GICHIN FUNAKOSHI

The Father of Modern Day Karate
(1868 - 1957)

Gichin Funakoshi is famous the world over as one of karate's great masters of karate. Funakoshi Sensei was born in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture. He studied Karate-do from his childhood and was responsible for organizing some of the first public demonstrations of this art. In 1922 Funakoshi was invited to demonstrate karate at the First National Athletic Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. This was the initial introduction of karate to Japan and subsequently to the rest of the world. He remained in Tokyo; much is owed to him for the development of the way of karate and the spiritual aspects of Karate-do.

A handful of talented students who trained under his guidance have and are still passing their experience and knowledge on to the continuing stream of hungry, prospective Karate-Kas. Some of these same students have became known world wide; Masatoshi Nakayama (deceased), Hidetaka Nishiyama, Teruyuki Okazaki, K. Enoeda, and many more, which are to numerous to name here. Many of which today are teaching and spreading Shotokan Karate to all the corners of the world.

In addition to karate, Funakoshi Sensei was deeply involved in the art of calligraphy and the writing of poetry. He would sign his work by using his pen name Shoto. It is from that pen name that the creation of the word "Shotokan" arose. The word consists of Shoto, meaning waving pines (his verse was often inspired by gently waving pines on the hills near his home), and the word Kan, meaning house or school. His first school of Karate, was based at his home, therefore became known as Shoto's Kan. The name was later to be shortened to Shotokan.

Gichin Funakoshi will always be remembered as "The Father of Modern Day Karate". Funakoshi died in 1957 at the age of 88.