User:Tijigaya

Ti is the indigenous martial art of Okinawa originating in the early 1200’s, best analyzed through the Okinawa historical, political and cultural timeline of development.

Ti is the foundational source of all kara’te or karate and lack of knowledge in Ti can lead to many misperceptions in karate. Ti and karate are fundamentally different approaches to study thus Ti is not to be confused with Karate as Ti is its own unique method of study.

Ti was not a civilian art but a militaristic aristocratic art existing in the upper two classes of the early Okinawa caste system through the Satsuma ???? occupation and subjugation of Okinawa. The caste class system was abolished on Okinawa in ???? and cultural inclusion of Okinawa occurred ???? leaving only those families to share its knowledge.

The history of Ti is not public knowledge but private family knowledge passed on in oral tradition only, while the method of instruction in Ti is one of only direct instruction traditionally passed down Father to son or heir within each Okinawa family. Ti knowledge was not shared with those considered outside of the family or families.

Little is to be found in typical research due to this “closed door” mentality. This practice has led to near extinction of Ti methods and instruction.