Tag Archives: Motobu Choki

Urasoe no Kon (Oki.: Urashī nu Kun)

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Urasoe no Kon is one of the higher kata in Okinawan Taira-lineage and learned for the 7th or 8th dan or so. It is rarely seen for several reasons, one being that it takes a long time until students get … Continue reading →

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Nakamura Shigeru: “Karate is also to be unified”

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Andreas Quast

“Karate is also to be unified”“Unification with wearing protective gear” Nakamura Shigeru, Chairman of the Okinawa Kenpō Karate-dō Renmei Born on January 20, 1893, he entered the Karate Club of the Shuri Prefectural Middle School in Shuri at the age … Continue reading →

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Motobu Chōki: “My Art and Skill of Karate” (1932)

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Andreas Quast

This translation was created in close cooperation with the author’s grandson, Motobu Naoki sensei. It also includes a congratulatory address by the author’s son, Motobu Chōsei sensei, the current head of the school. Moreover, this year marks the 150th anniversary of Motobu Chōki’s birth. In other words, three generations of the Motobu family were involved in this new translation, connecting the history and tradition of karate from the 19th to 21th century. 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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Karate and the Floating Foot (Ukiashi 浮き足)

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Andreas Quast

Floating Foot is a literal translation of the Japanese word ukiashi 浮き足. It refers to an unsteady step, to standing on the tiptoes, to being ready to flee, and even – figuratively – to high volatility in a financial market. … Continue reading →

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Original References on Tomari-te

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Andreas Quast

In karate circles both in Japan and abroad the so-called Tomari-te has become a topic of great interest in the recent decade. As had been pointed out recently, today there are a lot of genealogies of schools claiming Tomari-te heritage. … Continue reading →

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Yakusoku kumite – Date and Conditions of Creation

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Andreas Quast

So far the history of the kumite created by the various schools has not been researched and documented well. Because it is possible to create all kinds of kumite at any given time, the lack of documentation is a problem. It is therefore important to record the kumite-history of various … Continue reading →

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Kasumi

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Andreas Quast

Recently I read about Motobu Choki using the archaic term “kasumi-uchi” instead of the modern “haishu-uchi” for a specific technique in Naihanchi (see photo). It is said that Itosu changed this to “haito-uke” (ridge hand block). Both haishu-uchi as well as haito-uke refer to the body-part used … Continue reading →

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On the distinction between Shuri-te and Tomari-te

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Andreas Quast

Translator’s note: The Japanese language version of this article published on the Motobu-ryū website has sparked a lot of interest among the international karate and Ryūkyū bugei community. In addition, there was a request for a translation. For this reason I translated it here with … Continue reading →

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Seiryoku Zen’yo Kokumin Taiiku no Kata – The Form of national physical education of maximum efficiency

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Andreas Quast

This article sheds some light on the possible influence of karate on the establishment of the “Seiryoku Zen’yo Kokumin Taiiku no Kata”. The “Seiryoku Zen’yo Kokumin Taiiku no Kata” (in the following SZKTK) is a collection of combative movement exercises, created … Continue reading →

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