"I consider it my duty to pass on karate history to the next generation." - Tetsuhiro Hokama

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on JUL 20, 2024

"I consider it my duty to pass on karate history to the next generation." - Tetsuhiro Hokama

“I started karate by practicing the Shorin-Ryu style under the supervision of my grandfather. After he passed away however, my family moved to Naha city, where I was acquainted with my new instructors. They taught me Goju-Ryu style karate as well as kobudo. Every day it was the same routine, train at school, train at the dojo, go home, repeat.

As I got older I took more and more interest in karate history. It’s incredibly important to keep track of who trained who so that we know the origin of each dojo and style. I realized there was no place to share this knowledge with the world, so I decided to open the world’s first karate museum. I collected many karate artifacts starting from days in college, and today I have over 300 on display in my museum. Thousands of visitors come here each year to see the museum or to train with me. It makes me very happy. I consider it my duty to pass on karate history to the next generation.”

Tetsuhiro Hokama 10th Dan Goju-Ryu

What does it mean to leave a legacy?

In simple terms, a legacy is something passed from one generation to the next. A lasting legacy is about the actions you take during your life and how those actions shape how people remember you.

The influence an individual has on others is also an important aspect of a legacy. Investing in people, and encouraging them to develop, to pass on everything they learn from you, to others who will do the same. People are what matter in this world – not money, or fame, or buildings, or organizations, or institutions. Only people.

A legacy is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people. We influence people every day by what we say and do, with the gift of knowledge, and values, it’s an important aspect of any legacy.

 Photo Credit: Tetsuhiro Hokama – Quote from www yuimaru-okinawa net