The following article sheds light on the rediscovery of a long-lost photograph and series of articles documenting the 1936 Okinawa Karate Roundtable discussion. It details the historical significance of the event, the challenges of recovering pre-war materials, and the collaborative efforts that brought these treasures back into the public eye, highlighting their impact on modern karate research.
BTW, Merry Christmas 😉
The year is slowly coming to an end. I would therefore like to wish all my fellow karateka a reflective Advent season, a Merry Christmas, and later a Happy New Year for 2025.
We have concluded the year with a total of four articles in Gekkan Hiden magazine (the latest one also in English & Portuguese), and the fifth article is already scheduled for publication on January 14, 2025. I hope that 2025 will be just as exciting and interesting as 2024.
I look forward to sharing more about our plans for 2025 at the end of January.
The monument, erected under the leadership of Nakazato Jōen in 1999, honors the legendary Karate master Kyan Chōtoku. Situated near the Hija River, it marks the area where Nakazato trained under Kyan from 1937 to 1943, before leaving for the Pacific War. Having visited this site in January 2024, I feel it is now the right time to share my translation of the monument’s inscription, which celebrates Kyan’s profound legacy in Okinawan Karate.
I received new books from Japan today… exciting times ahead. In 2025, there will be a detailed report on this. But first, I need to finally finish writing my Tō’on-ryū article.
Karate Kenkyū Shitsu 