Toyama Kanken - The long-forgotten Pioneer (pdf download)
On October 3, 2020, at the invitation of Karate Virtual, I gave a Zoom lecture on the karate pioneer Toyama Kanken. After the lecture I was asked some very interesting questions. In this book I have transcribed the lecture for re-reading and answered the questions I was asked much more comprehensively than in the lecture.
The book is intended for all those who want to get an overview of the most important stages of Toyama Kanken's life and have not yet read my book "Toyama Kanken - The Heritage of the Shudokan".
However, it is also an enrichment for all those who have already read "The Heritage of the Shudokan". There are some previously unpublished large format pictures in the book and I have answered many very interesting questions about the history of the Shudokan in great detail on over 20 pages.
If you are interested in my thoughts and research on the following questions, you will find a lot of thought-provoking and new information in my book.
- Why did Toyama Kanken's karate not become as well known as that of the other pioneers.
- What was the way of teaching in the Shudokan dojo? Did Toyama teach the kata with its applications?
- What were the requirements for students to begin teaching in the Shudokan dojo or to open up their own dojo?
- Is Toyama Sensei's karate still practiced today?
- What do you know about the origin of the seven Kyoku Kata?
- Are today's successors allowed to call their school Shudokan?
I see it as my life’s mission to preserve the memory of Toyama Kanken and his students. This book is one more step to make his teachings better known in the world of karate.