The Motonaga House of the Princely Shō-clan

Summary

The Motonaga House of the Princely Shō-clan, with its ancestor Motonaga Chōgi, has a significant place in the history of karate due to its deep connections with the Motobu Udun and Kyan House.

Abstract

The Motonaga House, a branch of the Shuri Shizoku, was founded by Motonaga Chōgi, a son of the Motobu Udun. The family's history is intricately linked to karate, particularly through the lineage of Kyan Chōtoku, whose father, Chōfu, was from the Motonaga House but later adopted into the Kyan House due to lack of male heirs. Kyan Chōtoku, whose real name was Motonaga Chōtoku, was also adopted back into the Motonaga House, which he eventually inherited. The current head of the Motonaga House resides in Osaka, where the family grave is also located. The article suggests that Kyan Chōtoku's karate, including the Seisan kata, was influenced by his father, Chōfu. The genealogies of the Motonaga House, the Kyan House, and the Motobu Udun are presented to illustrate these connections. The original Japanese article was published on Ameblo, with the English translation following.

Opinions

The author, Motobu Naoki, emphasizes the significance of the Motonaga House in the history of karate.
The article implies that Kyan Chōtoku's foundational karate knowledge, including the Seisan kata, was likely passed down from his father, Chōfu.
The author seems to value the preservation of historical lineages, as evidenced by the detailed genealogies provided for the Motonaga House, the Kyan House, and the Motobu Udun.
The mention of the current head of the Motonaga House living in Osaka and the family grave's location there suggests a continuity of the family's legacy in a different region from its origins.
The author invites readers to follow his work, indicating a desire to share and disseminate the history and culture of karate further.

The Motonaga House of the Princely Shō-clan

Written by Motobu Naoki, translated by Andreas Quast

The Motonaga House of the Princely Shō clan belonged to the Shuri Shizoku. The ancestor of the Motonaga House was Motonaga Chōgi (1784–1829), who was a 5th son of the Motobu Udun. Since his wife Manabi was from the Kyan House, the Motonaga House is deeply related to the history of karate.

The father of Kyan Chōtoku was Chōfu. Chōfu was originally a member of the Motonaga House, but also inherited the blood of the Kyan House. Since there were no male heirs in the Kyan House, Chōfu was adopted and inherited the Kyan House.

And, Kyan Chōtoku sensei was also adopted back into the Motonaga House, which he inherited. Thus, Kyan sensei’s real name was, in fact, Motonaga Chōtoku.

Motonaga Chōtoku and Kyan Chōfu

Well, the head of the Motonaga House now lives in Osaka. The family grave is also situated in Osaka. The picture below I received from the descendants of the Motonaga House.

Grave of the Motonaga House, in Osaka.

Kyan sensei’s first karate master was his own father. Therefore, I think that Kyan sensei learned some of his kata from his father. For example, I wonder if Seisan came from his father Chōfu? In addition, I also think that Kyan sensei adopted Seisan as a basic form was also from the influence of his father.

Below are the genealogies of the Motonaga House, the Kyan House, and the Motobu Udun.

The original Japanese article was written on May 26, 2019 on Ameblo, and the English translation was written on July 10, 2019.

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