Chojun by Goran Powell is a novel based upon the historical figure of Chojun Miyagi. The narrator, Kenichi Ota, convinces Miyagi to train him in the art of Karate when he's just a boy. After years of surviving his master's brutal instruction, Ota becomes a Karate master, himself. More importantly he has learned Miyagi's values of Karate, peace, and balance. The two travel to China to learn more about the ancient practice of Karate, but they return to Okinawa, Japan just in time to hear about Pearl Harbor. Okinawa is transformed in preparation for the inevitable U.S. military's response. Due to his tactical skills and his knowledge of hand-to-hand combat -- thanks to Miyagi, -- Ota is place in charge of defending the Island of Okinawa. After the war is lost, Ota and Miyagi work hard to preserve their former lives amidst a rapidly changing Japan which has been all but ruined by harmful foreign influences. Miyagi dies, but Ota writes this novel in his legacy.
Powell works very hard as an author to preserve the authenticity of Chojun Miyagi's legacy in this book. It would have been easy enough for him to capitalize on the success of the Karate Kid films, but he heads the other direction. He tries to distance his character from the Hollywood depiction of Miyagi. Most people probably didn't know that he was a real living Karate master in Japan, but it's Powell's aim to stay true to the man's legacy in creating his art. This is made possible because Powell is a Karate master, himself, and has studied Miyagi's techniques. Thus Chojun becomes an ode to the inspiration and influence of the real Miyagi. Basically Powell has written an extensive and creative fan letter.
Miyagi's method of Karate, Goju Ryu, is his invention. Over decades, he developed his own ideas about what Karate really means. As Powell depicts, Miyagi studied the origins, traditions, and applications of ancient Karate extensively. Eventually he arrived at his thesis: balance. He employs the Buddhist concept of Yin-Yang balance to his art and develops a harmonic, defensive practice of Karate. Miyagi should be remembered as a true master because he practiced everything that he taught until the day of his death, with perfect devotion to the craft.
