Empty Hand. Kenei Mabuni
1 The Essence of Budō
1.1 The Difference between Budō and Violence
Taking Life, Giving Life
Karate and the Spirit of Respect (Shurei)
The Meaning of the Karate Techniques
The “Superhuman Techniques” of Ueshiba Morihei
The Main Principle of Karate: The Body Follows the Mind
1.2 Beyond the Natural Movements of the Body
Reacting to Natural Changes
“God-like” Techniques, and the Falling Dewdrop
The Magic Experience of the Control of Gravity
Ambling, and the Parallel Punch
The Release of Power in Budō and Sports
The Crab Walk, and “Taking the Knees out”
2.1 Their Famous Fights
Ōyama Masutatsu’s Report
Matsumura’s Fight with his Bride
Matsumura and the Bull they Called “the Killer”
Victory Without Struggle
Matsumura Sōkon and the Big Guy
The “Miyamoto Musashi of the Ryūkyūs”
2.3 The Absolute Will to Win in the Yagyū Ryū
Sword Fighting and “Mental Cleansing”
Mutō Dori and the Point of Origin of Karate
Yamaoka Tesshū and the Mutō Dori
The Satori of Yamaoka Tesshū
The Simultaneous Withdrawal of Both Opponents
The Utmost Spheres of Bu Are Beyond those of Zen
3.1 The Sphere of Emptiness (Kū) in Karate
Karate as the “Fist of the Nobles”
The Sūpārinpai Kata and the Worldly Desires that Cause Suffering
Karate – the Hand Reaching into the Spheres of Emptiness
The Enlightenment of the Novelist
The Buddha Nature in the Depths of the Heart
3.2 “Zen in motion”, and the Rules of Breathing
“Zen in motion” – the Unity of Body, Soul and Technique
Methods to Prevent Disorder
The Story of the Marvelous Techniques of the Old Cat
Afterword by the Editor of the Japanese Edition