[Rytwyng]

One more thing -- for those familiar with the martial arts world, "Shosei Kina the schoolmaster" of the story is a revered master of shorin-ryu karate and the kobudo arts of Okinawa. He is indeed the same Shosei Kina who appears in martial arts histories.

To those who wondered, the Christian doctrine of "turn the other cheek", is not a contradiction to the martial arts -- quite the reverse, it is a prerequisite. As any competent sensei will tell you, the only person who is fit to learn martial arts, is the one who is truly willing to "turn the other cheek" and "go the second mile" to deescalate, defuse, or just walk away from antisocial violence -- even at the cost of his pride -- reserving the use of martial arts only to the rare situation, so-called "asocial" violence, to use Tim Larkin's term, where force is truly unavoidable and necessary. (Luke 22:36, get a sword, etc.)

By all accounts, Kina exemplified this virtue. He was reported to be a very kind and gentle man. He could afford to be!

Another interesting fact about Kina is that, like so many other martial artists, he lived a long time. Accounts vary but he was somewhere between 97 and 100 at his death in 1981.

[Tainan]

An absolutely fascinating and inspiring story. Thanks for posting it.

Side note:
Many years ago, the second school of 'martial arts' I studies was in Shorin-ryu. I went to ichdan. My first school was in Korean Moo Duk Kwan. Nidan received in it. They both were suited to my physical structure.

[Quix]

Ahhhh. A true story.

Thanks.

Thought so.

[constitutiongirl]

Thanks for adding this info. I’ve studied both shorin-ryu and goju-ryu karate and am familiar with Shosei Kina. Amazing.