26/05/2026
A truely amazing place!
I remember reading several years ago about the demolition of Nagamine Shoshin’s historic Kodokan Dojo in the Kumoji district of Naha. The Kodokan served as the Matsubayashi-Ryu Honbu, and members from around the world made efforts to preserve the dojo. However, after the passing of Nagamine’s son, Takayoshi, it was ultimately decided that the land would be repurposed. I could empathize with those members, as I am sure many held cherished memories of their training and experiences there.
The word honbu 本部 can be loosely translated as 本 (hon), meaning “origin” or “root,” and 部 (bu), meaning “group,” “division,” or “department.” Within a budo organization, a honbu is generally regarded as a place for upholding technical standards, issuing instructor certifications, and establishing administrative policies.
While those functions are important, Honbu, to me personally, represents the structural embodiment of Higaonna Sensei’s life’s work. It physically manifests decades of training, sacrifice, teaching, research, preservation, and transmission.
In many ways, Honbu also serves as a legacy for future generations. It is a place where those abroad have the opportunity to step outside the comfort of their own front door and make the pilgrimage to Okinawa to experience their chosen art not as karate tourists, but as karateka following the path of a legitimate lineage anchored in history and Okinawan culture.
Karateka can experience firsthand the traditional kigu undo training equipment utilized by Higaonna Sensei, historical photographs, accumulated memorabilia, and the atmosphere of a dojo shaped by generations of dedicated practice. More than simply observing artifacts or architecture, one encounters an environment where rigor, preservation, and the passing on of knowledge remain part of everyday training.
That may be why places like Honbu matter so deeply. They are not merely buildings where karate is practiced, but repositories of memory, culture, perseverance, and tradition. Long after photographs fade and generations pass, the walls, presence, and spirit of such places continue to quietly teach those who enter them.
Nagamine Shoshin once described the dojo as a sacred place where the human spirit is polished and courage is cultivated, a sentiment that, in my humble opinion, deeply reflects the spirit of Honbu, where austere training, perseverance, and preservation continue to shape those who enter its doors. In many ways, to stand within Honbu is to stand within the living history of Higaonna Sensei’s art itself.
