Masters

Early Life Anko Itosu was born in the Giba sector of Shuri, Okinawa in 1831. His name itself is often a source of confusion. His Okinawan name was Anko (mistakenly thought to be a nickname by some) Shishu. This can be read in Japanese dialect as Yasutsune Itosu. While his…

Karate is an unarmed form of self defense that is intended to be used to protect yourself against an untrained person trying to cause you harm. Okinawan masters such as Motobu Choki, Mabuni Kenwa, and Gichin Funakoshi all agreed that this was the purpose of karate, and it is absolutely…

Known for his explosive open hand techniques, Yamashita combines many progressive fighting tactics with traditional aspects of karatedo.

Mystery Surrounding the Man For most karate students, the name Wú Xiánguì means absolutely nothing unless you like to read. He is rarely mentioned in books, except in passing, and his name is never discussed in classes, but the man has had as much, if not more, influence on the development…

In 1938 Gichin Funakoshi published his book "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate".

Way of the Water Fist There is a separate section about Tadashi Yamashita. Sensei Yamashita was the head of my style when I first began learning Karate-Do. I was fortunate enough to be part of his organization at the time he began making serious changes. One of the biggest was…

This essay on Chosin Chibana’s beliefs is, by far, one of the most enlightening articles ever wrote on Karate. To realize that these problems existed when Karate first became international is quite interesting. Ernest Estrada explains that, “This great treasure was shared with me by my senior and mentor, [Seikichi…

In 1882 Sokon Matsumura sent a makimono to his student that implies a relation between warrior ethics, social science, and Confucian ethics.

Anko Itosu wrote a letter in October 1908 entitled, "Tode Jukun" (Ten Precepts of Karate), to gain the attention of the Japanese Government.

Chosin Chibana left behind him a life completely devoted to Karate and the almost impossible feat of having trained five disciples to the stage of Kyudan.

Early Life Sokon Matsumura, also known as Bushi (warrior) Matsumura and Shuri Matsumura, was born into a well-known shizoku family at Yamagawa Village, Shuri, Okinawa in 1809. This date is often disputed, but is based on Shoshin Nagamine’s account of his 88th birthday in 1809 and Katsuya Miyahira’s claim that…

Throughout his career Nakazato has given of his knowledge very willingly. He has demonstrated his technique of Karate all over the world.

Sakugawa started to teach the "Chinese hand" way in Okinawa, combining what both his teachers had taught him and structuring a training system.

Trend in Funakoshi’s Writings In the past few years of my Karate studies I have noticed a certain trend within the text’s of Funakoshi, that is rarely talked about in the Karate community. Creativity, eclecticism, and change. In this article I am going to point out the different points to…