Category Archives: Postwar Okinawa Karate

Getting a grip: Positioning of the Tinbē

Before I talked about the disadvantages of the single grip of the Taira tinbe. To give you an impression, I assumed a two-sided lever with the formula F1 · l1 = F2 · l2. As a comparison, the punching forces … Continue reading

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Kobudo kata list – then and now

There has always been some confusion as to why the Taira-Inoue lineage of Kobudo practices more kata than the Taira-Akamine lineage, this even more since a comprehensive kata list written by Akamine Eisuke is found hanging at the Shimbukan that … Continue reading

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Online exhibition: Shihan certificates in Okinawa

Recently, there was a social media discussion about the difference between sensei and shihan. Both sensei and shihan mean teacher, but while sensei is used extensively in general, shihan is an older term used particularly in the world of budō and other traditional arts such as calligraphy, flower arranging, … Continue reading

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1964: An Entry about Kenshin-ryū, ancient martial art of Okinawa

[The following is a translation of a short entry from 1964 about the Kenshin-ryū school of kobudō established by Hayashi Teruo] Born in Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, [Mr. Taira Shinken] trained karate under Funakoshi Gichin Sensei and kobudō under Yabiku Mōden … Continue reading

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Example of Examination Regulations in Okinawa

Previously I presented an Example of Association Rules in Okinawa. It describes the exact rules and how Okinawan karate kobudo associations are organized. From it, it can also be seen what distinguishes Okinawan associations from associations in other countries. Over … Continue reading

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Example of Association Rules in Okinawa

How are Okinawan karate kobudo associations organized? What distinguishes them from associations in other countries? What are the exact rules? Over years, karate kobudo practitioners around the world have asked these and similar questions. Therefore, to give you a reliable … Continue reading

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Shingitai – Mind | Technique | Body (1)

Abstract: This article provides an overview of the lexical meaning, subject areas and chronology of usage, as well as the terminological origin of the term shingitai. Research method: For bibliographic queries, I used the National Diet Library of Japan (one … Continue reading

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Development of Okinawan Dojo

I have been digging into architecture and interior design of dojo in Okinawa and how they came about. The modern dojo is certainly a postwar invention but you can see it go back to the 1939 Butokuden, and even to … Continue reading

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About Ryūkyū / Okinawa Kobudō / Kobujutsu / Bugei / Bujutsu etc.pp., or in short: Have a salad!

Where does the word kobudō in relation to Okinawa or Ryūkyū originate from? Ryūkyū Kobudō is distinguished from Nihon Kobudō, but when was it defined and classified as a composite word and category of Japanese budō? First of all, kobudō … Continue reading

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What’s in a photo – Uechi Kanei around January 1949

I talked to a friend in the US yesterday about the old dōjō in Okinawa. She told me about this photo where there was obviously a dirt floor, as can be seen in the color photo below that she had. … Continue reading

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