Tag Archives: Hanashiro Chomo

The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (3) — Yonamine Isshun

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Andreas Quast

Usually kobujutsu is spared from being accused of going through the process of technical sanitation that is typically believed to have been the case for karate in school education. As a result, kobujutsu is also believed to have been less charged with nationalistic and militaristic ideology. However, the following research results necessitate to reconsider the notion that modern Okinawan kobujutsu was an original warrior martial arts from the kingdom times. Instead, modern Okinawan kobujutsu was probably spawned by the same momenta as karate. Continue reading →

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The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (2) — Matsuda Seiei

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Andreas Quast

On Monday, November 25, from 2-4 pm, the “2nd Okinawa Karate Academy” was held at the Auditorium on the 4th floor of the Okinawa Prefectural Office. The topic was new findings regarding “An unknown group of early modern Karate persons.” … Continue reading →

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The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (1) — Haraguni Seishō

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Andreas Quast

“This prefecture’s usage of fists is what the martial arts of fencing (gekken) and the spear (sōjutsu) are for the other prefectures. It is also called karate and its techniques have names like “Passai,” “Kūsankun,” “Naihanchin,” and the like. Certain educated Ryūkyūans formerly all trained this method, by means of which one can prepare for emergencies.”

From: The Odd Accident of this Party’s Member, Harakuni Seishō. Ryūkyū Kyōiku, issue 4, 1896. Continue reading →

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“Karate Kumite” 1905

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Andreas Quast

In 2016, my new discovery of a photo of Hanashiro Chōmo was featured on the website of the Okinawa Traditional Karate Liaison Bureau. Then, in 2018 I translated and published the Genealogy of Hanashiro. Today I add an overview of … Continue reading →

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When Karate was Military Drill

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Andreas Quast

In 1872, the Japanese government introduced a new educational system which emphasized the “threefold objective of academic education, moral education, and physical education.” The latter of which–physical education–was based on Western physical education. A first move to look into Japanese … Continue reading →

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Die Stellung für den Zweikampf (Kumite kamae 組手構え)

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Andreas Quast

Die Darstellung unten zeigt die Stellung für den Zweikampf (kumite kamae 組手構え), wie sie offenbar von Mabuni Kenwa damals (1938) vorgesehen war. Dabei stehen sich beide Opponenten in der gleichen Positur gegenüber, nämlich mit dem linken Bein vorne, dem linken … Continue reading →

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The Genealogy of Hanashiro Chōmo 花城長茂 (1869–1945)

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Andreas Quast

One of the few karate people that can be found in the official genealogies of the Ryūkyū Kingdom era is Hanashiro Chōmo 花城長茂 (1869–1945). He belonged to the House Kameya 亀谷家, which was a branch family of the Min-clan 明氏. … Continue reading →

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Karate and Western-style military training

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Andreas Quast

The Motobu-ryū blog just published an interesting article entitled “Mai no Te and Fluidity.” In it there is a short note mentioning the influence of Western-style military training (heishiki taisō 兵式体操) on the practice of early modern karate. Find corresponding short … Continue reading →

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Article on the website of the “Okinawa Traditional Karate Liaison Bureau”

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Andreas Quast

An article of mine is featured on the prestigious “Okinawa Traditional Karate Liaison Bureau” website. It is about a photo which probably shows the important karate teacher Hanashiro Chōmo at a relatively young age, in the year 1904. Check it out and read the … Continue reading →

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110 YEARS AGO: THE MODERN CHARACTERS FOR KARATE ARE USED FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Andreas Quast

Hanashiro Chōmo (1869–1945) was an Okinawan soldier (infantry) and a physical education and Karate teacher at the Middle School in Shuri. In 1905 he created the basic text book called “Karate Kumite” as a manual for teaching Karate at school. … Continue reading →

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