Chojun Miyagi
The real life Karate master, Miyagi is the wise old sage of this book. Ota writes in the man's memory in order to realize his master's dream of spreading his practice of Karate around the world. He is a patient man who recognizes the value of suffering. As he teaches Ota, he slowly reveals how Karate has completely changed his life and is now his sole purpose. He's a man of great reserve and tends toward stoicism, so his instructions are few and pointed. Life isn't the same for Miyagi (or anyone) after the war. He becomes greatly depressed but still maintains his devotion to his craft and thus remains at peace until his death.
Kenichi Ota
Ota is the narrator and protagonist of the book. At the start, he's just a kid who gets excited about karate. Demonstrating an enormous amount of optimism and determination, he convinces Miyagi to apprentice him. He survives countless trials and suffering at Miyagi's hand before he too becomes a Karate master. During WWII, he is impressed into the military by a Colonel Yahara. Because of his phenomenal intellect and tactical skills, he is placed in charge of defending the Island of Okinawa, which he does as best as possible. He too struggles emotionally after the loss of WWII and the dramatic change in his city. Ota never feels at home in Okinawa anymore and feels guilty for having lost the island to U.S. troops. When he's reached his lowest point, he turns to Miyagi for guidance once more. He renews his devotion to a mindful life and assists Miyagi in his efforts to rebuild the city and to re-establish their cultural traditions. Ota devotes the rest of his life to realizing Miyagi's dream, which is why he writes this book.
