All posts tagged: Hokama Tetsuhiro

On the bookshelf – Okinawa Karate Timeline & 100 Masters

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Hokama-sensei, one of the karate masters I shot a few months ago asked if he could use some of the portraits of him in the latest printing of his book on karate. The book is actually two books combined, the first part is a history of Okinawa karate, the second part is biographies of 100 karate masters. It has been translated into English and is available for 3,000 yen at either the Okinawa Prefecture Karate Museum in Nishihara or at the Dojo Bar in Naha. Unfortunately Hokama sensei wasn’t aware that the karate portraits I’d posted on the web, were not the full resolution images. This means that my photos in the book are a little pixelated and watermarked, but we’ll sort out things for the next print run. Hokama-sensei, however, was delighted with how it came out, and I now have my own signed copy for the bookshelf. Osu.

Gojuryu Karate 10th dan Tetsuhiro Hokama

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A great day last weekend shooting with Gojuryu karate 10th dan Tetsuhiro Hokama. As is clear from the following photos the idea that karate is a weaponless martial art is clearly not accurate. Although many practitioners state that karate means empty hand, the original meaning of the word was Chinese hand. Improvised weapons, many from farming equipment, were very much part of karate. It might seem strange to see a karate master using duct tape covered nunchaku, but it’s also impressive that he’s using them so much he’s got to give them a little reinforcement. “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” Theodore Roosevelt, a big proponent of the rokushaku bo. Tonfa now used by police forces across the world. Never start a fight at the Okinawan dragon boat races. The Okinawan sai, as used by Raphael. Hopefully before you clicked on that link you weren’t thinking of this other Raphael. Hokama-sensei showed how the kama can be used between the opponents legs to end the fight very quickly. And if …