Okinawa is a small island (1/3 the size of Rhode Island) located roughly half way between the main Japanese islands and Taiwan. It is in the beautiful blue waters of the East China Sea.
The culture of Okinawa is a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian influences. The food, dialect, traditional clothing and dances all reflect this unique blend.
Okinawa was once home to an sovereign nation known as "Kingdom of Ryukyu" . Our unique martial art was the martial art of the royal family during this period. In 1879 the kingdom was abolished and Okinawa was officially annexed by Japan.
Okinawa witnessed the last battle before the nuclear age. In WWII the United States and Japanese Army engaged in a vicious fight that saw more casualties than any other Pacific battle- 240,734 lives were lost in 82 days of fighting. Many Okinawan civilians were caught in the crossfire.
Okinawa is a beautiful place with lush palm trees and bananas, turquoise blue water, and amazing coral reefs. The people are friendly, the culture is rich, old traditions are respected, and modern cities offer the latest in technology.
Okinawa is famous as the "birthplace of karate". While many people think karate came from "Japan", karate was not known outside the island of Okinawa until 1922 when it was first demonstrated on the Japanese mainland. Our martial art of Motobu Udundi also originated on the island of Okinawa but long before karate was created.
Today, Okinawa is still a significant training ground for martial artists. It seems as if there is a martial arts dojo on every block- many with extraordinarily talented instructors. Some of these schools are open to westerners, others are in the private homes of individuals.
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