What's so funny! Book

Originally published in 1968 Bruce Haines's "Karate History and Traditions" still has good value, now forty plus decades later. Notes and source materials, a seven page bibliography as well as a decent eleven page Glossary-Index are among many reasons it is likely still in use. Its latest edition was in 1989.

True today some information is dated for example, Chapter 9 "Karate and the Law" (pp.141-148). Though most readers have not heard of the Black Panthers movement for many decades the need for methods to cope with non-violent resistance is one of the many reasons martial training of the law enforcement community still has value.

India, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malay, Okinawa, Japan, as well as the United States are among the many countries whose martial history and assorted historical (imported) practices are explored.

The hypothesis of Buddhism's "inseparability" from Karate is explored (pp.95-105) and nicely, thankfully gets debunked. The historical problems to this connection are examined. Further among ideas Haines explored include the weak connection between the Buddhist ideas of sunyata (nothingness), mushin (no-mind) and the Okinawan art forms. Haines discusses the historical wishful thinking necessary required in order to link Chinese Buddhism to Okinawan kara-te. Haines summarizes the chapter well "... Thus it appears that the linking of Buddhism with karate is a modern innovation, and is an attempt, perhaps to give to a deadly fighting technique the vestiges of a moral conscience." (pp.105)

Karate in the United States (pp.106-140)) offers unusual starting points. Haines begins exploring the western fascination with the Asian fighting arts. Sporadic late 19th century immigrants of assorted Chinese, Okinawan and Japanese communities brought their different cultures and "closed door" fighting practices to the United States. Historical Chinese Tong Societies of California and the Okinawan immigrants of Hawaii both are proposed initial core roots for martial arts entry into the United States. Discussed are historical figures and influences in both states martial arts development. In Hawaii figures respectively mentioned include; Kensu Yabu (c.1927), Choki Motubu, Zuiho Mutsu, Kamesuke Higaonna, Thomas Miyashiro, Chojin Miyagi, James M. Mitose, Thomas Young. In California, the significance of Wong Ark-Yuay, Hidetaka Nishiyama (p53), Edward Parker, Tsutomu Ohshima (p56). Later compounded by American personnel returning from the Second World War to the present day, their voracious interest in any sort of martial art, chuan-fa, karate, etceteria has grown to millions of interested students and has grown steadily.

Haines final chapter "Modern Trends" discusses apparent trends, fads and issues within the various karate communities projecting into the future. The different perspectives and sometimes different foundations, the political nightmares and the assorted historical attempts to "clean-up" karate, (martial arts in general) are mentioned, the "ninety day" (instant) black belts, to the rise of crass commercial frauds. Though perhaps the most interesting, this section would need an electronic website to keep this chapter current and up to date. Even so, valuable commentary circa 1982.

Donn Draeger and Robert Smith wrote a work of similar tone, Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts without the dated material, nor the modern reflections aspect of martial arts today. A better source, perhaps?