International Emblem of the Okinawan Ryuei Ryu Style of Karate-Do!
Dear Tony
I thought I should report this observation (and discrepancy) to aid overall research purposes involving the 'Ryuei Ryu' School of Okinawan Karate-Do - which I first encountered a few days ago (within Chinese language sources) - suggesting that this style might share the same foundational Chinese master as Goju Ryu - namely 'Ryu Ryu Ko'!
a) Ryu (劉) - 'Liu' (Surname as in 'Liu Longgong')
b) Ei (衛) - 'Wei' (Guard)
c) Ryu (流) - 'Liu' (Lineage)
The first ideogram '劉' (Liu) is identical to the Japanese use of modified Chinese characters to express the name of Higaonna Kanryo's teacher 'Ryu Ryu Ko' as expressed in modified Kanji (劉龍公).
Ryuei Ryu (劉衛流) Wikipedia (English) States:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūei-ryū
'In China, a former guard to the Chinese embassies in the Ryukyu Islands introduced Nakaima to a Chinese boxing teacher known as Ryū Ryū Ko, who also taught to Sakiyama Kitoku and, according to some sources,[citation needed] Kanryo Higashionna many years later. Nakaima was accepted, trained for 7 years and received a certificate of graduation from the master. He was trained in a variety of arts and skills ranging from combative techniques to Chinese medicine and herbal healing remedies. Before leaving China, Nakaima traveled to the Fujian, Canton, and Beijing areas, where he collected a number of weapons and scrolls in order to further his experience in the martial arts.'
This statement is contradicted by the following Japanese language version of events:
Ryuei Ryu (劉衛流) Wikipedia (Japanese) - Fed Through Translator - States:
https://ja-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/劉衛流?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
'In China, a former security guard at the Chinese Embassy in the Ryukyu Islands introduced Liu , a Chinese martial arts teacher , to Nakaima. [ citation needed ] Nakaima was accepted, trained for 7 years, and several years later received a diploma from Kanryo Higaonna and others and masters. He is trained in a variety of arts and skills, from combat techniques to herbal medicine and herbal remedies. Before leaving China, Nakaima traveled to Fujian , Guangdong and Beijing to collect weapons and scrolls to further his martial arts experience.'
Just to be on the safe side, the Japanese text in question is this:
'仲井間は受け入れられ、7年間訓練を受け、数年後、東恩納寛量らとマスターから卒業証書を授与。'
I asked a Japanese-speaking colleague to check EXACTLY what is being said and she confirmed that the sentence states that 'Higaonna Kanryo (and several other masters) "signed" a certificate of merit which was then presented to "Nakaima Norisato"'! This just goes to show how Wikipedia misrepresents knowledge around the world and between languages. The (wrong) English version suggests 'Ryu Ryu Ko' personally 'signed' a certificate and handed it to 'Nakaima Norisato'! If this were true (and assuming Higaonna Kanryo and Nakaima Norisato shared the same Chinese teacher called 'Ryu Ryu Ko') - then all we have to do to confirm the Chinese identity of 'Ryu Ryu Ko's' is 'read' the signature! The Japanese language history, however, states that the certificate in question was not from 'Ryu Ryu Ko' - but rather was issued by other Okinawan masters - including Higaonna Kanryo (this might be where 'Ryu Ryu Ko' is first written as '劉龍公' - as this 'Japanese' representation could not have arisen in China). An interesting side issue is 'why' such a collective certificate would be issued by other (often 'competing') martial arts masters? On the face of it, it would be much more likely be a master issuing a transmission certificate to student - than other 'masters' issuing 'confirmation' or 'legitimising' certificates to one another! Whatever the case, I apologise for the muddled history - but can only report what I find!
Thanks
Adrian
PS: The Japanese language description of how the name of this style 'Ryuei Ryu' came about (which is lacking in the 'English' version) is as follows (I have checked and double-checked the data):
'It is said that 'Ryuei Ryu' was created by taking the surname 'Ryu' (劉 - Liu) from the founder 'Ryu Ryu Ko' - and the first ideogram 'Ei' (衛 - Wei) from 'Eikatsutatsu' - the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese name '衛克達' (Wei Ke Da) 'Nakaima Norisato' was known-by whilst studying in China (which translates as something like 'Guard Able-Accomplisher'.'
(始祖・劉龍公の「劉」と仲井間憲里の唐手名である衛克達の「衛」を取り、「劉衛流」としたとされる。)
I thought I should report this observation (and discrepancy) to aid overall research purposes involving the 'Ryuei Ryu' School of Okinawan Karate-Do - which I first encountered a few days ago (within Chinese language sources) - suggesting that this style might share the same foundational Chinese master as Goju Ryu - namely 'Ryu Ryu Ko'!
a) Ryu (劉) - 'Liu' (Surname as in 'Liu Longgong')
b) Ei (衛) - 'Wei' (Guard)
c) Ryu (流) - 'Liu' (Lineage)
The first ideogram '劉' (Liu) is identical to the Japanese use of modified Chinese characters to express the name of Higaonna Kanryo's teacher 'Ryu Ryu Ko' as expressed in modified Kanji (劉龍公).
Ryuei Ryu (劉衛流) Wikipedia (English) States:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūei-ryū
'In China, a former guard to the Chinese embassies in the Ryukyu Islands introduced Nakaima to a Chinese boxing teacher known as Ryū Ryū Ko, who also taught to Sakiyama Kitoku and, according to some sources,[citation needed] Kanryo Higashionna many years later. Nakaima was accepted, trained for 7 years and received a certificate of graduation from the master. He was trained in a variety of arts and skills ranging from combative techniques to Chinese medicine and herbal healing remedies. Before leaving China, Nakaima traveled to the Fujian, Canton, and Beijing areas, where he collected a number of weapons and scrolls in order to further his experience in the martial arts.'
This statement is contradicted by the following Japanese language version of events:
Ryuei Ryu (劉衛流) Wikipedia (Japanese) - Fed Through Translator - States:
https://ja-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/劉衛流?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
'In China, a former security guard at the Chinese Embassy in the Ryukyu Islands introduced Liu , a Chinese martial arts teacher , to Nakaima. [ citation needed ] Nakaima was accepted, trained for 7 years, and several years later received a diploma from Kanryo Higaonna and others and masters. He is trained in a variety of arts and skills, from combat techniques to herbal medicine and herbal remedies. Before leaving China, Nakaima traveled to Fujian , Guangdong and Beijing to collect weapons and scrolls to further his martial arts experience.'
Just to be on the safe side, the Japanese text in question is this:
'仲井間は受け入れられ、7年間訓練を受け、数年後、東恩納寛量らとマスターから卒業証書を授与。'
I asked a Japanese-speaking colleague to check EXACTLY what is being said and she confirmed that the sentence states that 'Higaonna Kanryo (and several other masters) "signed" a certificate of merit which was then presented to "Nakaima Norisato"'! This just goes to show how Wikipedia misrepresents knowledge around the world and between languages. The (wrong) English version suggests 'Ryu Ryu Ko' personally 'signed' a certificate and handed it to 'Nakaima Norisato'! If this were true (and assuming Higaonna Kanryo and Nakaima Norisato shared the same Chinese teacher called 'Ryu Ryu Ko') - then all we have to do to confirm the Chinese identity of 'Ryu Ryu Ko's' is 'read' the signature! The Japanese language history, however, states that the certificate in question was not from 'Ryu Ryu Ko' - but rather was issued by other Okinawan masters - including Higaonna Kanryo (this might be where 'Ryu Ryu Ko' is first written as '劉龍公' - as this 'Japanese' representation could not have arisen in China). An interesting side issue is 'why' such a collective certificate would be issued by other (often 'competing') martial arts masters? On the face of it, it would be much more likely be a master issuing a transmission certificate to student - than other 'masters' issuing 'confirmation' or 'legitimising' certificates to one another! Whatever the case, I apologise for the muddled history - but can only report what I find!
Thanks
Adrian
PS: The Japanese language description of how the name of this style 'Ryuei Ryu' came about (which is lacking in the 'English' version) is as follows (I have checked and double-checked the data):
'It is said that 'Ryuei Ryu' was created by taking the surname 'Ryu' (劉 - Liu) from the founder 'Ryu Ryu Ko' - and the first ideogram 'Ei' (衛 - Wei) from 'Eikatsutatsu' - the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese name '衛克達' (Wei Ke Da) 'Nakaima Norisato' was known-by whilst studying in China (which translates as something like 'Guard Able-Accomplisher'.'
(始祖・劉龍公の「劉」と仲井間憲里の唐手名である衛克達の「衛」を取り、「劉衛流」としたとされる。)
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