Nathan Johnson

Nathan J. Johnson, based in Hampshire, England, is a martial arts teacher and scholar with over 50 years of experience. Holding a 5th-degree black belt in Karate and a 4th-degree black sash in Wing Chun, his training was influenced in-person by legends Mitsusuke Harada and Ip Chun. With 7 years of Buddhist monastery experience, he employs a philosophical approach, asserting that kata like Sanchin and Naihanchin emphasize weapons and grappling. Leading Ko-do Ryu Karate Renmei, he’s taught seminars across the UK, US, and Europe. His martial arts books - Zen Shaolin Karate (1994), Barefoot Zen (2000), and The Great Karate Myth (2006) - challenge karate myths, while Galdrbok (2005), co-authored with Robert J. Wallis, explores Heathen runecraft, shamanism, and magic, blending physical and spiritual inquiry. He co-hosts Great Karate Myths on Spotify.