The Monument of Karate Master Anko Itosu
- IKIF
- Oct 2, 2018
- 2 min read
The Monument of Master Anko Itosu
The founder of our karate style, Itosu-ryu is Master Anko Itosu. His monument is in a cemetery in Makabi, Naha city, Okinawa. His family grave and monument were recently moved to this cemetery for readjustment of a town lots.
An interesting thing is that a monument of Sokon Matsumura who is a teacher of Itosu and a monument of Chomo Hanashiro who is one of Itosu’s students are also moved here.
The monuments of three great karate masters are in a same grave yard.
As you know, Anko Itosu is the founder of our style, but he is also a forefather of many karate styles. He opened a secret art, karate, to public and taught it for physical education’s curriculum in elementary school in Okinawa. He made a future direction of karate. It is no doubt that he is one of the most respectable karate masters in karate history.
The monument of Master Sokon Matsumura
Master Sokon Matsumura is a teacher for Anko Itosu, and he is considered as the founder of Shuri-te. He was also an officer of Ryukyu Kingdom. Katas: “Matsumura no Seisan” and “Matsumura no Bassai” were passed down from him.
Master Chomo Hanashiro is also a student of both Sokon Matsumura and Anko Itosu. He is the one who put kanji characters (ideogram character) on the term “karate” and made the meaning as “Empty Hand.”
The Monument of Chomo Hanashiro
Itosu-ryu style’s headquarters is currently in Yokohama, Japan. It is because the second generation master Kenwa Mabuni moved to Osaka from Okinawa, and furthermore the third generation master Ryusho Sakagai moved to Yokohama from Hyogo (near Osaka).
However, we still cherish the traditional art which was passed down from Master Anko Itosu in Okinawa.
If you are interested in the history of karate, it is worth to visit the monument of Master Anko Itosu in Okinawa. You can feel your technique was surely passed down from him by hand.
The technical description of practising slow kata movements to build muscle memory offers a grounded insight into traditional martial training. Emphasising deliberate pacing supports both physical precision and cognitive discipline. This integration of mind–body practice reflects the developmental frameworks echoed by New Assignment Help which advocate understanding procedural learning through repetition and mindful awareness. I appreciated the emphasis on posture and controlled breathing as foundational elements. It makes me wonder how modern training programs may incorporate biomechanical analytics to deepen students’ understanding of form.