Historical Discovery [Itosu Ankoh Photo]

[Patrick McCarthy]

Folks,

Thought some of you might like to hear the recent news.

My teacher, Kinjo Hiroshi, recently discovered a photograph of modern karate pioneer Itosu Ankoh. The only known photo in existance, hopefully the discovery might kick open the door for other historically important finds.

Turning 88 [Beiju celebration] next year [on St. Valentine's Day] Kinjo Sensei was recently honored in Okinawa by the Naha City Council for having donated more than a thousand of his personal books to the Naha Prefectural Central Library, and the discovery [and donation] of a vintage photo of Itosu Ankoh [the only of its kind]. There was an interview in the Okinawa Times, a couple of articles [by O-sensei & Kategaru Toru] and NHK TV dedicated some time to his donation on national news. I'll do my best to get that translated and published in the next Uchinadi Journal along with the original photo of Itosu Ankoh, which O-sensei is sending to me.

For those who can read Japanese, see here:
Article #1 in Japanese
http://db.okinawatimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/search.pl?data=NEWS/2006/02/28/20060228e005-01-02.text&query=%8B%E0%8F%E9%97T&dbname=/data2/INDEX/NEWS&format=long&year=2006&month=2&nextskip=&nexttop=&subid=1

Article #2 in Japanese
http://db.okinawatimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/search.pl?data=NEWS/2006/03/21/20060321M011-01-05.text&query=%1B%24B6b%3EkM5%1B%28B&dbname=/data2/INDEX/NEWS&format=long&year=2006&month=3&nextskip=&nexttop=&subid=3

Article #3 in Japanese
http://db.okinawatimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/search.pl?data=NEWS/2006/03/20/20060320M010-01-06.text&query=%1B%24B6b%3EkM5%1B%28B&dbname=/data2/INDEX/NEWS&format=long&year=2006&month=3&nextskip=&nexttop=&subid=4

See Kinjo Sensei & Kategaru san holding the photo here:
http://www.koryu-uchinadi.org/Kinjo_Sensei_donates_the_Itosu_Photo.jpg

Photo courtesy of http://www.koshiki.org/kiroku/TournamentRecord.htm

The man in the photo with O-sensei [Kinjo Hiroshi] is Kategaru Toru, the person in charge at the Okinawan Kencho Shiryoshitsu [Okinawa prefecture office of historically important documents].

Dated just two months before Itosu penned his "Ten Lesson" letter [Oct 1908], the photo commemorates the Judo & Kendo championships held at Naha Prefecture Middle School in August of 1908, and originally belonged to Mr. Tokuda [a student of Ichiji Tanmei---aka Itosu Ankoh] who passed it along to his son, and ultimately Kinjo Sensei.

The principals in this vintage photo include Itosu Okina [dressed in Haori-hakama who is about 77 or 78 years old at the time], Okubo Shuhachi [school principal] and Tokuda Sensei [who represented Judo at that time].

[Prince Loeffler]

This is great ! Thanks for sharing this McCarthy Sensei.

[X_plosion]

Thanks for sharing, Mr. McCarthy. Hoping to get a closer look at that photo in the future. :)

[Patrick McCarthy]

Hi folks,

Just finished one the English translations with the Itosu photo which you can find here http://tinyurl.com/mzw4m

:)

[Rob Alvelais]

Thanks so much for sharing that with us, Pat san!

Rob



Hi folks,

Just finished one the English translations with the Itosu photo which you can find here http://tinyurl.com/mzw4m

:)

[Patrick McCarthy]

Thanks so much for sharing that with us, Pat san!

Rob

No problemo...my pleasure and thanks for saying so. :)

[Texasmic]

Does anyone know where I can find pictures of the old Shuri castle?

Not the rebuilt one, the pre WWII Shuri castle.

Michael Philippus

[Prince Loeffler]

Does anyone know where I can find pictures of the old Shuri castle?

Not the rebuilt one, the pre WWII Shuri castle.

Michael Philippus


Here's a pre-world war I littograph of the Shuri Castle during Perry's invasion er...I mean visitation.

[Texasmic]

I'm looking for pic like this, but better

http://www.jahitchcock.com/shuri.gif

[Prince Loeffler]

I'm looking for pic like this, but better

http://www.jahitchcock.com/shuri.gif


I'll help but you still have to put your real name for every post you make.

[Texasmic]

I'll help but you still have to put your real name for every post you make.

I put it in my signature.

How do I get that to show up?
oh, and it is in my avitar... lol


Michael Philippus

[Texasmic]

Any idea on the year of this pic? I think it is pre 1930s renovation.

http://www.shurijo.com/about/img/shurijyo1.jpg

Michael Philippu

[Texasmic]

Or the year of this one?

http://www.karatesites.net/dailey/shuricastle.gif

[Texasmic]

I supose I should be more specific. I would like to find pictures of what the Shuri castle looked like right before WWII.

[Prince Loeffler]

I think we need to split this thread as the main topic on this thread is about Itosu Ankoh. This thread has drifted way off the subject.

[kodomon]

Hi to all...

McCarthy Sensei, do you know with the age of the photo if it will be a copyright free image that will end up in the public domain?

I for one would love to see the pencil sketch of Itosu on websites all over the World replaced with a decent photo portrait taken from a scan of the photo.