- From the same book (bible of karate), also says that okinawan also had their own martial arts and influenced by Chinesse Boxing, and developed as today what we call Karate. But was there any influence of Japanese martial art system on that development?
I'm sure there was some influence, but it appears to be pretty minor. For many centuries Okinawa was a tributary of China. But the primary claim to fame was the trading between the many countries and islands in SE Asia. Given the number of Chinese present on the island, and the constant interchange of representatives between the two countries, I would say that Chinese influence was much higher than Japanese.
In today's society, the system of ranking and different colored obi, as well as the dogi, came from the Japanese systems.
- If I am not mistaken, Gichin Funakoshi is Okinawan. But in his book, he said that he's from samurai family. Was there any samurai caste in Okinawan during edo period (before and after)??
It is my understanding that there were Samurai in Okinawa. The structure of the society appears to be similar to that of Japan in many ways. The Japanese occupation forces stripped them of much of their power and weapons. There are some that feel that karate was greatly furthered in its development by these higher class individuals once they lost the right to use swords.
And in my experience, most of the Okinawans that I have met will correct you if you refer to them as Japanese rather than Okinawan. It is also my understanding that they do have a number of different dialects. I have not discussed the political desires related to independance with any of them.
Respectfully
Mark W. Swarthout, Shodan