Linking the time when karate was a strictly Okinawan art of self-defense shrouded in the deepest secrecy and the present day, when it has become a martial art practiced throughout the world, is Gichin Funakoshi, the "Father of Karate-do." Out of modesty, he was reluctant to write this autobiography and did not do so until he was nearly ninety years of age. Trained in the Confucian classics, he was a schoolteacher early in life, but after decades of study under the foremost masters, he gave up his livelihood to devote the rest of his life to the propagation of the Way of Karate. Under his guidance, techniques and nomenclature were refined and modernized, the spiritual essence was brought to the fore, and karate evolved into a true martial art. Various forms of empty-hand techniques have been practiced in Okinawa for centuries, but due to the lack of historical records, fancy often masquerades as fact. In telling of his own famous teachers--and not only of their mastery of technique but of the way they acted in critical situations--the author reveals what true karate is. The stories he tells about himself are no less instructive: his determination to continue the art, after having started it to improve his health; his perseverance in the face of difficulties, even of poverty; his strict observance of the way of life of the samurai; and the spirit of self-reliance that he carried into an old age kept healthy by his practice of Karate-do.
This introduction to karate teaches both the physical training and the mentalhilosophy necessary for karate mastery. The book also provides the completeistory of karate.
The legendary 20 guiding principles of karate penned by Funakoshi have been circulating for years but have never been published until now. Accompanied by rare photos and original calligraphy, this long-awaited treatise is a provocative and long overdue read for martial arts enthusiasts and followers of karate.
A following book of 'The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate'. It is presented in the same size, and the same format. This book is the following book of 'The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate'. The same size, and the same format.
Linking the time when karate was a strictly Okinawan art of self-defense shrouded in the deepest secrecy and the present day, when it has become a martial art practiced throughout the world, is Gichin Funakoshi, the "Father of Karate-do." Out of modesty, he was reluctant to write this autobiography and did not do so until he was nearly ninety years of age. Trained in the Confucian classics, he was a schoolteacher early in life, but after decades of study under the foremost masters, he gave up his livelihood to devote the rest of his life to the propagation of the Way of Karate. Under his guidance, techniques and nomenclature were refined and modernized, the spiritual essence was brought to the fore, and karate evolved into a true martial art. Various forms of empty-hand techniques have been practiced in Okinawa for centuries, but due to the lack of historical records, fancy often masquerades as fact. In telling of his own famous teachers--and not only of their mastery of technique but of the way they acted in critical situations--the author reveals what true karate is. The stories he tells about himself are no less instructive: his determination to continue the art, after having started it to improve his health; his perseverance in the face of difficulties, even of poverty; his strict observance of the way of life of the samurai; and the spirit of self-reliance that he carried into an old age kept healthy by his practice of Karate-do.
For several years, I have wanted to write the history of karate in Southeastern Massachusetts. However, there always seemed to be other priorities that distracted my focus. In 2009 I retired from my position as a police detective, and having been retired from the armed forces, I now had no legitimate reason not to devote as much time as possible to such a good karate idea well, except for a brief period of hospitalization due to a serious surgery that kept me hospitalized for twenty-seven days and then at home for three weeks under nurses' care with months of recovery. Karate history, in general, is, in some cases, somewhat obscured, including in the United States. I am willing to bet that not many people have thought of or proceeded to put in writing any historical account of karate in specific communities of the United States other than the Armed Services Judo and Jujitsu Academy in Pensacola, Florida, and the paper Helium by Can Tran. There are a number of historical writings as to how karate was introduced to the United States; however, I have not come across any historical account that takes us from Japan to the United States and to a particular community. There are also a number of historical accounts, but only pertaining to individual organizations or instructors. For this reason, I decided that this may spark the interest of other practitioners of martial arts to write factual accounts to the best of their abilities so that other young martial artists may draw some knowledge from these written facts or events. Even if this does not occur, at least the Shotokan practitioners can have some guidance as to the historical facts, at least in a certain US community. The reason I emphasize the Shotokan practitioners is because I have a greater involvement with the Shotokan system of karate. Perhaps this can be used as the basis of historical research or studies, especially among the college clubs and even dojos. I hope to keep your interest from beginning to end as I will cover a short history of karate in general and Shotokan karate to the history of karate in Southeastern Massachusetts. This will also be useful in recognizing specific individuals, masters, and instructors that deserve the credit and acknowledgment since karate remains a sport with less recognition compared to other sports. As Gichin Funakoshi often reminded his students, "The spirit of karate-do is lost without courtesy." Therefore, this written account expresses the acknowledgment of those who brought karate to us, beginning at the grass roots of the communities, for this is how it manifested to national participation. This is one courtesy we often forget; it is like not knowing, or forgetting, where we come from. So often I have come across karate practitioners that are black belts and instructing karate classes and they do not know much, if anything, about how and where karate began and how it spread to all parts of the world. Sure, if you should ask any person with some karate interest as to where karate originated and how it spread, they almost always give the basic knowledge that it started from Dharma in India to China to Okinawa but not a whole lot more than that. In Japan, karate is a culture, not just instructions on how to kick and punch. As to this, I quote Funakoshi's writing: "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant." Through this, there are a number of dojo kun to be followed, and the five most important are the following: seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor to excel, respect others, and refrain from violent behavior. These are usually found posted on a wall in the dojo. Additional dojo kun will be listed at the end of the book in both Japanese and English.
Genjōkōan Karate Organization(c) produced/published the Quarterly Magazine for the True Karateka for overall informative reasons and to open up the discourse between ALL style and their Organizations. 空手家空手道 Karatekas of Karatedo Magazine(R) will have Analytical or Critical Thinking Articles on Karatekas, such as opinions, ideas/philosophies, as well as informative articles on Kata, Tournaments, as well as Expository Writings about Buddhism, which is a forgotten aspect of Karatedo.
