Yoshitaka Funakoshi (船越義豪, also known as Gigō Funakoshi) (1906–1945) was a highly influential Japanese martial artist, and the third son of Gichin Funakoshi, the widely recognised founder of Shotokan karate. He is credited with playing a pivotal role in shaping the modern technical aspects of the Shotokan style.
Born in 1906, Yoshitaka’s life was significantly impacted by his health. He suffered from tuberculosis since childhood and frequently had to pause training to cough up blood, eventually succumbing to the illness at the young age of thirty-nine in 1945. Despite this, he was described as an exceptionally talented karateka. Physically, he was noted to be a few inches taller than his father and about fifteen pounds heavier, possessing remarkable power.
Yoshitaka served as his father’s chief assistant at the Shotokan dojo in Tokyo, which was established in 1938. This role was partly intended to ease the burden on his father. Beyond the Shotokan dojo, he also held positions as a karate teacher at prestigious institutions such as Takushoku University and Waseda University.
While his father, Gichin Funakoshi, was his primary teacher, Yoshitaka actively sought to broaden his martial arts knowledge. To that end, he was sent by his father to study kata under Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shitō-ryū. This move highlights a deliberate effort to expand the technical depth of the Funakoshi lineage by incorporating knowledge from other leading masters.
Masutatsu Ōyama, who later founded the full-contact Kyokushinkai Karate style, notably trained under Yoshitaka Funakoshi.
Yoshitaka is widely regarded as the driving force behind much of the technical evolution of modern Shotokan karate. His innovations included:
- Developing and emphasising long-range attacks.
- Introducing and refining deep-rooted stances.
- Advancing kicking techniques within the style.
- Promoting fluid and upright postures for increased speed of attack.
- Incorporating full extension kicks, which were valuable in free-style competition.
A significant aspect of Yoshitaka’s influence was the discernible “clash between generations” regarding the direction of karate. While Gichin Funakoshi, often referred to as the “Old Master,” prioritised kata training, practical self-defence, and character development, adhering to the principle that “Technique does not make the man; the man makes the technique!”, Yoshitaka, the “Young Master,” held a “less idealistic” view. He believed that karate “needed to formulate a competitive element”.
This difference manifested in their teaching styles:
- Yoshitaka would enthusiastically praise students who produced powerful techniques that would “crack floorboards with their stomp kicks,” exclaiming, “Good! Good!”. In contrast, his father would scold such actions, stating, “What is the matter with you? That is too much force, too much force!”.
- While Gichin permitted free-sparring “only after the basics of karate had been thoroughly understood,” Yoshitaka’s classes incorporated elements directly applicable to free-style competition.
Beyond introducing new technical methodologies, Yoshitaka is also widely believed to have played a crucial role in kata development. He is rumoured to have invented many, if not most of the methods we have today. Furthermore, he is thought to be responsible for importing many of our more popular kata and converting them to the Shotokan method, with Unsu and Sochin specifically mentioned as examples. His study of kata under Kenwa Mabuni also indicates his direct involvement in enriching Shotokan’s kata repertoire.
Yoshitaka’s contributions were profound, especially in the technical and competitive evolution of Shotokan. He helped transform the style into a more dynamic form, laying the groundwork for its global proliferation as a martial art and a sport. His legendary power was evident in his ability to “constantly shatter makiwara punching boards with his blows”. His life ended tragically in 1945, the same year the Shotokan dojo was destroyed by an attack on Tokyo. Despite his early death, the technical advancements he spearheaded remain a fundamental part of Shotokan karate worldwide.
Karate Kata Step By Step 