Master Gichin Funakoshi is the founder of Shotokan Karate, one of the four major systems of Karate in Japan. Shotokan Karate, or one of its offshoots is practiced by nearly three-quarters of all Karate students around the world and Funakoshi was responsible, along with Masatoshi Nakayama (one of his students), for the widespread popularity of the art today. Funakoshi was the only son of a minor official and had been a sickly child. Born premature, he had not been expected to live long. It was due to this that he was given a lot of attention by his parents and grandparents. At an early age Funakoshi went to stay with his grandparents and it was whilst living with them that he began to attend primary school. He became close friends with a fellow classmate, which was destined to alter his life in ways the young Funakoshi could not imagine. His friend was the son of Yasutsune Azato, one of Okinawa's greatest experts in the art of Karate.

It took a while, but Funakoshi started training in Karate under Master Azato and, after a while, his health started to improve (now there's an advertisement for Karate improving your health). As he grew up, Funakoshi continued to study under his instructor and for over 30 years he would travel miles every day to get to his class with the legendary Master Azato. At this early stage of his life, Funakoshi hadn't even considered that Karate would eventually become a career and it wasn't until much later that certain events would begin to shape his life. One of these pivotal points was the refusal to cut off his top-knot, a requirement for acceptance to Tokyo medical school. Because of this, he didn't enter the program to train to be a Doctor, but instead trained and passed his exams to become a schoolteacher. It is only speculation to try and predict what would have happened had he become a doctor, but it is a sure bet that he would not have been in a position later in his life to give the now famous demonstrations in front of Jigaro Kano at the Kodokan. This happened in 1922, and it was the first time Karate had been officially seen on mainland Japan. Funakoshi had traveled to Tokyo under invitation from the Ministry of Education to give a demonstration at the Woman's Higher Normal School. The demonstration was a huge success and was witnessed by many. Funakoshi had planned to return to Okinawa but was then asked by Jigaro Kano, president of the Kodokan Judo hall, to give another demonstration of Karate to his students. This demonstration of Kata was witnessed not by a few, but by over a hundred, much to the surprise of Funakoshi. (After this demonstration, Funakoshi was asked by Kano if he would stay and teach him these Kata. Kano was a very senior martial artist in Japan with an awesome reputation, and for him to ask Funakoshi, at the time an unknown Okinawan Karate and school teacher, for instruction was, to Funakoshi, a humbling experience.)

Although another Karate instructor would have attended the first demonstration at the Woman's Higher Normal School, it is pure speculation to assume it would have had the same effect on Kano as Funakoshi had. There is of course a remote possibility that Kano would have invited another instructor to give the demonstration at the Kodokan, but it is unlikely. Funakoshi's ability was not just in Karate. His training as a schoolteacher and his mastery of the Japanese language (slightly different from Okinawan) was the key to the success of this demonstration and Kano's confidence in Funakoshi may not have been transferred to another instructor had Funakoshi not been available. Of course Funakoshi was available and the Kata demonstration and lecture was memorable. So when Kano asked Funakoshi to stay and teach him, Funakoshi had no choice but to agree. And so Funakoshi remained in Tokyo to teach Kano these Karate Kata that had interested the judo master so. After a while, Funakoshi was about to return home to Okinawa, when he was again asked to stay. This time the invitation was from the famous painter Hoan Kosugi who had also been awed by Funakoshi's Karate. Funakoshi agreed to stay and began teaching Karate to a small class of painters at the Tabata Poplar Club, of which Kosugi was president. (It was at this time Funakoshi realized that it would fall to him to spread Karate to Japan, and for the next 35 years he did just that.) To say that it had been difficult for Funakoshi would be an understatement. Funakoshi had no money of his own and his family, back in Okinawa, was unable to send him any to help. He found it impossible to find sponsors as Karate was still virtually unknown and he had the fees that came in from the few students he had was not nearly enough to pay his expenses. Funakoshi took numerous odd jobs to pay for board at a dormitory. He also persuaded the cook at the dormitory to take up Karate, in return for a discount on his monthly food bills.

From his humble starts as a schoolteacher and reluctant instructor demonstrating at the Kodokan in front of the famous Jigaro Kano, Gichin Funakoshi became the most famous Karate instructor of his or any other generation. He changed the Okinawan Te into a Japanese art that was accepted by and recognized as a National Martial Art by the Japanese Government. Gichin Funakoshi is not just the founder of Shotokan, but is now considered by all as the father of modern Karate. From Funakoshi, we have Shotokan. His two top students, Ohtsuka and Oyama, both founded their own very popular systems based on Funakoshi's teachings, of Wado Ryu and Kyokushin Kai respectively. Master Funakoshi had never wanted what he was teaching to be called a style of Karate, to him it was just Karate-Do, the way of the empty hand. It was not until 1936, fourteen years after he came to Japan to give his first demonstration that the word Shotokan came into being. Funakoshi had worked hard establishing Karate as a mainstream martial art and had often had to borrow hall space to teach, not being able to afford to hire major dojos. In 1936, his dream of a permanent dojo dedicated to Karate came true, and it was all thanks to the efforts of his senior students. Funakoshi was guided to a hall in Zoshigaya, Toshima Ward, in Tokyo, where he was presented with a permanent Karate dojo. Funakoshi stared up at the sign above the entrance and felt an overwhelming sense of pride. The wooden sign read "Shotokan" - Funakoshi's House (house of the pine waves). Funakoshi had no idea that the committee responsible for this new Karate dojo would choose the pen name he used to sign the Chinese poems he wrote as a youth. I could only imagine the emotions that ran through his mind that day and how proud he must have been to stand in the dojo that had been built for him by his students. As well as pride at his achievements, Funakoshi tells us in his book (Karate-Do, My Way of Life) the following. "I was sad, too, for I had wanted above all else for Masters Azato and Itosu (his teachers) to come and teach at the new dojo. Alas, neither was any longer on this earth, so on the day that the new dojo was formally opened, I burned some incense in my room and prayed to their souls. In my mind's eye, those two great teachers seemed to smile at me, saying, "Good work, Funakoshi, good work! But don't make the mistake of complacency, for you still have much to do. Today, Funakoshi is only the beginning." Funakoshi was at that time nearly seventy years old, but his dedication to his work was unwavering. He continued teaching Karate and in 1948, the inauguration of the national governing body for Karate occurred with the founding of the now world famous Japan Karate Association (JKA). Again his students would honor him, making Gichin Funakoshi the first JKA Chief Instructor, a position he would hold until his death in 1957. Funakoshi was posthumous awarded the highest rank in Shotokan Karate and became the first 10th Dan, a rank only given to three instructors in the entire history of Shotokan.

Although I didn't start Karate until long after the death of Master Funakoshi, I have heard stories of this master for my entire Karate career. My instructors were inspired by him, and so it only seemed right to acknowledge his contributions to Karate here. We all need someone to look up to, someone to inspire us to achieve more than we thought we could, and without a doubt, Master Funakoshi has done that, not only for me, but for tens of thousands of students all over the world. Without this man, from humble beginnings to the embodiment of what is Karate-Do, it is unlikely that Karate would be as popular as it is today.

Master Gichin Funakoshi, 10th Dan, 1868 - 1957

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