Author Archives: Andreas Quast

Prince Chatan and the Iron Priest

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In the list of items housed in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum, there is item #1030, a short sword. The description adds, “Legend has it that Ufumura Ōji [=Prince Chatan] killed Priest Kurogane with this blade.” (Note 1) What kind of … Continue reading →

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Reasonable expectations

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Previously, I wrote about “The Four Outer Forms of Postures Discovered by Matsumura” as described and taught by the late Kinjō Hiroshi sensei. These Four Outer Forms are the result of Kinjō’s inductive reasoning and empirical argumentation. Obviously, in Okinawa … Continue reading →

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Tsuken was neither known for Tsuken-bō nor Jigen-ryū, but for horsemanship

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Andreas Quast

As mentioned before, today Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku is considered the originator of Tsuken Bō and an expert in Jigen-ryū swordmanship. Even an English Wikipedia entry says he “was good at riding horses and Jigen-ryū,” presenting the Kyūyō as the source. The Kyūyō … Continue reading →

Posted in Bojutsu Kata Series, kobudo, Kyūyō, Matayoshi Kobudo, Postwar Okinawa Karate, Prewar Okinawa Karate, The Technique of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo, Translations, Tsuken | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Tsuken was neither known for Tsuken-bō nor Jigen-ryū, but for horsemanship

Tsuken Akan’chū and the impossibility of a direct personal instruction by Tsuken Uēkata

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In my previous article I shared the story of Tsuken Uēkata. At the end of that story, Tsuken Uēkata was interned in Kagoshima after his political intrigue was discovered. So, how, and when did he create Tsuken-bō, and how was … Continue reading →

Posted in Bojutsu Kata Series, kobudo, Matayoshi Kobudo, Postwar Okinawa Karate, Prewar Okinawa Karate, Terminology, The Technique of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo, Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective, Tsuken | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Tsuken Akan’chū and the impossibility of a direct personal instruction by Tsuken Uēkata

How to wrap a sāji or headband

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Ever wondered how to wrap a sāji or headband for eisa, or bo-odori etc.? I translated below description from el-okinawa.com.

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Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In the previous article, I wrote about Tsuken no Kon. This kata is said to be one of the oldest bōjutsu of Okinawa, dating back to a certain Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku. According to historian Majikina Ankō (1923), Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku … Continue reading →

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Tsuken no Kon

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

(Note: The following is the translation of the abstract of Yoshifumi Hayasaka’s “Martial arts of the Satsuma Domain that influenced the martial arts of Ryūkyū (Tsuken no Kon)” presented at the 55th Conference of the Japanese Academy of Budo in … Continue reading →

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Was Matsumura a student of Sakugawa?

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In Okinawa karate theory and history, there is a train of thought that connects the persons Kūsankū, Sakugawa, and Matsumura Sōkon in sense of an unbroken personal tradition of skill, or of a teacher-student relationship. Like this, you will find … Continue reading →

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The Mice Athletic Meet – Reality Check on Okinawa Karate Anecdotes

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Andreas Quast

This is about a story from Kinjo Sensei’s last book. It is a rich book with lots of great insights, theories, technical descriptions, thoughts, attempts at classification, personal experiences and so forth. I particularly liked a story from Kinjo’s youth … Continue reading →

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Kinjo Hiroshi and Motobu Choki – Deception is also Part of the Skill

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Andreas Quast

(The following is an episode translated from the stories of the late Kinjo Hiroshi Sensei himself, found on his website) There was a famous master of the fist named Motobu Chōki. Even among the younger generation, those who are training … Continue reading →

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