Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate
Documentary Series
Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate is a crowd-funded documentary series about the amazing martial arts teachers living on Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. It is completely free to watch on YouTube, anywhere in the world! Series One and Series Two has more than 4,000,000 views . Click to learn more about Series One and Series Two.
I’m now starting filming Series Three of Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate. There are many teachers in Okinawa who should have their knowledge archived for posterity. The oldest masters have unique memories of WWII, post-war Okinawa, and talk using a mixture of Japanese and the Okinawan language. Karate and its links with language, dance, festivals, and history are key parts of Okinawa’s cultural heritage.
I’m already reaching out to the Okinawan karate community to set up Series Three interviews. Filming began in spring 2025, with the plan to release the first full length interviews on YouTube in late 2025. So far we have conducted interviews with but not completed all filming for:
Tatsunori Matsuda – Okinawa Kenpo
Seisuke Adaniya – Shorin-ryu Karate
Dan Antonsen – Goju-ryu Karate
There are many more karate and kobudo masters that we’re in the process of arranging interviews with.
Once again it will require financial support from karateka, dojos, and organizations around the world. I am grateful for the generosity shown by all sponsors and supporters of Series One and Series Two.
Series 3 Sponsors and Supporters (as of July 9th 2025)
Series 3 Sponsors
Martin Pinto – Essex Goju Ryu Karate
Series 3 Supporters
Artur Carballo, Justin Sheehy, Olaf Steinbrecher, Masaru Hoshi
GOALS OF THE SERIES
- Document the stories of Okinawan karate masters and their philosophy on life and their martial arts practice.
- Record in the highest quality possible. Ideally 4K or 8K, RAW, multi camera, multi audio
- Store the original data as an archival record.
- Transcribe and translate the recordings to spread knowledge of Okinawan martial arts, history and culture.
- Make the videos available for free online via YouTube and Bujin.tv so that anyone, anywhere can see them.
The documentary series grew out of the Karate Masters Portrait Project which began in 2012. The portrait project allowed amazing access to the sensei, but it was only Chris Willson and James Pankiewicz who got to hear their stories. The documentary series is a way for us to preserve and share that unique knowledge with the international karate community.
Goals of SERIES 3
Six episodes with Okinawan masters Approximately 20 – 40 minutes in length.
Released in 2025 / 2026 every 2 months on YouTube and Bujin.tv
3 additional episodes with international masters of Okinawan karate that are based in Okinawa or overseas.
SPONSORSHIP – SERIES THREE
Series One and Series Two were made possible by donations from the international karate community. Donations allow us to cover expenses, upgrade equipment, and most importantly back up data.
You can help us by making a donation as an individual, a dojo, an organization, or a corporation. Every dollar helps create more videos, and better document, and archive Okinawa’s cultural traditions.
Main Sponsor $10,000
As a Series Three main sponsor your company or organization name and logo /graphic full page will appear at the start and end of the each video in Series Three. I’d be able to purchase a Sony A1ii camera and start shooting interviews in 8K
Sponsor $1,000
As a Series Three sponsor your Dojo / Organization name and logo will appear at the end of each video in Series Three. Sponsors are key to helping us afford the hard drives and computing power to edit and archive the data.
Key Supporter $500
As a Series Three key supporter your Dojo / Organization name will appear at the end of each video in Series Three.
Supporter $100
As a Series Three key supporter your name will appear at the end of each video in Series Three.
Coffee $?
Any small donation so that I can infuse my body with caffeine
To become a sponsor, supporter or key supporter click on the following PayPal link to securely make you donation.
In the description box please include your name as you’d like it to read in the credits.
If you become a sponsor, key supporter, or supporter after some videos in the series are released, your name and logo will be included in the credits of all remaining videos.
If you need more information about sponsorship opportunities please contact me. Chris@TRAVEL67.com
WHY SPONSOR SERIES THREE?
- You see value in our goal to document and archive Okinawa’s karate and kobudo culture.
- You want to help us upgrade the gear we are using as we strive to produce the highest quality videos.
- You understand that the knowledge held by many of the karate masters is important, and wish for it to be archived before they pass. This requires both recording and storing the data.
- You realize that we are racing against the clock to record memories, and the Okinawan language. The oldest masters have unique memories of WWII, post-war Okinawa, and talk using a mixture of Japanese and the Okinawan language.
- The Karate Masters Portrait Project and now the video series are seen by hundreds of thousands of people. If you want to reach out to the international martial arts community, you can do it through sponsorship of our series.
- You enjoyed Series One and Two and want to help make more.
To become a supporter or key supporter click on the following PayPal link to securely make you donation.
In the description box please include your name as you’d like it to read in the credits.
To become a Sponsor or a Main Sponsor also contact us, and I will give you information on how to send us your logo.
If you have any other ideas about how we can fundraise or even karate masters we should interview, please get in touch.
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 