Tora Jutsu is a river that has two primary tributaries; from China, Nan Sao Lin Ba’Hu Chuan Fa and from Okinawa, Tonaka-Te. With that in mind you should know that we are fairly protective of our Chinese roots. Since the time of the Boxer rebellion our Chinese students have practiced their system in secret. This is done for a variety of reasons and these reasons are debated, discussed, and learned during our history lessons which are an integral part of our curriculum. Many students and teachers have left China and spread around the world over the past 100 years. Even though they have left China they still guard their history and their membership more out of habit and tradition then actual necessity. The Okinawan lines are not as protected but they are also discussed in our history classes. Tora Jutsu is a system that absolutely requires its members to attend, study, and listen to their masters. There is no ACME course in Tora Jutsu and “Tora Jutsu for Dummies” will never be available in a bookstore near you. As Socrates did so long ago so our students learn at the feet of their masters. Day after day, month after month, year after year. If you want to learn Tora Jutsu, including our history, then you will have to put in the time to do it, old school. On that note there has been much mention by critics that they can’t find Tora Jutsu online; to them we extend an invitation, come and join us and all of your questions will be answered. We are on the web, we are all over the web, and we find it humorous that so many believe that if it’s not in English it doesn’t exist. We also get a little chuckle out of the critics that compare the ancient study of our system with the modern study of the martial arts. Keep in mind that the martial arts have really only been in America for a little over 50 years! Believe it or not the martial arts have been around a whole lot longer than that everywhere else.
Our history is preserved by special Masters known as Guardians or History Masters. Some are monks, some are not, but all of them are called to their positions by order of the Monks Council, the approval of the High Tiger Council, and the final approval of the Grandmaster. There are two such guardians in the United States. The first is a long standing teacher of traditional Tora Jutsu and the second is a relative newcomer to our system from the Bushi Kai merger. This new Master of Knowledge was originally called to the position specifically for the Bushi Kai but has since been adopted, and approved, by the system as an official Knowledge Guardian. His title now carries International credentials and as such he is privileged to learn and know more about our system than any other Westerner of any rank or title.
These Guardians spend their time putting the pieces together of a very old puzzle. Like traditional genealogists they connect the dots of the past one by one farther and farther back in time. Unlike traditional genealogists they have to deal with Asian lore, prophecy, and “saving face” actions over time; it can be a bit confusing. Like any tale of folklore there is always an element of truth shrouded in a baker’s blend of fairies, dragons, and so on. If a prophecy doesn’t work out there is usually a contingency to modify it slightly to get the pieces to fit. Like putting a puzzle together with a jig saw and super glue the ancient histories can get intertwined and in many cases one person will show up in more than one place and at more than one age in time, good luck figuring that one out! Somehow these guardians are able to piece it all together and then push their knowledge out for the system Instructors to pass on to their students.
We know our system began not long after the time of Bodhidharma and we know that our modern history in Okinawa is fairly easy to follow. It is the pre-1400 AD Chinese history where the majority of our Guardians spend their time. Students of Tora Jutsu are taught their Okinawan heritage first followed by their Chinese heritage. Modern history as it relates to their teachers, etc. typically comes last in a student’s journey of understanding. Advanced students and teachers have the opportunity to sit and discuss their history with high ranking teachers in their area. It is during these meetings that the greatest understanding typically takes place.
For those of you that are on the edge of your seats and simply unable to wait for a history lesson in class…try meditation. For those of you who understand the “way” to learn our history, jump in! For those of you who have no idea what we are talking about…good luck and we’ll see you in class!