The Teachings of Karatedo
1st Edition
Published on 15. December 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
217 pages
978-3-9807316-2-1 (ISBN)
Description
This book, based on a German doctoral thesis (University of Tübingen, 1998), is addressed to all those who are interested in Japanese culture in general, and especially in the traditional Japanese Ways of the Martial Arts (budô). The purpose is to provide an insight into the discipline of these Ways, beyond physical training, using the example of Karatedô. It presents English translations of texts on the teachings of the Way of the Empty Hand together with explanations. There have been few and in some cases no English translations of these texts until now. They include the writings of the founders or influential masters of the 'four major schools', Shôtôkan, Gôjûryû, Shitôryû and Wadôryû, Funakoshi Gichin, Miyagi Chôjun, Mabuni Kenwa and Ôtsuka Hironori respectively. To give a background to the texts and to allow a deeper understanding of them, an account of the historical development of the Japanese martial arts, an introduction to some important basic principles and a discussion of their written transmission, including new translations of parts of important teaching texts, are also presented. Biographies of the aforementioned masters and commentators on their texts which serve to illustrate one of the most important developmental phases in the history of Karatedô are included as well. The Appendix considers the 'respectful salutation' (rei) and its performance. In addition, those interested in further study will find comprehensive notes as well as both an extensive bibliography and a glossary of terms and names with their Japanese and Chinese characters.
More details
Person
Heiko Bittmann has been living in Japan for over 30 years and is a professor at the University of Kanazawa. In the field of Japanese Studies he is researching martial arts, and as part of his work he gives seminars and courses about Japanese martial arts to both foreign and Japanese students. Besides Karatedo (4. Dan), which he has been practicing for more than 40 years, he practices Iaido (Kyoshi 7. Dan, Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei) and Jodo (Kyoshi 7. Dan, Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei).
Content
I. Introduction // 1. Theme --- p. 9 // 2. The Historical Development of the Ways of the Martial Arts / 2.1 General Outline --- p. 10 // 2.2 The Origin, Development and Naming of the Way of the Empty Hand --- p. 20 // 3. Some Important Basic Principles within the Teachings of Japanese Martial Arts / 3.1 Way - dô --- p. 24 // 3.2 Emptiness - kû --- p. 27 // 3.3 Form - kata --- p. 29 // 4. Written Transmission of the Teachings on the Ways of Martial Arts / 4.1 General Outline of the Development and the Contents of Teaching Texts --- p. 33 // 4.2 Regarding Outstanding Teaching Texts of the Tokugawa Period --- p. 36 // 4.2.1 Takuan Sôhô - "Wondrous Records of the Immovable Wisdom" --- p. 36 // 4.2.2 Yagyû Munenori - "Family Transmissions to the Methods of Battle" --- p. 39 // 4.2.3 Miyamoto Musashi - "Book of Five Rings" --- p. 43 // 4.3 Comments about Teaching Texts and the Teachings of the Way of the Empty Hand --- p. 48 /// II. Masters of the Way of the Empty Hand / 1. Funakoshi Gichin --- p. 50 // 2. Miyagi Chôjun --- p. 55 // 3. Mabuni Kenwa --- p. 59 // 4. Ôtsuka Hironori --- p. 63 // 5. The Commentators of the Teaching Texts / 5.1 Takagi Masatomo --- p. 67 // 5.2 Nakasone Genwa --- p. 69 /// III. Teaching Texts of Masters of the Way of the Empty Hand / 1. Funakoshi Gichin: "Twenty Paragraphs of the Empty Hand" ca. 1930 - Commentaries by Takagi Masatomo 1988 and 1993 --- p. 71 // 2. Miyagi Chojûn: "General Outline on the Way of the Chinese Hand" 1934 --- p. 83 // 3. Mabuni Kenwa: "Stance of the Heart of the Practitioner of the Way of the Empty Hand" 1938 - According to Explanations by Mabuni Kenwa, Composed and with Commentarires by Nakasone Genwa --- p. 93 // 4. Ôtsuka Hironori: From the "Analects of the Master" 1970 --- p. 103 // 5. Explanations of the Teaching Texts / 5.1 Regarding the "Twenty Paragraphs of the Empty Hand" --- p. 120 // 5.2 Regarding the "General Outline on the Way of the Chinese Hand" --- p. 125 // 5.3 Regarding the "Stance of the Heart of the Practitioner of the Way of the Empty Hand" --- p. 128 // 5.4 Regarding the "Analects of the Master" --- p. 132 /// IV. Conclusion --- p. 136 /// Appendix - The Performance of the Respectful Salutation - rei --- p. 143 // Notes --- p. 149 // Chronological Tables --- p. 178 // Abbreviations --- p. 178 // Bibliography --- p. 179 // Glossary --- p. 191 // Index --- p. 199