Ankō Asato

infobox_martial_artist
name = Ankō Asato


imagesize =
birth_date = 1827
birth_place = Ryūkyū Kingdom flagicon|Ryūkyū Kingdom|1429
death_date = 1906
death_place =
martial_art = Shuri-te
teacher = Sokon Matsumura
students = Gichin Funakoshi

nihongo|Anko Asato|安里 安恒|Asato Ankō|Azato Yasutsune in Japanese, 1827–1906 was an Okinawan master of karate. He and Ankō Itosu were the two main karate masters who taught Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shōtōkan-ryū karate. Funakoshi appears to be the source of most of the information available on Asato. Many articles contain information about Asato,Green, B. D. (1992): [http://www.iskf.com/spotlight/b_green.htm Gichin Funakoshi, more than a great master] Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] Noble, G. (1988): [http://seinenkai.com/articles/noble/noble-shorin1.html Masters of the Shorin-Ryu: Part One, by Graham Noble] Retrieved on 2 September 2007. Originally published as "Masters of the Shorin-ryu (Part 1)," "Fighting Arts International", 9(2):24–28.] [http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/bios/azato.html Master Yasutsune (Ankoh) Asato (1928–1906)] Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] [http://www.shotoryukarate.co.uk/biographies/azato.htm Yasutsune Azato] Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] [http://homepage.eircom.net/~renshukan/azato.htm Azato] Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] but the relevant parts are clearly based on Funakoshi's descriptions of him.Funakoshi, G. (1956/1975): "Karate-dō: My way of life". Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 978-0-87011-463-2.] Funakoshi first met Asato when he was a schoolmate of Asato's son; he called Asato "one of Okinawa's greatest experts in the art of karate."Funakoshi, G. (1956/1975): "Karate-dō: My way of life" (p. 3). Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 978-0-87011-463-2.] According to Funakoshi, Asato's family belonged to the "Tonochi" class (hereditary town and village chiefs), and held authority in the village of Asato, halfway between Shuri and Naha, and he was not only a master of karate, but also skilled at riding horses, Jigen-ryū "kendō" (swordsmanship), archery, and an exceptional scholar.

In a 1934 article, Funakoshi noted that Asato and Itosu had studied karate together under Sōkon Matsumura.Funakoshi, G. (1934): [http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=124 "Azatoh Ankoh: A short story about my teacher, Part 1"] (translated by P. McCarthy and Y. McCarthy). Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] He also related how Asato and Itosu once overcame a group of 20–30 attackers, and how Asato set a trap for troublemakers in his home village.Funakoshi, G. (1934): [http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=123 "Azatoh Ankoh: A short story about my teacher, Part 2"] (translated by P. McCarthy and Y. McCarthy). Retrieved on 2 September 2007.] In his 1956 autobiography, Funakoshi recounted several stories about Asato, including: Asato's political astuteness in following the government order to cut off the traditional men's topknot (pp. 13–14); Asato's defeat of Yōrin Kanna, in which the unarmed Asato prevailed despite Kanna being armed with an unblunted blade (pp. 14–15); Asato's demonstration of a single-point punch ("ippon-ken"; p. 15); and Asato and Itosu's friendly arm-wrestling matches (p. 16).

References