Be the Hammer, Not the Anvil
A Gennō is a Japanese hammer, used in blacksmithing and carpentry. It is one of the symbols of our tradition, and hint at our tactical approach to self-protection.
The Japanese characters for a Gennō (玄翁) can also be translated as "the spaces between the feathers", because old birds have gaps in their feathers, so it is also a euphemism for an old man and hence Gennō can also be translated as "thin old man" or "mysterious old man". This reference hints at the quality of wisdom that is necessary for the proper application of the skills imparted by the study of karate. Humorously, Gennō-ryū can also be translated as "Old Man Style", with the implication of "work harder, but also smarter".
Gennō is also the name of a Buddhist monk of the Zen Shin sect who subdued an unruly fox spirit who lived inside a large boulder and was making people sick. He used his hammer to break the boulder, which released the fox spirit, freeing her from her entrapment, and allowed her to become enlightened. Thereafter, the hammer was called Gennō, after its wielder, a mysterious old wise man...
A hammer is a tool of construction and destruction, but a tool nonetheless, of the common people. It can be, and has been, used as a weapon, but it's primary purpose is not war. Rather, it is a tool of community and civilization, of bringing people together.
The interpretations we give to our kata techniques which involve a majority of hammer fist, knife hand, forearm, and elbow strikes, are very useful to the average person, who does not have the time or ability to toughen their fists, though anyone who is able to do so should toughen themselves as much as possible. Hammer fist strikes (and the related motions of knife hand and forearm strikes) have a much greater chance of landing on target, have a lower instance of self-injury than punching with the fist, and they involve a more instinctual gross motor motion than punching does. Many "punches" in the kata in fact are more often throws and joint locks. They can of course be punches as well, so of course we do incorporate punching also.
Because Okinawan karate, Uchinā-di, evolved into a method for a demilitarized population to defend themselves in a civilian context, rather than a method of war-making, and for all the reasons listed above, we chose this tool as the symbol and name of our art.
A hammer is a tool of construction and destruction, but a tool nonetheless, of the common people. It can be, and has been, used as a weapon, but it's primary purpose is not war. Rather, it is a tool of community and civilization, of bringing people together.
The interpretations we give to our kata techniques which involve a majority of hammer fist, knife hand, forearm, and elbow strikes, are very useful to the average person, who does not have the time or ability to toughen their fists, though anyone who is able to do so should toughen themselves as much as possible. Hammer fist strikes (and the related motions of knife hand and forearm strikes) have a much greater chance of landing on target, have a lower instance of self-injury than punching with the fist, and they involve a more instinctual gross motor motion than punching does. Many "punches" in the kata in fact are more often throws and joint locks. They can of course be punches as well, so of course we do incorporate punching also.
Because Okinawan karate, Uchinā-di, evolved into a method for a demilitarized population to defend themselves in a civilian context, rather than a method of war-making, and for all the reasons listed above, we chose this tool as the symbol and name of our art.
Like the hammer, if used correctly, karate not only forges a strong body, but can also be used to forge a strong mind, heart and spirit. It can crush the obstacles to wisdom, and shape the spirit on the anvil of discipline, and then eventually one finds that they themselves have become the hammer that saves.
Here is a link to an essay regarding the origin of the word Gennō:
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