Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957)

Gichin Funakoshi, 'the father of karate.' once said that 'the ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.'

To support this life-long stance and offer guidance to future practitioners, he penned his now legenday twenty principles. While the principles have circulated for years, a translation of the accompanying conmmentary has never found its way into publication-until now.

Master Funakoshi's approach stresses spiritual considerations and mental agility over brute strength and technique. Practitioners should not rely on technqiue alone-striking, kicking, blocking-but must nurture the spiritual aspects of their practice as well. Attend to yourself and the rest will follow, was the message he set for posterity over sixty years ago.

As axioms, Funakoshi's principles are open to various interpretations, 'There is no first attack in karate' has occasioned endless discussion about its true meaning. Many of these ambiguities are clarified in the commentary, which is also filled with philosophical musings, fascinating historical episodes, and advice for anyone seeking a better Way.

Translated for the first time into English by John Teramoto, a karate practitioner himself, and accompanied by original calligraphy, this loing-awaited treatise is a provocative read and, for martial arts enthusiasts, a long overdue godsend.

Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) is one of karate's great masters. Born in Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, he began training in the secret martial art as a child. In 1922, at the request of the Japanese government, he demonstrated the still-secret Okinawan art of self-defence on the Japanese mainland, which led to karate's introduction to the rest of Japan and subsequently the rest of the world. Funakoshi devoted the remainder of his life to this traditional sport and wrote several classics on the subject, incuding Karate-do Kyohan and Karate Jutsu, as well as an autobiorgraphy entitled Karate-do: My Way of Life.

Genwa Nakasone (1895-1978), between stints as a schoolteacher and a politician, was an editor and publisher of books on karate and martial arts, among them Karate-do Taikan, a ground-breaking compendium of karate texts and documents. Born in Okinawa, he was an early supporter of Funakoshi and in an ideal position to compile accurate annotations of the master's twenty principles.

John Teramoto was born in Los Angeles, california, and began karate trainng at the age of 13 under Tsutomu Oshima, reaching the rank of godan in 1990. Since 1998, he has served as the president of Shotokan Karate of America's Black Belt Council.

'A thoughtful and steady perusal of Master Funakoshi's axioms will lead us on a much deeper journey than we might initially expect. It is this aspect of the principles that makes them meaningful even to those who do not practice. Unexpectedly, technical points are forsaken for a more profound examination for the broader Way. The spotlight is shone on the mental acumen and spiritual reqirements, and the larger possibilities of the training. Attitude is emphasized over stance, spirit over form.'-from the Introduction.

Contents

Introduction by John Teramoto
Preface
1 Do not forget that karate-do begins and ends with rei
2 There is no first strike in karate
3 Karate stands on the side of justice
4 First know yourself, then know others
5 Mentality over technique
6 The mind must be set free
7 Calamity springs from carelessness
8 Karate goes beyond the dojo
9 Karate is a lifelong pursuit
10 Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
11 Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state
12 Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing
13 Make adjustments according to your opponent
14 The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
15 Think of the opponent's hands and feet as swords
16 When o step beond your own gate, you face a million enemies
17 Kamae (ready stance) is for beginners; later, one stands in shizentai (natural stance)
18 Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
19 Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely apllication of technique
20 Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful in your pursuit of the Way… (lisätietoja)

Karate's prodigious rise from obscure, secretive Okinawan self-defense techniques to one of Japan's most revered and recognizable martial traditions can be attributed to one man-'Gichin Funakoshi, the Father of Modern Karate. While karate's origins remain shrouded in mystery, Funakoshi worked tirelessly his whole life to spread his message of spirituality, and the importance of winning without fighting. Karate today has devotees from all over the world.

In The Essence of Karate, Funakoshi created in his own words a narrative of modern karate, from its origins to its very essence, drawing on this vast personal insight and myriad experiences. His work describes a fascinating picture of this martial art, including memories of his training since childhood,and his own recollections and stories of many karate masters. Funakoshi strives to emphasize throughout these pages that true victory lies in not fighting, and, as well as exploring the philosophy of karate, he explains the reason why many great martial artists improve with age.

The book includes a foreword by Hirokazu Kanazawa, one of Funakoshi's closest disciples, who fondly remembers his former master through endearing anecdotes that shed more light on Funakoshi's legendary status. This book will offer the reader a unique perspective on the history and art of karate as told through the eyes of its venerable master. Through careful perusal of these pages, the reader will come closer to understnading the very essence of karate.

Gichin Funakoshi, known as the legendary 'Father of Modern Karate,' was born in Okinawa in 1868. He became one of karate's great masters and the founder of the Shotokan school. He began training as a child in secretive martial arts technique that had been passed down for generations in Okinawa, a region that would become known as the birthplace of karate. In 1922, at the requestof teh Japanese government, he gave a demonstrationof these still little-kown ars of self-defense on the Japanese mainland, thus giving rise to karate's introduction to the rest of Japan and subsequently the world. He devoted the remainder of his life to karate and wrote several classics on the art including Karate-Do Kyohan, Karate Jutsu, and The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate, as well as an autobiography entitled Karate-do: My Way of Life. He passes away in 1957.

Hirokazu Kanazawa was born in 1931 in Iwate prefecture, Japan. The most respected figure in the karate world today, he was a close disciple of Gichin Funakoshi. Kanazawa founded the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation in 1979, after gaining his impressive reputation in Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and Europe as an official trainer for the Japan Karate Assocation. The Shotokan Karate-do International Federation now has branches in more than 100 countries throughout the world. Kanazawa is the author of Karate Fighting Techniques, Black Belt Karate, and Karate: The Complete Kata, pubished by Kodansha.

Gisho Funakoshi was born in Okinawa in 1925. He worked in administration and was the director of public affairs of the Ryukyu government. He was a poet, writer, and essayist. He wrote an impressive number of serialized stories int newspapers, as well as dramas and songs for creative dance. He is most noted work is The Poems of Gisho Funakoshi. He passed away in 2007.

Richard Berger was born in Rochester, New York, in 1963, and began training in Shotokan karate in 1982 while attending university in Southern California. He moved to Tokyo in 1990 and has been training at Hirokazu Kanazawa's SKIF headquarters since 1993.

'In the past, masters would first look at the character of potential students before agreeing to teach them. Those whose natures were deemed inappropriate, even in the case of one's own child, were strictly forbidden from receiving training in the martial arts. Conversely, through karate, it was possible to pacify those with a violent temperament.'

'Teachers at the schools where I teach speak to me at great length about their students who train in karate, telling me about how they have become more restrained in their behavior. For me, such stories are a source of pride and satisfaction.'-Gichin Funakoshi

Publisher's Note-Gichin Funakoshi is a legendary figure and the founder of Shotokan karate, the most popular style of Japanese karate, with millions of practitioners worldwide. In The Essence of Karate, Funakoshi creates, in his own words, a narrative of modern karate. He explains the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings and includes memories of his own training, as well as recollections of other karate masters and the history of the martial art. He also discusses the importance of winning without fighting, and the reason why many great martial artists improve with age.
The preface has been contributed by Hirokazu Kanazawa, President of the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (and Funakoshi's disciple). He fondly writes of his memories of Gichin Funakoshi during his youth and what he learned from the master. In the afterword, the founder's great-nephew, Gisho Funakoshi, shares previously unknown personal anecdotes about his 'Uncle Funakoshi.'

Contents

Foreword by Hirokazu Kanazawa
A story of karate I thru XI
Afterword by Gichin Funakoshi
Notes… (lisätietoja)

We have decided to present the name of this book as 'To-Te Jitsu' rather than 'Karate-Jitsu' in order to exhibit the differences between this work, done prior to the formalization of Karate styles, and subsequent works presenting more modern styles.

Also, with the translator's help we have kept this classic work as it was written, and are presenting this work as a translation, not an interpretation. We trust the reader will accept any difficulty in reading this may present, for the sake of accurately presenting the author's own words.

Contents

Chapter 1-Section 1 What is karate?
Part 1: Historyi
Part 2: Styles of karate
Part 3: Groupings
Part 4: Levels-ranks
Section 2 Karate's worth
Part 1: The value in physical aspects
Part 2: The value in aspects of self defense technique
Part 3: The value/worth in mental aspects
Part 4: The honour of karate
Section 3 How to train and teach karate
Part 1: Training in karate
Part 2: Individual training
Part 3: Group training
Part 4: Amount of time for training
Part 5: Repetition
Chapter 2-Section 4 The anatomy/composition of karate
Part 1: Shinite and Ikite
Part 2: How to make a fist; How to make a stance
Part 3: How to make a makiwara
Part 4: Hand techniques
Pasrt 5: Leg techniques
Part 6: Enbu-sen: 'Fighting position lines'
Part 7: Throwing techniques
Ckhapter 3-Secton 5 Foundations and kata of karate
Part 1: Training for foundations of karate
Part 2: Bin-an Shodan (Shaolin style)
Part 3: Naihanchi-skhodan (Shorei style)
Part 4: Koshokun (Shaolin style)
Part 5: Bin-an Nidan (Shaolin style)
Part 6: Bin-an Sandan (Shaolin style)
Part 7: Bin-an Yondan (Shaolin style)
Part 8: Bin-an Godan (Shaolin style)
Part 9: Naihanchi Nidan (Shorei style)
Part 10: Naihanchi Sandan (Shorei style)
Part 11: Seishan (Slhorei style)
Part 12: Passai (Shaolin style)
Part 13: Wanshu (Shorei style)
Part 14: Chinto (Shaolin style)
Part 15: Jjitte (Shaolin style)
Part 16: Jion (Shorei styel)
Ckhapter 4 Karate's record of studies
Part 1: Educational material for citizens
Part 2: The great martial art of empty hand karate
Part 3: The development of karate
Part 4: Karate from a physical educational perspective; Karate as a method of exercise; Karate as a martial art
Part 5: There is no 'Striking first' in karate
Part 6: the popularity of karate
Index of figures 1 to 217… (lisätietoja)

Gichin Funakoshi is considered teh father of modern karate. In the 1920s, he wrote the first of several classic karate texts, culminating his career with the publication of Karate-do Kohan, which remains among the most important and influential word on karate today.

The Kyohan, however, evolved from Karate Jutsu, a much earlier work. In the formative writings of the Jutsu, Funakoshi set out the philosophy and forms that he would practice and refine for the rest of his life.

As the Kyohan's earliest version, Karate Jutsu has attained legendary status. Legions of enthusiastic martial arts practitioners have sought out the original Japanese version, and pirated English-language editions have circulated for years.

This is the first offical English publication of Karate Jutsu. Translator John Teramoto has gone to great lengths to accurately convey the essence of Funakoshi's original manuscript, and has contributed an informative introduction and revealing footnotes that clearly note where the forms in Justu vary from those of the Kyohan. Karate Jutsu also includes rare historical photographs of Funakoshi himself demonstrating the kata, his early writings in their original form , and a foreword by Tsutomu Ohshima, the founder and chief instructor of the Shotokan Karate of America.

Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) is known throughout the world as one of karate's great masters. Born in Okinawa, he began training in karate as a child. Also educated in the Confucian classics, he became a school teacher early in life. In 1922, he demonstrated the then-secret Okinawan art on the Japanese mainland, which led to karate's introduction to the rest of the world. Funakoshi devoted the remainder of his life to this traditional sport and wrote several classics on the subject, including Karate-do Kyohan and an autobiography entitled Karate-do: My Way of Life.

John Teramoto was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1950. After beginning karate training in 1963, he reached the rank of godan in 1990. Since 1998, he has served as the president of the Black Belt Council of the Shotokan Karate of America. Teramoto received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in Japanese Art History in 1994 and is currently an Associate Curator of Asian Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Contents

Preface: Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu
Foreword
Translator's introduction
Preface to the original edition
I The history, value, and methods of karate
Chapter 1 What is Karate?
History
Styles of karate
Various forms
Ranking
Chapter 2 The value of karate
Its value as physical training
The value of karate for self-defense
The value of karate in building spirit and cutlivating character
The honor of karate
Chapter 3 Karate training and instruction
Karate training
Individual training
Group training
The amount of time for training
Repetitive training
II The compositional structure of karate
Chapter 4 Systematci analysis of karate
1 Shinite and Ikite
2 Fists and stances-Figures 1-20
3 How to make a makiwara
4 Hand techniques
5 Leg techniques
6 Lines of movement
7 Throwing techniques-Figures 21-26
III Fundamentals and kata of karate
Chapter 5 Fundamentals and kata
1 Basic training
2 Pin'an Shodan, Shorin-ryu-Figures 27-55
3 Naihanchi Shodan, Shorei-ryu-Figures 56-92
4 Koshokun, Shorin-ryu-Figures 93-164
5 Pin'an Nidan, Shorin-ryu-Figures 165-67
6 Pin'an Sandan, Shorin-ryu-Figures 168-71
7 Pin'an Yodan, Shorin-riyu-Figures 172-74
8 Pin'an Godan, Shorin-ryu-Figures 175-78
9 Naihanchi Nidan, Shorei-ryu-Figures 179-82
10 Naihanchi Sandan, Shorei-ryu-Figures 183-84
11 Sehshan, Shorei-ryu-Figures 185-88
12 Passai, Shorin-ryu-Figures 189-92
13 Wanshu, Shorei-ryu-Figures 193-98
14 Chinto, Shorin-ryu-Figures 199-204
15 Jitte, Shorin-ryu-Figures 205-10
16 Jion, Shorei-ryu-Figures 211-17
IV Additional comments on the history and research of karate
Chapter 6 There is no first strike in karate
Eight important phrases of karate
Treatise on the ancient law of great strength
Methods of escape
Chapter 7 Karate's place in public opinion
Notes… (lisätietoja)