Japanese

A Peaceful and Free World: An Okinawan Ideal

This Guiding Principle contains some of the most powerful words in Nakamura Sensei’s instructional document. Especially considering the tumultuous struggles of Ryukyu history. Even after all of the turbulence, Nakamura O Sensei still held high the ideal of a peaceful and free world. In fact, he instructed his students (and by extension, traditional martial artists in current times) to build such a world.

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Okinawa Shuri Castle Photo a Favorite

This photo at Shuri Castle is one of my favorite group photos and general karate pictures. For me it symbolizes Ryukyu no shin – the heart of the Ryukyu Kingdom, or the heart of karate from Okinawa in current times.

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Symbol for Ryukyu on Karate Book Cover

The name for this symbol for Ryukyu is the mitsudomoe. Mitsudomoe has a literal meaning of “three comma-looking shapes.” The Ryukyu island chain makes up what used to be an independent country called the Ryukyu Kingdom.

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Karate Teaches Respect

Karate teaches respect by requiring listening to the instructor and focusing on yourself doing your best. In classes students are required to keep their hands to themselves. When working with partners, students are expected to follow the rules of conduct.

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