The founder of Shotokan karate, Gichin Funakoshi was born on 10th November 1868. At the age of about 11, he started karate to improve his health. His health did improve and his body became strong. Even at a young age, he understood the importance of character in karate. He promised his teachers that he would never use his strength for any bad purpose.

 

Gichin Funakoshi taught karate in Okinawa as he had been taught by his masters Yatusone Anko Azato (1827 - 1906) and Yatusone Anko Itosu (1831 - 1915 ). A visiting emperor of Japan, Emperor Hirohito, was so impressed by what he saw that he invited Funakoshi and his students to give a demonstration at the 1st Japan Athletic Exhibition in 1922. This demonstration helped broaden interest in karate.

 

In 1926 Gichin Funakoshi established the Tokyo University karate dojo. As interest in karate grew Funakoshi revised aspects of it make it accessible for more people and more suitable for teaching in schools in Japan. He strengthened the focus on empty-hand training and calasnetics. Funakoshi also wanted students to understand that karate is more than sport and physical exercise. he wanted them to understand the 'Way' or 'Do'. Beyond victory and defeat is the development of character, which affects how you respond to victory or defeat. For example, the Japanese proverb 'Fall down seven times, get up eight' is relevant to our lives. What kind of person has that resilience to get up again to continue?

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In the 1930's the Shotokan syllabus included training with weapons such as bo, sai, tonfa and nunchaku. Photographs exist of Funakoshi training with Bo and sai and of his son Yoshitaka demonstrating techniques of Bo and Nunchaku. The sources of these weapons skills was most likely Shinken Taira (1897 - 1970). Taira moved to Tokyo in 1922 where he learned karate from Gichin Funakoshi for a number of years. Taira also received instruction in weapons from other masters - Kenwa Mabuni (1889 - 1952) and Yabaku Moden (1882 - 1941). The movements of weapons and karate are similar. It is easier to learn one with the other.

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Masatoshi Nakayama (1913 - 1987) began training under Gichin Funakoshi in 1932. He continued to learn from Yoshitaka during the 1940's. Under both Gichin and Yoshitaka karate evolved to become more dynamic with a strong focus on empty-hand and less on weapons. Nakayama himself continued this evolution when he became Chief Instructor of the Japanese Karate Association (JKA) in 1955. He was active is spreading the understading and practice of Shotokan Karate all over the world. He also concentrated on karate and its applications. Although he referred to defences against weapons and the training of JKA instructors included exposure to using weapons, the focus was on empty-hand karate.

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The above information is taken from Shotokan Karate A Precise History by Harry Cook (New Expanded Edition May 2009).

Any errors are due to RKC, which we will happily correct.

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Our syllabus is based upon the one produced by Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa who was taught directly by Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama. Sensei Kanazawa developed his own syllabus when he separated from the JKA to form his own organisation. That syllabus was adopted by Sensei Sahans when he formed the Amateur Shotokan Karate Association (ASKA). ICHIGOKAI has modified this syllabus to include a few kata not traditionally associated with Shotokan karate but add breadth to our training. We have also included the requirements to learn Kobujutsu from senior grades onwards.