Bōgutsuki Karate

After the war, entities such as Kanbukan, Renshinkan and the Yōsei-kan (later Senkarakai), which would advocate "Bogu Karate" format, began to emerge.

Kanbukan (eng. Hall of Korean Martial Arts) was a "non-school" oriented dojo established by Kanken Toyama's high-ranking students with the purpose of avoiding the surveillance of the martial arts ban by GHQ. This was accomplished by making Koreans - who were "liberated" from the Allied Forces - act as instructors rather than the defeated Japanese. Kanbukan's first director was Yun Kwae-byung. Asides Karate, Kendo was also practised. When the Bogu/Kendo gear was not used, they were used for Karate practice, thus serving the origin of modern Bōgutsuki Karate.

When the martial arts ban was relaxed, Kanbukan changed its name to Renbukan, and in 1954 held the "National Karatedo Championships", which was the first national tournament in karate history. They were held at Kanda kyōritsu kōdō (神田共立講堂, eng. Kanda Kyoritsu Auditorium) in Tokyo and used the Bogu Kumite ruleset.[5] The tournament was won by Nobuyuki Suga. This tournament is still held by the Renbukai as the "National Armoured Karatedo Championships" and is the oldest association Karate tournament held nationwide in Japan.

In 1955, Shorinji-Ryu Karate Study Group Renshinkan Dojo (currently "All Japan Shaolin Ryu Karatedo Federation Renshinkan") was established in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture.

It was Kinjo Hiroshi (the former Deputy Director of Kanbukan) who led the spread of Karate in the postwar world, representing the Bogu Karate practised in Kanbukan and Renbukan. Businessman Cài Chánggēng was a proponent of Bogu Karate and supported in its spread. Mas Oyama often trained in Kanbukan and practised with Makiwara and so on. At this time, Oyama is said to have shown little interest in armoured karate.[6]

In May 1959, the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) was established centered on Renbukan. Formed as a unified organization of karate that transcends schools, the headquartered Shudokan of Kanken Toyama. Its first chairman was Cai Chang-geng, with most of the executives during founding period being prolific Japanese martial artists. These included Vice Chairman Yasuhiro Konishi (Shindō jinen-ryū), Kinjo Hiroshi (Kanbukan), Advisor Hironori Otsuka (Wado-ryu), Tatsuo Yamada (Nippon Kempo), Gima Makoto (Shotokan), Director Isamu Ho (Shorinji-Ryu Renshinkan) etc. Following the foundation of organization, it hold the 5th Tournament of "All Japan Karatedo Federation Championship" on same month at Korakuen Gymnasium.[7]

Although the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) was established, the armour karate at that time was still a dangerous sport with a chance of injury. The situation was complicated further with the "seizing" (light/semi-contact rules), which was much safer, becoming the mainstream form of Kumite across the world. The safer rule-set started to eclipse practice of Bogu Karate.

In 1963, an internal division occurred in the western Japan branch of the Japan Karatedo Federation (former) over the correspondence with each group of karate. Renshinkan's Isamu Ho put together the divided factions of Western Japan to form the West Japan Karatedo Federation and became its chairman.[8] After that, the development of Bogutsuki Karate centered on Renbukai in eastern Japan and Renbukai in western Japan.

In 1964, the Japan Karate Federation was established, centred around the four largest Karate styles of the time; Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu. The (former) All Japan Karatedo Federation would transfer its name to "All Japan Karatedo Federation", and the former company would rename itself as JKF Renbukai. The two organizations would form a cooperative relationship.

In 1967 Renshinkan holds the 1st Shaolin-style National Karatedo Championships in Kagoshima City. In the same year, the All Japan Seishinkai (Seishin-ryu) decided to adopt armour for kumite, becoming a Bogu Karate group. Renshinkan held the "1st National Karatedo Championships" in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture in October 1968 with the aim of participating in the National Sports Festival, sponsored by All Japan Karatedo Federation Chairman Ryoichi Sasakawa. After winning the championship in the armoured division (Kagoshima Prefecture team) and the runner-up in the unarmored division (the same team), he has withdrawn from the Japan Karate Federation and has cut off exchanges with the school.

After the Japan Karate Federation was formed, the Renbukai had cancelled the national tournament for six years due to an agreement with the Japan Karate Federation (however, the Asian tournament is held). This would have a major negative impact on the development of Bogutsuki Karate, but during this time, Renshinkan held the "1st Shorinji-Ryu National Karatedo Championships" in Kagoshima. The All Japan Seishinkai started karate with armor after withdrawing from the Japan Karate Federation, etc. and the spread of armored karate continued.

In 1971, the Renbukai resumed organizing the national tournaments. In the 1950s, Renbukai had adopted an iron-faced color protector for its armour and would serve as an antithesis for the Karate's "Ichi Geki" (one strike, certain death) mentality that had permeated prior.

1974 The Japan Karatedo Renbukai is renamed the All Japan Karatedo Federation Renbukai. On August 6–8, The "1st National High School Karatedo Championships" was held at the Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo, sponsored by the All Japan High School Athletic Federation Karatedo Club. Would adopt and implement individual armor kumite competitions and team competitions in the sport.

In 1978, Masayuki Hisataka would new protective gear, Super Safe, which would be used by Bogu Karate organizations in the future. In the same year, Norio Nakamura of Renbukan resigned from the position of Vice Chairman and left the Renbukai.

Inspired by Super Safe, Renbukan too would start developing similar gear. In 1981 "Strongman" (ストロングマン) protective gear was developed with Armor Improvement Organizing Committee (防具改良組織委員会, Bōgu kairyō soshiki iinkai). It replaced the prior Karatector, which had been used as the designated armor of the Renbukai. Also in 1981, the Japan Koshiki Karatedo Association was born with a multi-attack and inevitable point-adding method that adopted this gear. In the same year, the Japan Koshiki Karatedo Association (currently the All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Federation) was established, and the "1st All Japan Koshiki Karatedo Championships" was held.

The Bogutsuki karate world was largely divided into the "one strike" Renbukai and the "multiple striking" of hard karate. Leading into branching between the two ideologies.

In 1985, following the "12th National High School Karatedo Championships" held in Onoyama, Okinawa Prefecture between August 9-11, it was announced that Bogu Kumite/Renbukai Roles would be removed from Inter-High competition level. In the same year, the All Japan Seishinkai (Seishin-ryu) closed its headquarters and each branch associated with it was to be converted to another school, disbanded, or become a single martial arts body.