Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques

by Mark D. Bishop

From their roots in China, the historical development of each karate and kobudo system--Okinawa's greatest cultural export--is presented here via the teachers who formulated them into the many fragmented styles practiced today throughout the world.

Okinawan Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques , written by one of the foremost writers on Japanese martial arts, specifically Okinawan, presents important elements of the fighting arts as a whole, along with the "ins" and "outs" of health-oriented training and the "secrets" of developing intrinsic energy ( ki ) circulation.

This updated and revised edition reflects the rapid changes that have occurred within the Okinawan martial arts. Features in this Okinawan karate book include historical tables and vital striking point charts, as well as detailed historical information and an account of the contemporary karate, kobudo, and ti (or te) scene in Okinawa.

Sections

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1990

Reviews

[Aoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a comprehensive study on the history, interconnections...and the controversial stories that are a part of karate.

The author dives bravely into addressing the origins of Ryuei-ryu's kata syllabus (apparently, highly modified/modernized by Sakumoto Tsuguo - sensei), the succession drama left behind by the premature death of Miyagi Chojun sensei, whether Gojuryu practitioners are consigning themselves to an early death through vigorous practise of kata Sanchin, and a rather bewildering (and hilarious) episode where the author was challenged to a bout by Meitoku Yagi sensei's son when he went information-gathering.

I don't know quite what to believe, but I am glad someone wrote these stories down before they are forgotten.

In the end, the discipline of karate - separate from its lofty goals, and people's earnest desire to preserve its 'original form' - remains as affected and as bound to change and infighting as any other art form.

[Daniel Stekloff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book and discovering the history of Okinawan karate. I'm amazed at how fractured it was and it remains to be. I'm glad that someone interviewed and wrote down the stories before it all was lost. Of course, I'd really like to more details but those details are probably gone now.

[S.N. Arly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice history of Okinawan karate (masters of importance, lineage, etc), told in a much more engaging fashion than pretty much any other historical book I've read on the subject. It is not a how to manual, so there are no actual secret techniques explained (I've seen reviews from folks who clearly expected more of that sort of thing). It's a great resource for any karateka interested in expanding her/his knowledge.

The author worked hard to verify and/or disprove some of the more romantic beliefs about karate (for example, karate wasn't actually developed by the peasant class). There are martial artists who prefer the less accurate version of the history, but I'm not one of them.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book to learn more about the origins of modern Karate from some of the contemporary Okinawan masters themselves. The stories, and small insights into technique and ki, etc, were very interesting. The interviewer put in a lot of strong opinions, and I wished that there had been a more comprehensive story. I would only recommend this book for Karate/martial arts enthusiasts.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with a great deal of history of great interest to martial artists wanting to know the origins and connections between styles etc. Non martial artists might find this book quite boring/hard to read though (need a little knowledge to start and read in entirety).