Title: The Ankō Itosu Biography (The Man, The Master, The Myth)
Author: Thomas Feldmann
Publisher: Lulu
Publish Date: 2021
Pages: 448
Cover Price: $55.41
ISBN: 978-1-008-98617-6
Ankō Itosu is one of those names that you continuously hear if you study or research Japanese or Okinawan martial arts. However, to me that’s all he was. A name. This book allowed me to fill in some information about the man. Enough so that he became a person. Not just a name.
Content
Herr Feldmann has done an amazing job of recreating the world of Ankō Itosu. Not only does he provide a biography, but also an extremely well researched description of the cultural environment of Itosu’s life This book is almost as much a history of Okinawa during the late 1800’s to early 1900’s as it is a biography of one man.
Pros
No man is an island. Even if he lives on one. The cultural upheaval of the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the beginning of Japanese occupation no doubt shaped both Ankō Itosu and his practice of karate. In order to fully understand him, you have to take him and his life in context of his environment. The author does a spectacular job of offering that glimpse into history. I had some basic understanding of what the Ryukyu kingdom was, but I learned an incredible amount from this book.
On the aspects of Ankō Itosu, this is one of the more researched, and cited martial arts books I’ve encountered. As with many martial artists of the past, there are more myth, legend, and second stories than researchable facts. The author does a very good job of presenting many of the stories, their origin (if detectable) and any contrary or competing stories. He then shows which aspects of these tales are corroborated.
Cons
If you are looking for a book on the history of karate, or what “the original” karate was, this is not the book for you. This book is what the title declares it to be. A biography of an individual. An individual that is monumental to our modern conception of karate, to be sure. If you are not a karate practitioner, then except for the history lesson, I not sure what you’d get out of the book.
Conclusion
Let me start by saying I always enjoy reading and learning things. For me, martial arts is a lens to cultural understanding, both contemporary and historical. Therefore, I really enjoyed learning about the man, and the environment that shaped him. As the author states, he used karate to be a “cultural bridge between the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the Okinawan Prefecture.” Even with not a lot of historical data to use, the book is very good at distinguishing between tales, conjecture, and what is verifiable.
One of the ways I rate a book is by how useful it would be to any martial artist, regardless of style practiced. As with many martial arts books, this one has a narrow focus. If you are not a karateka, I don’t know how much you might get out of The Ankō Itosu Biography. Don’t get me wrong, I do not practice karate, and thoroughly enjoyed it as I learned about the history and culture of Okinawa. With that in mind, I’m going to give this book 3.5 Ninja Stars, out of 5. Only because of the specificity of the subject. It was well written and researched. I will be recommending it to my karateka friends.
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