Schools (Ryu-ha)

空手には現在，無数の流派が存在する。いわゆる全空連系と極真系（フルコンタクト系）を含めれば，数千はあるのではないだろうか。一空手家一流派と言っても過言ではない。空手は，武芸，すなわち，アートであり，アートの特性上，基本的な技術の枠組みはあるものの，その先は個人次第という面があるため，必然，分派をもたらす。身体操作技法の伝承は，個人から個人へと，身体を通して行われるために，100%の複製は不可能であり，また，「守・破・離」を考えれば，分派の芽を常に内包しているのが，アートであるといえる。弟子は弟子だけれども，師匠とは違う。志のある弟子ほど，アーティストとして独立したい，自身独自の技術を広めたいと思うのは，十二分に理解できる心情である。仮にスポーツ化を推し進めれば，剣道や柔道や弓道のように，流派や技法の統一化がなされるだろうから，アートとしての余白はなく，分派もあまり起きないだろう。また，伝書・奥義書等の文書（文字）による技法の伝承が古来から連綿となされていれば，一個人がその歴史と伝統を越えて独自の流派を立てることもまた難しいだろう。さらに，少林寺拳法や合気道のような新興の武道の場合は，技術体系の構造化がすでに高度になされているために，そこから新たに分派することは多大な困難を伴うだろう。これらの，アートではあるが分派を妨げる要因が，空手には少ない。つまり，空手は，古来より琉球王国で発展してきた歴史ある武芸であるが，その歴史と技術体系を言語的に伝承する伝書・奥義書の類はない。また，技術体系そのものも身体的伝承を繰り返してきたために曖昧模糊としていて，当然，競技スポーツとしての統一化にはほど遠い。したがって，空手修行者各自が「これが空手だ」と思うところは様々，ということになる。このため，沖縄武道としての空手の神髄というのは確かに存在するのだが，そこに至るまでの間に各人各様に空手を定義してしまうために，各々が得た真理を各々の言語と身体で語ろう（伝えよう）とする。結果として，空手は，他の武道よりも分派が起きやすい。無数に流派が存在するのは，このためである。

Nowadays, there are innumerable schools (ryu-ha) in karate. Might the number run up to thousands, if so called both styles of Zenkuren (Japan Karatedo Federation) and Kyokushin (full-contact karate) are included? It is not too much to say that one karateka has one school. Karate is a martial art, that is, just an "art." Based on the characteristics of arts, though it has basic frameworks of techniques, it also has an aspect that the practitioners are allowed to develop it by themselves after mastering the basic techniques. Inevitably, this fact provides a chance to form a sect or branch, or another "school." Considering that copying 100% of the art is impossible because the transmission of physical manipulation techniques is carried out through the bodies of individuals and that the concept "shu-ha-ri" is regarded as important in arts, we can say that it is "arts" that include a possibility to form a sect or branch all the times. A disciple is a disciple, but not a copy of his/her master. We can understand well that a disciple who has his/her own stronger ambitiousness would be eager to stand on his/her own feet as an artist, and familiarize his/her own original techniques to the world. If they urged to get a martial art sportized, their schools and techniques would be integrated like kendo, judo, and kyudo, and then they would have a low possibility to split into branches since that sportized martial arts have no space to be an art. It is also difficult for an individual to form his/her own school beyond the history and tradition of the martial art, if their techniques has been continuously passed down since ancient times by something written like esoteric writings (books of secrets). Additionally, in the case of such young martial arts as shorinji-kenpo or aikido, it is extremely difficult to form a new school by leaving from the head school because they have a highly organized system of techniques. These factors, which may hinder disciples from leaving from their master and mother school and forming their own school though they practice martial "arts", are less or weaker in karate than in other martial arts. That is, though karate is a historic martial art that had been developing in Ryukyu Kingdom since ancient times, it has no esoteric writings or books of secrets that pass down their old history and techniques by means of words. In addition, the systematized techniques themselves are so obscure because karateka had continuously engaged in physical (bodily) transmission of techniques that karate is far from integration or unification for competitive sports. Therefore, there are diverse ideas about "what karate is" between each of karateka. For this reason, though the quintessence of karate as Okinawan martial art surely exists, karate practitioners tend to define the art "karate" in their own way before they arrive at the common quintessence, and to introduce their own truth into the world by their own words and body. As a result, subgrouping easily occurs in karate rather than other martial arts. That is why there are innumerable schools (ryu-ha) in karate.