We shot this video back in 2016 to introduce the Karate Masters Portrait Project. This was before we started the documentary series, before I became a dad, and before I went grey(er).
You’ll see us photographing Isao Yagi 9th dan Ryukyu Royal Family Martial Arts which is why he’s holding a katana, one of the weapons his style trained in. Now in 2019, we’ve photographed 95 masters of Okinawan karate / kobudo.
When the Karate Kaikan opened the photo of Higaonna in the museum was only really small, but who knows what will happen in the future! Progress with the second volume in the series continues, hopefully it will be out at the end of 2020.
In the video I edit one of the images from the Beyond the Dojo series using Luminar software by Macphun now rebranded as SKYLUM www.skylum.com It’s really worth checking out as a non-subscription alternative to Adobe’s Lightroom.
The Karate Masters Portrait Project began in March 2012. Its goal is to document karate and kobudo masters teaching in Okinawa at the start of the 21st Century. Their unparalleled knowledge of martial arts makes them of great cultural importance both in Japan and worldwide.
You can learn more about the project here:
To see images from the Karate Masters Portrait Project you can visit my Facebook page
This intro video was created by good friend Patrick Batac of Tech Ninja Productions
AloJapan.com