MASTER GICHIN FUNAKOSHI
(1868-1957)
I f there is one man who could be credited with placing karate in the position it enjoys today, its Gichin Funakoshi. This Meijin (Master) was born in Suri, Okinnawa, and didn't even begin his second life as harbinger ofofficial recognition for karate on the mainland until he was fifty-three years old.
funnakoshi's story is very siimilar to that of many greats in karate. He began as a weakling, sickly, and poor health, whose parents broght him to Yasutsune Itosu for his karate training together with Yasutsune Azato (Azato is considered by many the reason Funakoshi developed such a disciplined mind and karate tecniques). Between his doctor, Tokashiki, who prescribed herbal remedies that would strenghten him, coupled with Azato's and Itosu's good instruction, Funikoshi soon blossomed. He became a good student with Arakaki and Matsumara as his other teachers, he developped expertise and a highly disciplined mind.
When he finally came to Japan, from Okinawa in 1922, he stayed among his own people at the prefectural student's dormintory at Suidobata, tokyo. He lived in a small room alongside the enrance and would clean the dormitory during the day when the students were in there classes. At night, he would teach them karate.
After a sort time, he had earned sufficient means to open his first school in Meishojuku. Following this, his Shotokan in Mejiro was opened and finally had a place from which he sent forth a variety of outstanding students, such as Takagi and Nakayama of Nippon Karate Kyokai, Yoshida of Takudai, Obata of Keio, Egami from Waseda (his successor), Hironishi from Chuuo, Noguchi of Waseda, and Ohtsuki. Its is known that in his travels in and around japan, while giving demonsrations and lectuers, Funakoshi always had Takeshi Shimoda, Yoshitaka (his son), Egami and Ohtsuka accompanying him. His instrutors in the thirties and forties were T.Shimoda and Y.Funakoshi. Shimoda was apparently an expert from Nen-ryu Kendo School, he also studied Ninjutsu but he unluckily died very young in 1934 after one of the exhibition tours. He was replaced by Gigo (or Yoshitaka) Funakoshi, a man of excellent character, highly qualified technically. Shigeru Egami's opinion is that there was nobody better qualified for taking over the teaching. Due to his youth and vigorous training methods (sometimes classified as brutally strong training) immediate hierarchical conflicts arose with the older Ohtsuku Hironori. Some actually say he was not able to take the hard training. What ia sure is that he left the school to establissh his own style, the Harmonious Way, Wado-ryu. It's quite obvious that the name aludes to the conflict with Yoshitaka . Yoshitaka influence was very important for the furture of Karate-do but once again death came very soon for Yoshitaka, dying at the age of 39 of a longlifew affiction (tuberculosis) in 1945.
The martial arts world in Japan, especilly from the early Twenties and up to the early Forties, was an ultra-nationalist moment in history, and they looked down their noses at any art that was not pure, calling it a pagan and savage art.
Funakoashi overcame this prejudice and finally gained formal recognition of karate as one of the Japanese martial arts by 1941.
Needless to say, many karate clubs eventually flourished on mainland Japan. In 1924, karate was introduced in Keio University as the first club others include: Chuo, Weseda(1930), Hosei, Tokyo University(1929) among others. Another club was established in Shichi-Tokudo, a barracks situated in a corner of the palace grounds.
Funakoshi visited the Shichi-Tokudo every other day to teach. One day, when Ohtsuka was teaching at the Shichi-Tokuda, a student, Kogura, from Keio University who had san-dan degree(3rd dan black belt) in Kendo (Japanese fencing)and also a black belt in karate, took a sword and faced Ohtsuka. All the other students watched to see what would happen. They felt that no one could face shinken (open balde) held by a expert.
Ohtsuka camly watched Kogura and the moment he made a move with sword, Ohtskuka swept him off his feet. As this was unrehearseed, it attested to his skill. it also bore out Funakoshi's philosophy that kata practise was more than sufficient in times of need, and just as importantly to Master Funakoshi's great ability as a teacher and karate technician.
In 1927, three men, Miki, Bo and Hirayama decided that kata practise was not enough and tried to introduce Jiyu kumite (free-fighting). They devised protective clothing and used kendo masks in their matches in order to utilize full contact. funakoshi heard about these bouts and, when he could not discourage such attempts, which he could considered belitting to the art of karate, he stopped visiting the Shichi-Tokudo. Neither Funakoshi nor Ohtsuka showed up ever again. It was after this event that Gichin Funakoshi prohibited sptro sparring (the first sanctioned competitions did not appear until after his death).
When Funakoshi came to mainland japan, he thought 16 kata: 5 pinan, 3 naihanchi, kunshanku dai, kushanku sho, seisan,patsai,wanshu, chinto, jutte and jion (original Okinawan names were later translated to Japanese). he kept his students on tthe basic ones before they progressed to the more advanced forms. He actually thaught at least 40 kata, these were lataer included in the limited but monumental work by Shigeru Egami "Karate-do for the specialist". The repetitious training that he instituated paid back very well; his students went on to produce the most precise, exact type of karate thaught anywhere.
Jigoro Kano, the founder of modern judo, once invited Funakoshi and a friend, Makoto Gima, to perform at the Kodokan (then located at Tomisaka). Approximately a hundred people watched th performance. Gima, who had studied under Yabu Kentsu as a youth in Okinawa, performed the Naihanshi shodan, and Funakoshi performed the Koshokun (kushanka dai).
Kano Sensei watched the performance and asked Funakoshi about the techniques involved. He invited Funakoshi and Gima to tendon (fish and rice) dinner, during which he sang and made jokes to put Funakoshi at ease.
Irrespective of his sincerity in teaching the art of true karate, Funakoshi was not without his detractors. His critics scorned his insistence on the kata and decried what they called "soft" karate that wasted too much time. Funakoshi insisted on hito-kata sanen (three years on one kata). In addition, Funakoshi made several changes which were not popular with some of his karate contemporaries. He changed the "kara" from from a word meaning "tang" or "Chinese" (karate evolve from Chinese martial arts such as kung-fu) to one meaning "empty". He also had a storng desire to elevate karate from a mere method of self-defense to a "way". He therefore began referring to his martial art as "karate-do", or the way of karate.
Funakoshi was a humble man. He preached and practiced an essential humility. He did not preach the humility of virtue, but a basic humility of a man who is rooted in the true perspective of things, full of life and awareness. He lived at peace with himself and with his fellow men.
Whenever the name of Ginchin Funakoshi is mentioned, it brings to mind the parable of "A Man of Tao (do) and a little man". As it is told, a student once asked,"whta is the differance between a man of Toe and a little man?" the sensei replies," it is simple. When the little man receives his first dan (degree or rank), he can hardly wait to run home and shout at the top of his voice to tell everyone that he made his first dan. Upon receiving his second dan, he will climb to the rooftops and shout to the people. Upon receiving his third dan, he will jump up in his automobile and parade through town with its horn blowing, telling everyone all about his third dan.
The sensei continues,"when the man of Teo receives his first dan, he will bow his head in gratitude. Upon receiving his second dan, he will bow his head and his shoulders. Upon receiving his third dan, he will bow at the waist and quietly walk alongside the wall so that people will nto see him or notice him.
Funakoshi was a man of Teo. he placed no emphasis on competitions, record breaking or championships. He placed emphasis on individual self-perfection. He believed in the common decency and respect that one human being owed another. He was the master of masters.
Funakoshi felt that karate was karate. He was not really responsible for putting a particular name to his style. Funakoshi's pen name for his poettry was "shoto" (small pine forest). "shotokan" referred to his dojo (house of shoto), while "shotokai" referred to his association (shoto's council). Eventually people began referring to his style of karate by these names.
He deid in 1957 at the age 89, after humbly making the largest contribution to the art of karate-do.
NOTE: Funakoshi sincerly believed it would take a lifetime to master a handful of kata and that sixteen would be enough. He chose the kata which were best suited for physical stress and self-defence, stubbornly clinging to his belief that karate was an art rather than a sport. To him,kata WAS karate.
