How did we land on Okinawa?
An international group of martial artists converged in Naha on 25 October 2025 to drink in the sights, practice martial arts, enjoy Ryuku Awamori, breathe in island life, and experience International Karate Day. The group, led by Colin Wee were intending to trace the steps taken by karate pioneers Itosu Anko and his mentor Matsumura Sokon. See Colin’s related article that foreshadows the tour How Jion Reshaped my Training and Led me to Anko Itosu.
Our guest contributor Shihan Leonard Montagnana of Australian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo & Chinese Boxing Federation of Instructors was one of the intrepid travelers in our group. Shihan Leonard shared his experience in their club’s newsletter Academy News Autumn 2026 Edition #99, made available below with his permission.
A Martial Arts Cultural Exchange to Okinawa
Review of the Martial Arts Tour to Okinawa
It was amazing to have a group of high-level martial artists trusting me to plan this tour – taking a leap of faith purely based on my work on Okinawa and its history. While I planned the trip to have breadth and depth, to get this incredible commendation from Shihan Leonard was very gratifying! Thank you, Leonard! A 5-star review is always amazing, but more so impressive considering this trip was the first tour I’ve ever organised.
Have you planned a martial arts tour before? I would love to hear your experiences.