Karate’s history is richer and more complex than popular narratives often suggest. Based on this blog, Investigations into the history of karate (Lulu, 2025) brings together a diverse collection of essays that explore the art’s overlooked figures, pivotal moments, and forgotten contexts. From the pioneers of Hanashiro Chōmo and Yabu Kentsū to the appearance of karate in a wartime propaganda film and the little-known story of Kōdōkan’s relationship with karate, this volume uncovers the hidden currents that have shaped karate’s evolution. Drawing on years of meticulous research and fieldwork in Okinawa and Japan, the author offers readers a fresh perspective on a martial tradition too often reduced to myth or cliché. Whether you are a dedicated practitioner, a martial arts historian, or simply curious about the cultural forces behind karate’s history, this book provides thought-provoking views into an art whose story continues to unfold.
Investigations into the history of karate 