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The history of martial arts can be traced through various routes and a multitude of different fighting systems back thousands of years. Each historian can pick his own styles and route.
The history of BUTOKUKAN KARATE is easily traced to the island of Okinawa during the early 19th century under master instructor Soshu Matsumura (1792- ?) and the late 19th century under master instructor Yatsusune "Anko" Itosu (1830-1915). Itosu at age 16 started taking karate from Matsumura when Matsumura was 54. During the late 19th century it was primarily Itosu teaching under the periodic direction of Matsumura due to Matsumura's age. The style then was known as Itosu-ryu. The name "RYU" meaning school (a manner or method of doing). Hence you have Itosu's method of fighting.
During this period the word "Karate" meaning 'China Hand' was utilized in reference to their fighting methods by the Okinawans, whereas previously just the word "TE" was used. "Te" meaning "hand". It was in 1936 that the Okinawan instructors at the Butokukai decided to change the meaning of the word "Karate" to denote "Empty Hand". The reason for change was the growing Japanese sentiment against anything Chinese prior to World War II. This was accomplished by modifying slightly the Japanese ideographs without changing the way it was pronounced.
Okinawan Karate was first introduced into Japan by a student of Anko Itosu named Gichin Funakoshi. Funakoshi (1868-1957) was later to become known as the 'Father of Modern Karate' and found the Shotokan system. According to Funakoshi in his book, it was toward the end of 1921 that he gave the first demonstration of karate in Tokyo. His audience was so awed by his demonstration that they invited him to stay. Whereupon in 1922 he began to teach at the Butokukai Military Arts College in Kyoto, Japan. As the study of karate, in Japan, began to progress, other master instructors from Okinawa were invited to teach at the Butokukai in Kyoto. Among them are Sannosuke Uegine, Choki Motobu, Uasuyochi Konshi, Kerwa Mabuni and others.
The teaching of karate at the Butokukai saw a considerable change in karate from what was originally taught on the island of Okinawa. This was due to the variety of knowledge coming in from various other martial arts from other parts of the world that Japan had come in contact with.
Kerwa Mabuni, a student and master under Itosu and Matsumura, had a great deal to do with developing Butokukan Karate as he was the primary instructor of Yun Pon Gun. In 1929 Kerwa Mabuni was teaching karate in Osaka, Japan as well as Kyoto and went on to found the Shito-ryu system. Yun Pon Gun, in addition to being a student and master under Mabuni also increased his knowledge by working with and learning from the other instructors at the Butokukai. Prior to the end of World War II, Yun Pon Gun moved south of Kyoto and took over a political assassination group called 'Shimpu-ren'. The word "Shimpu" (God's Wind) is an alternative pronunciation of the Japanese ideographs which also represent the word "kamikaze" (Divine Wind). The word "ren" translates to 'exercise'. Hence "God's Wind and Exercise", with the idea being for the assassins to exercise their trade with the same lack of advance warning and total devastation as the typhoons (God's Wind) had had on Kublai Khan's invading Mongol fleets in 1276 and 1281.
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Yoichi Nakachi became a student of Master Yun Pon Gun in 1944. Master Gun was located in Kushimoto which was Nakachi's home town. Practicing diligently even in secrecy due to the ban imposed in 1945, Nakachi was promoted at age 16 (1948) to Nidan (2nd degree Black Belt). NOTE: The American military government, represented by General Douglas MacArthur, outlawed the practice of any martial art in an attempt to dispel the so called militaristic attitude of the Japanese people. When, in 1948, the ban on the practice of martial arts was lifted Shimpu-ren was again practiced openly.
Yun Pon Gun left Kushimoto in 1950 to return to his ancestrial home, Korea, leaving Sensei Nakachi in charge of the Shimpu-ren group. Sensei Nakachi continued to train and teach Shimpu-ren in Japan until 1959. In 1959 he moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue an education at the University of Washington on a scholarship sponsored by the Tenri-ko religion. In Seattle he started a 'Dojo' (school) in the University District teaching Shimpu-ren.
In 1961 he transferred to Olympic College in Bremerton, Wash. and commuted from Seattle daily. His Seattle dojo moved to the downtown Y.M.C.A. and he started a second dojo at a health club. His daily schedule had become pretty hectic. Day classes at Olympic College and teaching karate in Seattle five nights a week. Not to mention one hour each way on the ferry.
When the Olympic College administration learned of Master Nakachi's karate ability they asked him to teach on campus (that was when Robert Hill [1942-pres] began). In a short time Master Nakachi was teaching four times a week at Olympic plus his Seattle classes. Nakachi quit school and taught these classes for two years. During this time Master Nakachi met Bruce Lee and they shared a running exchange of ideas for the years Lee was in Seattle.
After two years Master Nakachi dropped the classes at Olympic College and devoted his time to teaching in Seattle and working as a bouncer in three taverns at the same time. Sensei Hill reestablished, in 1967, the classes at Olympic and they are still being taught by his students.
Sensei Hill having received his Shodan (1st degree Black Belt) in June, 1963 and was shortly thereafter went to Boston, Mass. for nine months. Upon his return to Bremerton he learned that the style Shimpu-ren was no more. Master Nakachi, because of Shimpu-ren's reputation (no longer warranted) and a desire to incorporate more flowing movements into the style, changed the name and the crest and the katas (forms).
He took the name Butokukan from the now non existant school in Kyoto, Japan with Butokukan meaning "Traning Hall of the Virtue of the Martial Arts". Sensei Hill immediatly commenced to learn all the changes. He still knows some of the Shimpu-ren katas.
In 1965, Master Nakachi was informed that he must return to Japan because of a visa violation. He then promoted Sensei Hill to Nidan and in 1966 left him in charge of the Japan American Butokukan Karate Association. Master Hill has since been periodically promoted through the ranks by Master Nakachi. Due to Shihan Hill's reorganization of the J.A.B.K.A., Black Belt upgrading system in 1980, he is now a 7th degree (Sichidan) Black Belt although he was at one time promoted to Hachidan (8th degree) by Master Nakachi. Shihan Hill has traveled to Japan to work with Master Nakachi, but primarily has followed the principle of learning by doing. That being a multitude of books read, tournament competition in the '60s and '70s, tournament judging and refereeing since, various seminars and demonstrations both put on and attended and intensive training in Wing Chun.
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Shihan Nakachi on his return to Japan in 1965 found that his Shimpu-ren Black Belts from before he left Japan had dispersed and gone inactive. He set to work and made some more, but after he moved to Tokyo they went in-active. Master Nakachi now works six days a week, eight hours a day teaching swimming and is working on adapting karate techniques to accomodate older people.
Shihan Hill is still very active in Bremerton, Wash. He is still teaching the advance class at his Dojo, having personally turned out over 35 Black Belts, and is working on making the J.A.B.K.A. organization of more benefit to all of its members. Master Hill works at the Keyport Naval Torpedo Station. In addition to assisting his wife, Sharon, in raising three boys, he spends his spare time raising and racing pigeons.
(1980)