Empty Hand. The Essence of Budo Karate

by Kenei Mabuni, Carlos Molina (Editor), Bernd Winter (Translator)

The Lifework of a Grandmaster of Karate Budo is the path of the Japanese traditional martial arts. Mabuni Kenei has followed this path for almost eight decades until now. He belongs to the last masters taught directly by the founders of modern karatedo. The son and heir of Mabuni Kenwa - the founder of Shito ryu - has acquired a deep understanding of the essence of Karate as a budo art during his course of life. He communicates this extremely complex knowledge to the reader in a vivid and fascinating way. For this purpose he uses his own memories and experiences, technical descriptions, historical and philosophical considerations, legends and anecdotes of the lives of famous samurai and budoka (masters of sword fighting, aikido, Okinawa-te and karate). For the beginner the book provides an idea of the inexhaustible possibilities of budo as a school of life, and the experienced practitioner will find numerous stimuli for his further development and also for his own teaching activities.

Genres: Martial Arts

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Rico Surridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read for all Karateka. Having studied Ryushinkan (of the Shōrinji lineage) and Sato Juku (of Kyokushin) and more recently Shōtōkan, I wasn’t sure if a book on Shitō Ryu Karate would be right for me but was keen to further broaden my horizons. It’s a really nice balanced book though and splits itself between history, a view to the future, application of technique and Zen. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.