Known for its knock-out strikes, fluid footwork & bladed weaponry, Okinawan te is a survivor that has endured due to its ability to adapt to social changes. In 1609, in order to suppress Okinawa's developing military might & vast trading links, the Japanese Satsuma clan launched a massive invasion & subjugated the island kingdom. Until then, te had been a bushido battlefield system, with organised castle & naval warfare. However, under Satsuma's rule, the Okinawan bushi, could no longer bear arms in public or have standing armies, so te was transformed into a personal fighting system & recreational activity. Within karate, Okinawan dance & music, the hidden essence of te still provides the framework. It fills Okinawan cultural life & keeps its subtle social machinery revolving. In this detailed work the foundation stones of Okinawan te are laid out through the explanations of historic technical photographs left by the masters for future generations; their forethought has enabled us to walk in their footsteps.

Now available for the first time in English, Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters, the late Shoshin Nagamine's groundbreaking work, recounts the legacy and life histories of Okinawa's greatest martial artists. In addition to profiles of the legendary tegumi wrestlers, Nagamine-sensei features many of the world's great karate masters, including the founder of the core styles from which modern karate sprang. Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters corrects historical inaccuracies surrounding Okinawan martial arts and brings alive the greatest of the great masters. In this seminal martial arts history and biography, Nagamine-sensei presents the martial legacy of the Okinawan people and, to complement and emphasize what is of greatest importance in these tales and life histories, concludes with detailed instructions for the practice of zazen (sitting meditation). Already a classic in the Japanese edition, Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters is a must-read for all karate and tegumi enthusiasts, practitioners and researchers alike.