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I really appreciate the support of Funakoshi Gisho, Kadekawa Juuki, and all the other kind people who assisted with the research and publication of this book. I would like to especially thank Gakiya Joshu, the calligrapher who brushed the kanji for this book; Miyagi Akira who painted the portraits which appear in this book; and my seniors, Mr. Nagamine Shoshu and Mr. Sakugawa Kankei, who helped me research the family lineages.

Because there is so little official documentation about the old bujin of Okinawa’s karate history, I have taken this opportunity to make available much of that information which has been handed down through oral tradition. Not really considering myself an expert of karate-do, I would like to say that any and all mistakes which may appear in this book are mine alone.

PART ONE

BIOGRAPHIES OF

OKINAWAN KARATE

EXPERTS

Chapter 1

MAKABE CHOKEN OKINA:

A MAN OF GREAT STRENGTH

THE DIVINE JUMPING TECHNIQUES OF TOBITORI

There was a hospital owned by Taira Masa which was situated in Shuri’s Tounukura district before the war. This was the same site where the Makabe estate once stood. Makabe’s residence covered an area of 360 tsubo (1188 meters) and many kinds of budo training equipment were located there. Makabe Choken Okina is said to have trained there every day. Thanks to the Taira family, I enjoyed the privilege of inspecting a footprint on the ceiling of the guest house, put there, rumor maintains, by Makabe himself while demonstrating a jump kick. I went there with the interest of confirming it with my own eyes. Using my eye to compare the height of the ceiling in this old style residence to those of other Okinawan-style homes, I would say that it was over four meters high.