Martial Arts Articles by Patrick McCarthy

Patrick McCarthy Hanshi, is a 5th generation student of Uchinadi with an impeccable lineage of Okinawan instructors, starting with his teacher Kinjo Hiroshi and his teacher’s teacher, Hanashiro Chomo, Itosu Ankoh who preceded him, and his master, Matsumura Sokon, —historically the tradition’s most visible pioneer. A Canadian-born Australian migrant, McCarthy has studied the art of karate since childhood, and enjoyed an outstanding competitive background before embarking upon a lengthy journey as a field-researcher in Japan, where he ultimately resurfaced as a best-selling author.
(Read Biography)

"By 1985, after nearly twenty years of training in traditional fighting arts, I had grown terribly frustrated by its rule-bound practices, cultural ambiguity and inflexible mindset. It wasn’t because I disliked the traditional fighting arts or wanted to stop practicing orthodox rituals, it was mostly because I could no longer stomach the commonly accepted interpretation of kata application, irrespective of how religiously they were protected. Consequently, I began to search for a teacher, a style, or even an organization that could teach me the original and more functional combative application practices of kata and in a rational, coherent and systematized manner. Specifically, I was looking for someone who could . . . (Read Article)

Azato's School Days and Martial Arts
Part One
By Gichen Funakoshi
Translated & Edited by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy
Editor's Note: This article is the first of two excerpts from a new book, "Karatedo Tanpenshu," a collection and new English translation of early writings of Funakoshi, historical photos and other materials compiled and translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. The orignal Funakoshi articles were written in 1934 for the Keio Gijuku Taiiku-kia Karate Bu Kaiho. (Read Article)

The Two-Story Shoulders of Kanna
Azato's Political Force
The Lesson in Azato Village
By Gichen Funakoshi
Translated & Edited by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy
Editor's Note: This article is the second of two excerpts from a new book, "Karatedo Tanpenshu," a collection and new English translation of early writings of Funakoshi, historical photos and other materials compiled and translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy. The orignal Funakoshi articles were written in 1934 for the Keio Gijuku Taiiku-kia Karate Bu Kaiho. (Read Article)