Tomari-te
泊手The smallest of the three Okinawan local traditions, from the village of Tomari. Not a school with a founder; Wadō-ryū and Matsubayashi-ryū follow from it.
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About Tomari-te
Tomari-te is the smallest of the three Okinawan fighting traditions from which karate grew. It takes its name from the village of Tomari — unlike Shuri, the king's seat, and Naha, the trading port, this was a smaller and poorer settlement, and that is precisely what makes Tomari-te interesting. As with the other two traditions, it is not a school. Tomari-te has neither founder nor year of origin; it is a name for what was practised and handed on in the village before Okinawan practice divided into named schools. Matsumora Kōsaku, whom this entry formerly listed as founder, is together with Oyadomari Kokan, Motobu Chōki and Kyan Chōtoku one of the tradition's leading exponents — not its originator. Tomari's position affected the content of the tradition. The village lay on the coast and served as a harbour for Chinese and South Asian ships, so influences reached it that did not reach Shuri by the same route. Tomari-te is therefore traditionally described as more supple and less formalised than the courtly Shuri-te. Tomari-te continues directly in Wadō-ryū, Motobu-ryū, Matsubayashi-ryū and Shōrin-ryū. Several masters — Motobu Chōki and Kyan Chōtoku — are listed under both Tomari-te and Shuri-te, which shows nicely that the boundaries between the traditions were far less sharp than the later division suggests.
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Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.