Itosu Anko
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Reconstructing Old style Karate
I do not believe there is enough of a “fossil record” to outline what “old-style” Karate practices consisted of. The earliest technical information we have is from Funakoshi’s publications in the early 1920s. Prior to this, there is nothing definitive, with the possible exception of Hanashiro Chomo’s Karate Kumite; however, we only have a few… Continue reading
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Itosu’s Ten Precepts
Below you can find an English translation of Itosu Anko’s “Ten Precepts of Karate” (唐手心得十ヶ條) from the original, along with a translation from modern Japanese, and an interpretation for each point in the document. The original article in Japanese can be found here. I hope you enjoy. Preface / Introduction: Point 1: Point 2: Point… Continue reading
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Bicycle! Bicycle!
I usually commute to work on the bus and train, but when Covid-19 struck I began to feel a bit anxious every time I would climb on board. Inevitably there was always someone who, despite the mandatory mask rule, thought that it didn’t apply to him or her. Despite being vaccinated, I still felt a… Continue reading
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The influence of French gymnastics and military French boxing on the creation of modern Karate (1867-1914)
A fantastic article on the potential influence of French military and physical education culture Okinawa Karate by Jean-Francois Loudcher and Christian Faurillon. Loudcher, J.-F. and Faurillon, C., 2021. The influence of French gymnastics and military French boxing on the creation of modern karate (1867-1914). Martial Arts Studies, 11, pp.80–100. DOI: http://doi.org/10.18573/mas.135 Continue reading
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Joe Rogan was Right: “We Didn’t Make Anything New!?”
There’s a stand-up bit by Joe Rogan where he talks about how if you brought back Thomas Jefferson to the present day he’d be stunned that nothing new was added to the US constitution. It’s quite funny and if you’re a Karateka and substitute some of his words, there’s some real wisdom in them. ….because… Continue reading
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Joe Swift Interview
An interview with my good friend Joe Swift (Tokyo Mushinkan) discussing his book “Itosu Anko: Savior of a Cultural Heritage” on the Conversations on Karate podcast, episode 22. I Think you will find the discussion very insightful. Enjoy. Continue reading
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