Category Archives: Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective

In this category I look into the theories and perceptions of historical Karate. Is there a causal relation that can be verified from existing historical sources?

Kobudo, entertainment art, or both?

Posted on August 19, 2023 by Andreas Quast

It is sometimes hard to distinguish if an old photo or a demonstration on film is actually a martial art or something else. Like this, there was a question in social media about a number of sketches from the 19th … Continue reading →

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The costumes of karate – dogi, pants, or khaki

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Andreas Quast

On March 5, 1898, Imperial Decree No. 36 promulgated the Ordinance of the Okinawa Garrison Headquarter. The headquarter functioned solely as a conscription office and no soldiers were deployed on Okinawa itself. On April 12, five officials assumed office under … Continue reading →

Posted in Okinawa no Kokoro, Okinawa Peace Theory, Prewar Okinawa Karate, Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective, UNESCO Karate | Comments Off on The costumes of karate – dogi, pants, or khaki

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

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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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Periodization issues in budō

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Andreas Quast

There is a terminological double-issue related to the periodization in Japanese budō. The first and main issue is the ambiguous definition of old vs modern schools using the Meiji restoration of 1868 as the reference point. The second issue is … Continue reading →

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The story of “Maezato no Nunchaku Dai” and “Akamine no Nunchaku”

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In connection with Okinawa karate and kobudō, questions often remain answered unsatisfactorily, or unanswered at all. This may have different reasons. For example, people have long since forgotten what exactly happened several years or decades ago, or they were not … Continue reading →

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The karate of the “Pechin Class”

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Andreas Quast

A colleague just argued that “karate” came from the Pēchin class of Okinawa. I think this is a oversimplification, and it is also one of those stories based on guesswork and premature conclusions. According to censuses of 1873 and 1880 … Continue reading →

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Maintaining the Unaltered Technique

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Andreas Quast

In today’s Okinawa Times is an article on Mr. Nakazato Takeshi, 2nd generation Sōke of Shōrinji-ryū and Chairman of Zen Okinawa Shōrinji-ryū Karatedo Kyōkai. I would like to shortly share some parts of it. As for the context, the founder … Continue reading →

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Jiganemaru @50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Andreas Quast

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa, the special exhibition “Ryukyu”, which reveals the history and culture of Ryukyu with more than 700 exhibit items, has opened at the Tokyo National Museum. The exhibition runs from May … Continue reading →

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Sai, Tinbe and the “Expedition to the Southern Islands” 1893

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Andreas Quast

As previously mentioned, in 2021, a list of “100 Footprints of Modern Karate” was published in the Okinawa Times. I have already written about Footprint No. 1 and Footprint No. 2 and today will turn to Footprint No. 3. Footprint … Continue reading →

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Tode, Karate in the Tafaku 1867

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Yesterday I wrote about the written notation of tōde 唐手 as found in the play Nizan Waboku (The Reconciliation of Nanzan and Hokuzan) in 1867 and 1891. While it used the same original notation as karate / tōde, it turned … Continue reading →

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