Table of Contents

Preface

Part One
An Introduction to Katas

1 Tesshu, or a Model Life

2 Kata, or “Technique and the Man Are One”

Part Two
The Emergence of Katas

3 Closing Japan and Coming Back to Oneself

4 Kami and Japanese Polytheism

5 The Katas of the Social Orders in the Edo Period

6 Breaking Points in History

Part Three
The Dimensions of Kata

7 The Gyō and Self-Investment

8 Death and Time

9 The Psychological Aspect of Kata

Part Four
Persistence and Transformation in a Traditional Culture

10 Seppuku: The Cornerstone of the Warrior’s Kata

11 The Warrior’s Kata in Contemporary Society

12 Effectiveness and Weight of the Katas

13 Katas Today


Conclusion

Notes

Index

About the Author

Kenji Tokitsu has doctorates in sociology and in Japanese civilization. Born in Japan, he began studying martial arts as a child. In 1971 he moved to France and began teaching karate. He founded the Shaolin-mon Karate-do school in Paris in 1983 and the Tokitsu-ryu Academy in 2001. The author of Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings and Ki and the Way of the Martial Arts, he lives in France.

Reviews

“. . . The Katas is an intriguing collection of principles and makes for a fascinating read and enlightening read, highly recommended.”
*James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review, November 2010*