User:Venix/To-de

To-De: a family of martial arts styles that developed in Okinawa beginning in the late 17th century. The phrase translates to "Chinese hands", owing to the influence of Chinese chu'an fa during the Ch'ing Dynasty's period of expanded diplomatic relations with Okinawa.

Three different Okinawan villages played host to the development of To-De: Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa resting north of the Asa River; Naha, a port town south of the river; and Tomari, a port town north of Shuri. Though they were but a few short miles away from each other, each of these towns developed their own style (Shuri-Te, Naha-Te, and Tomari-Te, respectively).

The distinctiveness of each of these styles in the face of their relative close proximity, while in small part due to geography -- the Asa River divides Naha in the south from Shuri and Tomari in the north -- owes mainly to the social classes that comprised the majority in each town. As the (now-former) capital of Okinawa, Shuri was home to aristocrats and warriors. And though both were port towns, Naha represented more of the region's merchants and craftsmen, while Tomari was mainly a peasant area.