The Okinawans have been characterized as a peace loving island people that have been dominated by foreign influence for the last nine hundred years. It is no surprise that in their art of self-defense the concept of Sente No Kata, there is no first attack, is a foundation stone. The concept of not being the first to attack carries with it not only a moral aspect but also a strategy of fighting that the Okinawans understood well.
The Okinawans have been characterized as a peace loving island people that have been dominated by foreign influence for the last nine hundred years. It is no surprise that in their art of self-defense the concept of Sente No Kata, there is no first attack, is a foundation stone. The concept of not being the first to attack carries with it not only a moral aspect but also a strategy of fighting that the Okinawans understood well.
The wide spread stories of how the Okinawans developed their self defense arts to repel and defend themselves against the Samurai of Japan or Chinese pirates have been exaggerated to the point of where the concept of Sente no Kata is lost.
Outside of the moral reasons for not making the first attack the Okinawans employed the strategy of Sente no Kata in the three fighting scenarios that all human conflicts fall into: a surprise attack, an escalating confrontation and mutually agreed upon combat. Obviously in a surprise attack you cannot make the first attack, but in an escalating situation and agreed upon combat the Okinawans believed that the one that makes the first attack will stand a greater chance of losing. In the situation of a surprise attack the attacker has the advantage of surprise but generally leaves themselves completely vulnerable to a quick recovery and counter attack.
What is the advantage of not making the first attack? The Okinawans believe that while making the first attack the defender has a chance to limit the attacker to just one attack. This is the concept of “ippon kumite” or one attack fighting.
The Okinawan self defense methods are based around the understanding and combination of these two strategies, Sente no Kata and Ippon Kumite or do not make the first attack and limit the attacker to one movement. The Okinawan method believes that if you are making an attack the opponent has many options as to how to defend while the attacker has only the one attack that they have chosen for that moment.