|  |
LEGENDS
OF THE PAST
Separating
myth from fact
I
recently received another karate book as a gift, my wife
knows me so well.
She
knows that from my point of view, a book on any subject
that they are interested in, is one of the best gifts you
can give to someone.
The
book is entitled "Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters"
and it was written by a great karateka in his own right,
Sensei Shoshin Nagamine, 10th Dan, Founder of
Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do. The book is an English
translation of his original work, by Sensei Patrick
McCarthy of the International Ryukyu Karate Research
Society, and it was first published in 2000 by Tuttle
Publishing.
The
book details the results of the personal research done by
Sensei Nagamine over the years to uncover as accurately
as possible facts about the great Okinawan Masters of the
past. A difficult task in and of its self in a country
where written records were seldom kept, privately held,
or destroyed in the American assault on Okinawa in World
War II.
While
I found the book full of interesting historical facts
about Masters I had heard of, and others I was unfamiliar
with, what interested me the most as a Shotokan stylist
were the chapters on Sensei Itosu Anko, and Sensei Gichin
Funakoshi. In particular I liked the fact that the he
speaks of Sensei Funakoshi in the first person, having as
he says spent time with him on many occasions.
Regardless
of your particular style of karate the detailed comments
about each Master and the extent to which Sensei Nagamine
went to obtain some of the information, definitely make
this book worth buying.
As
for me I enjoyed it, in fact I am on my second reading,
amazing what you can miss the first time you read a book,
or watch a movie. This time my journey through the eyes,
the heart, and mind, of Sensei Nagamine is a lot slower,
and if possible, even more enjoyable than the first time.
I suspect that
experienced instructors, and students already familiar
with some aspects of karate history and the men who
contributed to its development, will probably get the
most out of this book, none the less even for a novice
this is a great way to learn more about where the art of
karate we enjoy today originated from.
Happy reading.
Remember
Knowledge
is all around you, just look for it,
select
what you need, and make the most of it.
-
- Part
the clouds - see the way.
-
- "The
objective of karate-do is to contribute to the evolution
- of
the human spirit through physical and mental training."
- Sensei
Peter Lindsay
-
|
