Tamahagane: The Forging of a Karateka

Tamahagane is the raw material from which ancient samurai swords were made. An impure iron ore that requires high heat, repetitive pounding, and folding to create the iron prized in a katana. Not your typical martial arts nonfiction book, this book describes the forging of a Karateka. It is one man's journey in Goju Ryu as he learns the art of karate-do. It describes his five-decade-long journey around the globe studying karate with various Sensei in Japan, the Middle East, South America, and the United States. The book probes the Sensei—Kohai relationship and relationships developed through martial arts. While not a karate technical manual or a book on martial philosophy, both appear in the book. The book provides some historical content on Japanese martial arts, the Prefecture of Yamaguchi, Japan, and Iwakuni City. We enter karate like impure iron ore. Our Sensei, Senpai and fellow students are the swordsmiths pounding and folding us into karateka. A different approach to martial arts books, one that explores relationships vice the technical aspects of a kick. Read more