Editors Notes

Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei
Goju-ryu, Shigetoshi Senaha

Karate is the reflection of the two sides of the Okinawa people who prefer not to fight and yet, because it is a small island it always had to be prepared to face intruders. Our ancestors of the Ryukyu spent a long time to develop Ti. They learned the Chinese martial arts and by adding their own ideas to it, created Karate and passed it down, from generation to generation, until the present. These simple movements were studied and perfected using the wisdom of the old Ryukyu soldiers in order to defend ourselves from stronger opponents. We should never let this wisdom die.

They say time flies. It has been 40 years since I started Karate. Because I saw how hard our Sempai worked to start over from the devastation of the post War era, rebuilding Okinawa Karate from next to nothing, it is with much sadness that I see how the Okinawa Karate they struggled to preserve, has been changed today into a "sport" and a physical education curriculum. 

The Karate population in Okinawa has increased. The Ryukaiha have increased along with it, and it seemed this would bring a new face to Okinawan Karate and contribute to enrich and develop it.

But it was just like bamboo shoots that come out during the rainy season. Even though they may adopt different names, they lack any distinguishing characteristics or specialties; they merely associations of convenience. 

It has been 50 years since the Second World War; this in itself is a big turning point; it is a great opportunity to look back on the history of Karate. I wanted to reflect upon today’s Karate, and with Yoshimitsu Onaga Sensei and a few volunteers we wrote this book.

It will be our pleasure if our successors could find guidance from learning about the path our ancestors took. I pray for the development of Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei and Okinawa Karate community.

In conclusion, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Go Aragaki and Mr. Shinsho Teruya who helped and supported us in editing this book.

Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei
Goju-ryu, Shigetoshi Senaha