Gichin Funakoshi, widely revered as the “father of modern karate” and its primary propagator, was born on November 10, 1868, in the Yamakawa district of Shuri, Okinawa. While some records indicate his birth year as 1870, Funakoshi himself stated this was an alteration made to allow him to sit for a medical school examination. He was born prematurely and was a small and sickly child, a frailty he would overcome through rigorous training, leading him to live a long life free of illness. His family, originally named Tominakoshi, belonged to the aristocratic shizoku class, with lineage tracing back to Ryukyu Dynasty nobles. His grandfather, Gifuku, a renowned Confucian scholar, tutored the royal family and profoundly influenced Funakoshi’s early education in the Confucian classics, which became the bedrock of his later moral teachings in martial arts. Funakoshi also diligently studied calligraphy.
Early Training and Occupation Funakoshi began his martial arts journey at the age of eleven, studying tode (an early form of karate) under Ankō Asato (安里 安恒) (1827–1906), whose son was a classmate. He also trained under Ankō Itosu (糸洲 安恒) (1831–1915), who, along with Azato, had studied under Sōkon Matsumura. Funakoshi was noted as an enthusiastic and determined student. His dedication was such that he declined multiple promotions in his initial career as a public school teacher to avoid leaving Shuri and interrupting his karate training. He pursued this teaching profession for thirty years, starting in 1891 at the age of 21. A notable anecdote from this period is his decision to cut off his traditional topknot, a contentious political act following the Meiji Restoration, in order to secure a teaching position, a choice that “stunned and scorned his family”.
Funakoshi only began teaching karate publicly in 1901, at the age of 33. By 1906, he was instrumental in establishing the Okinawa Shubokai (Okinawa Martial Arts Association), becoming its chairman in 1913.
Japan Funakoshi’s reputation as a karate master steadily grew. In 1917, he was invited to represent Okinawa at a demonstration at the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai in Kyoto, Japan’s official martial arts centre. In 1921, he performed for Crown Prince Hirohito in Okinawa, leaving the future emperor “much impressed”. The pivotal moment for karate’s wider acceptance came in May 1922, when Funakoshi demonstrated the art in Tokyo at the first Exhibition on the Education in Traditional Budō, organised by the Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Though he intended to return to Okinawa, Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, was so impressed that he requested Funakoshi extend his stay. Funakoshi, recognizing his “responsibility to karate and our nation,” made the “fateful decision to stay indefinitely” in Tokyo to introduce karate to Japan. This was a challenging period; he faced prejudice against Okinawan karate, lived in abject poverty, working as a janitor and handyman, and sometimes went without food. To explain and promote karate, he published Ryukyu Kenpo To-te in 1922, followed by a revised edition in 1925. His perseverance gradually paid off, attracting students from educated circles and universities. In 1938, with funds raised by his students, he built the Shotokan dojo (“Shoto’s hall”) in Tokyo, the nation’s first professional karate dojo. Sadly, this dream was destroyed when the Shotokan was burned to the ground during the 1945 Tokyo attack, leaving Funakoshi “bitterly disappointed”.
Funakoshi’s greatest impact was his role in reinventing Okinawan karate as a Japanese art and laying the groundwork for its worldwide spread. He was initially resistant to the idea of separate styles, believing karate should be unified. However, his students named his school “Shotokan,” which became one of the most widely practiced karate styles globally.
His contributions included:
- “Japanisation” of Karate: Funakoshi, or subsequent generations under his influence, adapted the art for mainland Japan, leading to the elimination of many classical lethal Okinawan techniques such as throws, sweeps, groundwork, and joint locks. Shotokan stances became notably deeper and wider, while kicks, initially mid-level, became higher.
- Philosophical Principles: He emphasised karate as a peaceful, meditative art, promoting the principle “Karate ni sente nashi” (There is no first attack in karate), which is inscribed on his gravestone. He believed that kata movements, beginning and ending with blocking, inherently convey this maxim.
- “Perfection of Character”: A cornerstone of his teaching, reflected in his statement: “The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants”. This philosophy was deeply rooted in his Confucian upbringing. He stressed that true martial arts training cultivated “a strong character and an indomitable spirit”. He would often assess a student’s character before granting in-depth instruction, believing that “only those students who had good moral characters were given the opportunity to learn the secrets possessed by their teacher”.
- Change of Kanji for “Karate”: In 1935, he changed the Chinese characters for karate from 唐手 (“China hand”) to 空手 (“empty hand”), a change that became official in 1936. This was partly to downplay its Chinese origins, given the political climate, but also to imbue it with a deeper philosophical meaning of being “empty of selfish and evil thoughts” and “empty of self-being”.
- Integration of Ranking System: He introduced the kyu/dan ranking system, borrowed from Jigoro Kano’s Judo, into karate.
- Dual Purpose for Karate: Funakoshi envisioned karate as both a formidable martial art and a sport, believing it could develop a sporting component without sacrificing its core values. He approved of sport competition as long as “the virtue of courtesy prevailed”.
Regarding kata development, Funakoshi maintained that kata forms were designed for a weaker person’s self-defence against a stronger assailant. He strongly believed that kata must be performed with the entire body and spirit, not merely memorised, to develop true physical energy. He famously said, “Once a form has been learned, it must be practiced repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence of a form in karate is useless”.
Funakoshi also took the liberty of changing the names of many Okinawan kata to make them more pronounceable for Japanese speakers or because he felt they “simply did not fit into Japanese [martial arts] culture”. Examples include: Pinan became Heian, Naihanchi became Tekki, Passai became Bassai, Wanshu became Enpi, Chinto became Gankaku, Kusanku became Kanku, Useishi became Gōjūshiho, and Seisan became Hangetsu. It is noteworthy that the Shotokan kata curriculum does not include any Naha-te kata, despite Funakoshi’s claim to have integrated elements from both Shuri-te and Naha-te traditions.
His third son, Funakoshi Yoshitaka (Gigo) (1906–1945), played a crucial role in shaping modern Shotokan karate. Gigo is credited with developing many of its technical aspects, including kicking techniques, long-range attacks, and the deep stances characteristic of the style. To expand his father’s knowledge of kata, Gigo even studied at Kenwa Mabuni’s dojo. While the elder Funakoshi emphasised the “heart of karate” as kata and self-defence, Gigo championed a competitive dimension with more fluid postures and powerful, full-extension kicks.
Notable Students Funakoshi taught a remarkable array of students who became significant figures in their own right, including:
- Funakoshi Yoshitaka (Gigo), his son.
- Hironori Otsuka, founder of Wadō-ryū.
- Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shitō-ryū.
- Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushinkai Karate. Oyama noted, “Master Funakoshi straightened me out… He showed me the true meaning of karate”.
- Shinken Taira, “the Father of Modern Kobudo,” who studied under Funakoshi for seven years (1922-1929).
- Yasuhiro Konishi, founder of Shindō Jinen-ryū.
- Hidetaka Nishiyama, one of his last surviving students.
- Hirokazu Kanazawa.
- Masatoshi Nakayama.
- Shigeru Egami.
Funakoshi passed away on April 26, 1957, at the age of 88, from colon cancer. Despite his physical frailty as a child, he never suffered a day of sickness in his long life, attributing his longevity to karate practice and a disciplined lifestyle that included no smoking and rare drinking. He was described as emotionally steady, always striving for excellence, and maintaining a humble, polite, and kind demeanour.
His final written words, penned shortly before his death, encapsulated his philosophy: “To love the fists and apply techniques is a process shaping the human character and teaching what is right and just. This is the true aim of budo. The fist and Zen are one (ken Zen ichi). To master the way of karate, we must strive for the utmost and even go into religion. So, devote yourself to the faith (kenkyo tare)! This is the way we fellows talk to each other”.
Funakoshi’s immense contributions are commemorated by two stone monuments erected by his loyal students on December 1, 1968, at the Engaku-ji temple in Kita-Kamakura. One bears his famous maxim, “Karate ni sente nashi,” while the other, inscribed by Ohama Nobuhide, includes details of his life and the phrase “Kenzen ichi” (the fist and Zen are one).
His enduring legacy lies in his indefatigable efforts to popularize karate in Japan and, by extension, globally, laying a robust foundation for modern karate-dō. He authored several influential books, including Karate-dō Kyohan: The Master Text and Karate-dō: My Way of Life. His most significant philosophical contribution, The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate (Niju Kun), remains fundamental to Shotokan practitioners, emphasizing virtues such as humility, respect, compassion, and patience, guiding students to “become better human beings”. He famously stated that, after over sixty years of practice, he had “finally got the hang of it” with a certain karate movement, and it is said he was still mentally refining kata on his deathbed. He also observed that “Karate is like boiling water; if you do not keep the flame high, it turns tepid,” stressing constant effort. His life exemplified the virtues of Shotokan karate: “courage, courtesy, integrity, humility, and self-control”.
Karate Kata Step By Step 