ANALYSIS OF GENUINE KARATE

A guide introduces readers to the original form of karate.

Karate is one of the world’s most popular martial arts, practiced by millions of people in America and beyond. But how close is the karate taught at commercial dojos across the United States to the original martial art? With this book, Bayer takes a look at the practice that arose in Okinawa 500 years ago—well before the popularization of karate in mainland Japan in the early 20th century. “Japanese karatedo,” he explains, “with its more than ninety years of existence, is a relatively new development with a different form, purpose, and philosophical superstructure, and it altered traditional Okinawan karate so significantly that it formed a new alternative system and a new approach of its own.” After this “Japanization,” karate underwent further Americanization and commercialization to reach its current popular form. The author charts the evolution of not only the movements within karate, but also the philosophy behind them. At the same time, he argues for the value of preserving and studying the original Okinawan version of the martial art. Presented as a work of research, the book offers historical evidence and analysis that track the development of karate over time. Bayer includes charts, photographs (by the author and others), and diagrams to illustrate his arguments. The manual is not aimed at general readers, and as such Bayer’s prose is rather dry and specialized: “Such accepted feasible kata modifications are based on shuhari, allowing karateka some liberty, within narrow limitations, to develop their own way of executing techniques determined by their physical stature and their individual personality, but always based on correctly copying their instructor’s techniques.” Much of the research comes from the author’s own experiences studying the form, particularly with Okinawan masters of the older techniques. The book’s presentation and organization leave a bit to be desired—the layout is unintuitive and not terribly pleasing to the eye—and despite the glossary, many terms are underexplained. Nevertheless, fans and practitioners of the form will likely be captivated by this exploration of its origins and development, both by what has changed over time and what has remained the same.

An understated but often enlightening journey into the Okinawan beginnings of karate.