is also known as bōgu karate (防具空手, Armour Karate), bōgu-tsuki shiai (防具付試合), bōgu-tsuki kumite (防具付組手, Kumite with Armour).

Overview[]

Bōgutsuki Karate refers to the practice and competition of kumite in karate by wearing protective gear (referred to as Bōgu) and allowing direct hits. Bōgutsuki Karate is traditional karate and only full-contact in a broad sense. Organizations such as Renbukai took many years to improve and complete the rules and protective gear design.

As a competition format in Karate, it has a longer history than the sun-tome (stopping/semi-contact) and full contact rules, with the first Japanese national karate championship (1954) in the world being held with the armoured rules. With light-contact and point-based formats becoming the norm for Karate globally, numerous federations were formed to keep this competition format of Karate alive.

Nippon Kempo can be mistaken for Bōgutsuki Karate, because of the similarities in competition style, such as wearing protective gear. Key difference is that Nippon Kempo places significant emphasis on grappling (both stand-up and ground) and the purpose of Bogu Karate is to follow the traditional rules of Kumite.

History[]

Karate match with armor from the University of Tokyo (Showa 4/1929)

In 1922, when Gichin Funakoshi came to Tokyo to attend the first physical education exposition and began teaching karate, there has been attempt to turn kumite into a sport in mainland Japan.^[d]

In 1927, The Karate Study Group of Tokyo Imperial University devised its own armoured karate system and began to practice sport Karate.^[2]

The group was headed by Hideo Bō (坊秀男, Bō Hideo)^[e],^[3] but Funakoshi, who was the Karate instructor at that time, became furious and situation developed to a point where he resigned as the instructor of the University of Tokyo in 1945. The reasons of Funakoshi's forbidding use of Karate for fighting is unknown. According to early high school colleagues Hironori Otsuka (Wadō-ryū) and Yasuhiro Konishi (Shindō jinen-ryū), while teaching Karate, Funakoshi taught 15 Kata and didn't appear to know much about Kumite.^[4]

In addition, Motobu Choki, Kenwa Mabuni (Shito-ryu), Muneomi Sawayama (Katsu Sawayama) (Nippon Kempo), Gogen Yamaguchi (Gōjū-ryū at Ritsumeikan University), Chojun Miyagi (Gōjū-ryū) and others were independently studying the use of armour with karate on the mainland, but it did not reach a point where "Karate with Armour" would become its own system. In Okinawa, Kentsū Yabu adopted armour in Karate while teaching it at Okinawa Prefectural Normal School. Also in Okinawa, for a while, sparring while wearing armor was also used in Shigeru Nakamura's "Okinawan Kenpo".

Regardless, pre-war karateka would spar with armour while delivering full-powered direct hits, rather than a full-contact format (pioneered by Kyokushin) with bare hands and no protective gear.

Post-war Japan[]

After the war, entities such as Kanbukan, Renshinkan and the Yōsei-kan (later Senkarakai), which would advocate "Bogu Karate" format, began to emerge.

Kanbukan (eng. Hall of Korean Martial Arts) was a "non-school" oriented dojo established by Kanken Toyama's high-ranking students with the purpose of avoiding the surveillance of the martial arts ban by GHQ. This was accomplished by making Koreans - who were "liberated" from the Allied Forces - act as instructors rather than the defeated Japanese. Kanbukan's first director was Yun Kwae-byung. Asides Karate, Kendo was also practised. When the Bōgu/Kendo gear was not used, they were used for Karate practice, thus serving the origin of modern Bōgutsuki Karate.

When the martial arts ban was relaxed, Kanbukan changed its name to Renbukan, and in 1954 held the "National Karatedo Championships", which was the first national tournament in karate history. They were held at Kanda kyōritsu kōdō (神田共立講堂, eng. Kanda Kyoritsu Auditorium) in Tokyo and used the Bogu Kumite ruleset.^[5] The tournament was won by Nobuyuki Suga. This tournament is still held by the Renbukai as the "National Armoured Karatedo Championships" and is the oldest association Karate tournament held nationwide in Japan.

In 1955, Shorinji-Ryu Karate Study Group Renshinkan Dojo (currently "All Japan Shaolin Ryu Karatedo Federation Renshinkan") was established in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture.

It was Kinjo Hiroshi (the former Deputy Director of Kanbukan) who led the spread of Karate in the postwar world, representing the Bogu Karate practised in Kanbukan and Renbukan. Businessman Cài Chánggēng was a proponent of Bogu Karate and supported in its spread. Mas Oyama often trained in Kanbukan and practised with Makiwara and so on. At this time, Oyama is said to have shown little interest in armoured karate.^[6]

In May 1959, the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) was established centered on Renbukan. Formed as a unified organization of karate that transcends schools, the headquartered Shudokan of Kanken Toyama. Its first chairman was Cai Chang-geng, with most of the executives during founding period being prolific Japanese martial artists. These included Vice Chairman Yasuhiro Konishi (Shindō jinen-ryū), Kinjo Hiroshi (Kanbukan), Advisor Hironori Otsuka (Wado-ryu), Tatsuo Yamada (Nippon Kempo), Gima Makoto (Shotokan), Director Isamu Ho (Shorinji-Ryu Renshinkan) etc. Following the foundation of organization, it hold the 5th Tournament of "All Japan Karatedo Federation Championship" on same month at Korakuen Gymnasium.^[7]

1963–1985[]

Although the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) was established, the armour karate at that time was still a dangerous sport with a chance of injury. The situation was complicated further with the "seizing" (light/semi-contact rules), which was much safer, becoming the mainstream form of Kumite across the world. The safer rule-set started to eclipse practice of Bogu Karate.

In 1963, an internal division occurred in the western Japan branch of the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) over the correspondence with each group of karate. Renshinkan's Isamu Ho put together the divided factions of Western Japan to form the West Japan Karatedo Federation and became its chairman.^[8] After that, the development of Bogutsuki Karate centered on Renbukai in eastern Japan and Renbukai in western Japan. In 1964, the Japan Karate Federation was established, centered around the four most popular Karate styles of the time: Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu, and Shito-ryu. The (former) All Japan Karatedo Federation would transfer its name to "All Japan Karatedo Federation", and the former company would rename itself JKF Renbukai. The two organizations formed a cooperative relationship.

In 1967 Renshinkan held the first Shaolin-style National Karatedo Championships in Kagoshima City. In the same year, the All Japan Seishinkai (Seishin-ryu) decided to adopt armor for kumite, becoming a Bogu Karate group. Renshinkan held the "1st National Karatedo Championships" in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture in October 1968 with the aim of participating in the National Sports Festival, sponsored by All Japan Karatedo Federation Chairman Ryoichi Sasakawa. After winning the championship in the armored division (Kagoshima Prefecture team) and the runner-up in the unarmored division (the same team), he withdrew from the Japan Karate Federation and cut off exchange with the school.

After the Japan Karate Federation was formed, the Renbukai cancelled the national tournament for six years due to an agreement with the Japan Karate Federation (however, the Asian tournament is held). This would have a major negative impact on the development of Bogutsuki Karate, but during this time, Renshinkan held the "1st Shorinji-Ryu National Karatedo Championships" in Kagoshima. The All Japan Seishinkai started karate with armor after withdrawing from the Japan Karate Federation, etc. and the spread of armored karate continued. In 1971, the Renbukai resumed organizing the national tournaments. In the 1950s, Renbukai had adopted an iron-faced color protector for its armour and would serve as an antithesis for the Karate's "Ichi Geki" (one strike, certain death) mentality that had permeated prior. In 1974 The Japan Karatedo Renbukai was renamed the All Japan Karatedo Federation Renbukai. On August 6–8, The "1st National High School Karatedo Championships" was held at the Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo, sponsored by the All Japan High School Athletic Federation Karatedo Club. Would adopt and implement individual armor kumite competitions and team competitions in the sport.

In 1978, Masayuki Hisataka wore new protective gear, Super Safe, which would be used by Bogu Karate organizations in the future. In the same year, Norio Nakamura of Renbukan resigned from the position of Vice Chairman and left the Renbukai. Inspired by Super Safe, Renbukan too would start developing similar gear. In 1981 "Strongman" (ストロングマン) protective gear was developed with Armor Improvement Organizing Committee (防具改良組織委員会, Bōgu kairyō soshiki iinkai). It replaced the prior Karatector, which had been used as the designated armor of the Renbukai. Also in 1981, the Japan Koshiki Karatedo Association was born with a multi-attack and inevitable point-adding method that adopted this gear. In the same year, the Japan Koshiki Karatedo Association (currently the All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation) was established, and the "1st All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Championships" was held.

The Bogutsuki karate world was largely divided into the "one strike" Renbukai and the "multiple striking" of hard karate. Leading into branching between the two ideologies. In 1985, following the "12th National High School Karatedo Championships" held in Onoyama, Okinawa Prefecture between August 9-11, it was announced that Bogu Kumite/Renbukai Roles would be removed from Inter-High competition level. In the same year, the All Japan Seishinkai (Seishin-ryu) closed its headquarters and each branch associated with it was to be converted to another school, disbanded, or become a single martial arts body.

Present[]

Bogu Kumite match with participants wearing the Super Safe protective gear

In 1991, the All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation split into the Nakamura faction (now the Chiba faction) and the Kudaka faction. In the same year, the Renbukai National Tournament was renamed from the All Japan Bogutsuki Karatedo Championships to the National Armored Karatedo Championships, and the Senkarakai began to move away from the cooperating organizations and take its own route. Participation in dojos was still rare. In addition, since 2000, new organizations such as the International Federation of Karatedo with Armor, the Japan Karate Federation, the Japan Armored Karatedo Federation, and the National Armored Karatedo Federation have been launched one after another, and each organization has adopted different rules. In the armoured karate, rules were diversifying and groups becoming more fragmented.

However, in 2001, a karate competition with armor was held as a demonstration competition of the National Sports Festival of Japan. Held under the supervision of the Miyagi Prefecture Armored Karatedo Federation, All Japan Karatedo Federation Renbukai and All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation #Chiba faction players participated.

In addition, exchanges between groups are becoming more active, such as the 1st Kurokawa Cup Karatedo Championship Exchange Tournament held in 2003 and a roundtable discussion hosted by the Japan Karatedo Federation in 2006. Athletes are also more likely to follow rules of armored karate. An increasing number of organizations are promoting exchanges with the Japan Karate Federation, actual battle karate (jissen karate), and gloved karate.

In 2015, the All Japan Karatedo Championships with Armor was supervised by the Miyagi Prefecture Karatedo Federation with Armor, the All Japan Karatedo Federation Renbukai, the NPO World Hard Karatedo Federation, the International Senkara Karatedo Federation, The event was co-sponsored by several armored karate groups such as the Japan Karate Federation Fujita-kai.

Major organizations[]

• JKF Renbukai
• Zen'nihon kōshikikaratedō renmei (Chiba-ha) (全日本硬式空手道連盟（千葉派）Eng. All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation (Chiba School))
• Zen'nihon kōshikikaratedō renmei (Kudaka-ha)
• Japan Karate Federation Karatedo Federation Renshinkan
• Bōgu-tsuki zen'nihonkaratedōrenmei
• International Chitoryu Karatedo Federation
• Nihon budō karate genwakai (日本武道空手玄和会, Eng. Japan Martial Arts Karate Genwakai)
• International Armored Karatedo Federation
• Japan Safety Karatedo Federation
• Nihon bōgu karatemichi renmei
• Zenkoku bōgu karatemichi renmei
• Zen'nihon-kaku to dageki karatemichi renmei
• Ryūkyū shōrin-ryū karatemichi gesshinkai (琉球少林流空手道月心会, Eng. Ryukyu Shorin-ryu Karatedo Gesshinkai)
• Ken Masa-kai karatemichi renmei
• Zen'nihon bōgutsukikarate-dō renmei

See also[]

• Nippon Kempo
• Jidokwan
• World Taekwondo and Kukkiwon

Notes[]

References[]