Tag Archives: Itosu Anko

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 →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate, Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective, Unknown Ryukyu | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (3) — Yonamine Isshun

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 →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate, Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective, Unknown Ryukyu | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (2) — Matsuda Seiei

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 →

Posted in Book Reviews, Prewar Okinawa Karate, Theories of Historical Karate in Comparative Perspective, Unknown Ryukyu | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The 2nd Okinawa Karate Academy — An unknown group of early modern Karate persons (1) — Haraguni Seishō

“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 →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Karate Kumite” 1905

Does the photo of Itosu Ankō show a different person?

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Andreas Quast

[Here follows my translation of the newspaper article: Arakaki Ryōko: “Does the photo of Itosu Ankō show a different person?” In: Okinawa Times, March 2, 2019, Saturday, No. 25159 (daily issue). Many thanks to Motobu Naoki Shihan of the Motobu-ryu for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fundstücke, New Developments, Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Does the photo of Itosu Ankō show a different person?

The Invention of Karate

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Andreas Quast

The last and probably most important book by Kinjō Hiroshi (2011) has the clear tenor of an “Invention of Karate”. Yes, I just said that. It is about as follows: In 1904, Itosu Ankō (1831–1915), commissioned by and under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Invention of Karate

On a Third Itosu Photo

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Andreas Quast

Recently, I wrote about a first and a second photo showing a man considered to be Itosu Ankō (1831–1915), the father of modern Karate. Some weeks ago my colleague Thomas Feldmann of Hoploblog dug out another photo which we believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc, Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , | Comments Off on On a Third Itosu Photo

On the Second Itosu Photo

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Andreas Quast

Yesterday, I wrote On the First Itosu Photo. Since the publication of that photo, a decade of further research passed and – not least due to corresponding activities by various stakeholders of Okinawan history and research on the internet – further … Continue reading →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on On the Second Itosu Photo

On the First Itosu Photo

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Andreas Quast

In 2006 a photo was revealed to the public, showing a mysterious man with a mustache. This man is considered to be Itosu Ankō (1831–1915), the Okinawan father of modern Karate. The matter was publicly described for the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in Prewar Okinawa Karate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On the First Itosu Photo

Abolish the Buddha and Destroy His Statues

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Andreas Quast

It is true: most of the time it is sufficient to consider things based on readily available information and experiences. This is called WYSIATI — What You See Is All There Is. It means, you don’t consider what you don’t know. And indeed, usually … Continue reading →

Posted in Unknown Ryukyu | Tagged , | Comments Off on Abolish the Buddha and Destroy His Statues