Okinawa: The Land of Karate

Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, was formerly an independent kingdom, known as Ryukyu. Even today, the distinctive local traditions and culture from the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom are kept alive in the islands of Okinawa. An important part of this heritage is karate. Now practiced as a sport around the world, karate originated as a martial art that was practiced in secret, with esoteric teachings passed down from one generation to the next by the Ryukyu nobility and warriors. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, aikido master William Reed travels to Okinawa to discover the essence of karate in its homeland. He visits practice halls (dojos) and meets with the top masters of various karate styles. He observes their training methods and is taught some of the fundamentals karate moves. In addition, he witnesses a dance that conceals within its movements the essence of the traditional Ryukyu martial art. William also travels to an area where the ancient ecosystem has remained untouched for thousands of years. And he discovers the deep power of this environment that has given rise to karate.