Rui Umezawa

The Empty Hand was written to help Western students understand the precise and complete meaning of the many Japanese terms used by their sensei (master) in the dojo (practice hall) and grasp the full implications and deeper meaning of their martial art. Each of the twenty-eight main entries is an in-depth mini-essay on one karate term, explaining not only its meaning but the Sino-Japanese characters used to write it. The essays also provide rich background information on the history and culture of karate, and the attitude one should cultivate toward martial arts practice. Fully illustrated with calligraphy for each term and with original woodcuts.

Rui Umezawa is a writer and instructor with the Canadian headquarters of the Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai Karate.

Ever have a fellow karate-ka or one of your own students ask; what is the real meaning of 'Sensei'? Or have they ever asked what 'Gi' means? Have you ever been at a loss at explaining in plain english, what these words actually mean? I recieved this book as a gift and after going through it, realized I never knew myself where these words came from or what they 'really' meant. If you have ever wondered or were not entirely sure, I suggest you pick up this book and spend a while with it.

Many of the traditional words used in Japanese karate are difficult to translate and even harder to explain. This book does the best job I've ever seen with a wide range of words. I'm ordering copies as gifts for new teenage shodans in my dojo.

This book is an excellent source of knowledge for every karateka from white belt on up. I have read and re-read it several times, and have gained a new understanding from each reading.

Contents

Introduction
What is karate?
What is sensei?
What is dojo?
What is shomen?
What is gi?
What is dan?
What is senpai?
What is kohai?
What is mokusio?
What is seiza?
kihon?
tsuki?
What is keri?
What is kaiai?
What is tanden?
What is kumite?
What is ippon?
What is waza-ari?
What is yoi?
What is kata?
What is sanchin?
What is zanshin?
What is budo?
What is Zen?
What is osu?
What is rei?
Glossary of other commonly used words in karate.… (mehr)

This book was good. The illustrations were so clean and simple but they added a lot to the story- I felt like I was almost watching a short film. The colors are subtle but there really is a lot of detail hidden in the pictures. I also really enjoyed the descriptive language such as "A curtain of rain fell, drenching her clothes. She ran, her sneakers making tiny explosions of water as they hit the pavement" on page 2. The overall theme of this story is that sometimes we have to do something our own way, even if it is a cultural tradition.… (mehr)