Chatan Yara (北谷 屋良) was a prominent Ryūkyūan martial artist and an important figure in the early history of Okinawan martial arts, particularly kobudo. He is consistently cited as a noted kobudo exponent.
Chatan Yara was born in 1668 and passed away in 1756. He held the position of a public official within the Ryūkyū Kingdom. His duties included being dispatched by the Sho administration to Nakagami-Yomitan to manage their private riding stables in Makihara. He was also known as the superintendent in charge of the King’s riding stable in Makibaru.
While specific teachers for Chatan Yara are not explicitly named in the sources, he is recognised as a master of several combative traditions. His expertise included Jigen-ryū jojutsu, which he taught.
Chatan Yara was highly regarded as a prominent bujin (martial artist) by those who knew him. Accounts describe his remarkable physical abilities, especially in his youth. Kyan Sensei, a later master, often spoke about Chatan Yara to his student Arakaki Ankichi. Arakaki Sensei recalled that Chan Mi-Gwa stated, “When Yara was young, he developed remarkable agility and had really powerful legs”.
An anecdote highlights his youthful athleticism: “One story maintained that in his youth he once jumped off one end of the Hijabashi (Hija bridge) and then leaped back up the other side like a bird in flight”. Despite his earlier prowess, by the time Kyan learned from him, Yara’s strength had considerably declined, and he required a stick for walking.
Chatan Yara’s influence on Okinawan karate is primarily seen through his students, who became significant figures themselves. He was the primary sensei of Pechin Takahara (1683–1760). Takahara himself went on to become the first teacher of Sakugawa Kanga, often called the “father of Okinawan karate”. This connection places Chatan Yara as an early and foundational link in the lineage of Shuri-te and subsequent karate styles.
Another notable student was Kōsaku Matsumora (1829–1898), who studied Jigen-ryū jojutsu directly under Yara. This period of training under Yara deepened Matsumora’s general understanding of fighting traditions.
Chōtoku Kyan (1870–1945) is also listed as a student of Yomitan Yara, linking him to Chatan Yara.
While no specific kata are attributed to Chatan Yara as their creator, his role as a teacher of prominent martial artists means his techniques and principles likely contributed to the development and evolution of kata taught by his students, such as those passed down through Pechin Takahara and Kōsaku Matsumora. His instruction of Pechin Takahara also occurred during a period when bushidō was already well-established among the samurai of mainland Japan and the bushi (warrior class) and shizoku (upper class) of Okinawa.
Chatan Yara is remembered as one of the earliest known karateka and a pioneer whose unique contributions to kobudo have a lasting place in the tradition’s history. His teachings, passed through his influential students, contributed to the foundational knowledge that shaped the diverse styles of Okinawan martial arts that emerged in later centuries.
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