Category Archives: Book Reviews

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 →

Recently I wrote about the 9-foot-staff as used in Okinawan bōjutsu. While sources are scarce and fragmentary, there are a number of traditions using a 9-foot-staff. In written sources it appears first in the 1960s. However, when looking at the … Continue reading →

A recent seminar announcement introduced a certain Tamaki Kazuo as an 8th Dan representant and teacher of Motobu Udundī. The reason is that Okinawan masters often know each other from school or elsewhere. Okinawa karate and kobudō is largely based … Continue reading →

After a first and a second article, and a bunch of feedback by experts of the style, lets get back to basics. To do so, let me shortly recapitulate some infos gathered so far: In 1961, Shiroma Taisai performed Ufutun … Continue reading →

In Gōjū-ryū, there are basically two ways of opening at the beginning of the kata: Method 1 a. Stand in Musubi-dachi, with open hands crossed in front of the tanden. b. Open stance to Heikō-dachi while closing the fists and … Continue reading →

1882: Establishment of the Kōdōkan by Kanō Jigorō. 1895: Establishment of the Dai Nippon Butokukai. Titles Hanshi, Kyōshi, Renshi. Seirinsho certificates. 1919: The Dai Nippon Butokukai renames bujutsu to budō. 1920: Kōdōkan Judō announces the dan kyū regulation. 1933/12/8: Dai … Continue reading →

Issue 1: In 1960, the first dan and kyu grading regulation of Okinawa karate circles was implemented by the Okinawa Karate-do Renmei. 25 people graded 3rd dan, 23 people graded 2nd dan, and 40 people graded 1st dan.TASK: Name an … Continue reading →

In 1976, the Ryūkyū Kobudō Hozon Shinkōkai published a memorial booklet. In it is found the organization and members of the association, a biography of Taira Shinken, the kobudo genealogy of the association, and list of kata handed down in … Continue reading →

Taiho-jutsu is a method for present day Japanese police officers (keisatsukan), Imperial guard escort officers (kōgū goeikan), coast guard officers, narcotics control officers (mayakutorishimarikan), military police officers of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), and other judicial police personnel, or alternatively, … Continue reading →