Karate-Do

“Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” By Hidetaka Nishiyama

An absolute karate classic turns 50 this year!

I am talking about the a book that is regarded as THE text book when it comes to Karate Do and the way it was meant to be interpreted, performed and lived.

“Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” by Hidetaka Nishiyama was published in 1960 and today it is still the best selling karate text book in history.

Nishiyama Sensei started his karate training under the founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, at the age of 15.

By the age of 18 he was a 1st degree black belt and two years later he was a Nidan.

When he was only 24 years old, he was already training U.S. military of Strategic Air Command and just a year later he was invited to tour and teach Shotokan karate on U.S. mainland military bases.

In 1960, “Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” was published.

Throughout the years or better decades, Nishiyama Sensei taught and promoted martial arts and Shotokan Karate in specific.

His lifelong work was recognized through numerous awards and honors in the U.S. and overseas.

Nishiyama Sensei (10th Dan) died in 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

R.I.P., Nishiyama Sensei.