Born a frail child, many members of his family felt that he was destined for a short and uneventful life. Little did his family know just how long, and how important his life would really be.

It was during his early primary school years that he was first introduced to the study of "Tode" or "Chinese Hand" under Master Yasutsune Azato as his family felt that by studying the art of karate it might help to strengthen him physically and thus improve the quality of his life.

As a good student, Gichin Funakoshi flourished under the tutelage of Master Yasutsune Bushi Azato and travelled to his home each evening to practice karate. Later Master Azato would introduce him to another important teacher under whom he would also study, Master Yasutsune Bushi Itosu. It was these two men more than any others, who would have the greatest impact on his life.

It was while studying karate that Gichin Funakoshi decided to become a school teacher, and so after passing the qualifying examination, he took charge of his first primary school class in 1888. It was a profession he was to follow for more than thirty years.

A high point in Gichin Funakoshi's karate took place on March 6, 1921 when he had the honour of demonstrating the art of "Okinawan te" to then Crown Prince Hirohito during a visit he made to Okinawa. Then, in the spring of 1922, Gichin Funakoshi travelled to Tokyo where he had been invited to present his art of Tode at the First National Athletic Exhibition in Tokyo, which had been organized by the Ministry of Education. After the demonstration he was strongly urged by several eminent groups and individuals to remain in Japan, and indeed he never did return to live in Okinawa, he stayed among his own people at the prefect Ural students dormitory at Suidobata, Tokyo. He lived in a small room alongside the entrance and would clean the dormitory during the day when the students were in their classes. At night, he would teach them karate.

As it had in Okinawa, the educational system of Japan was to become a major factor in the spread of karate. By 1924 Gichin Funakoshi had started to introduce karate to several of the local universities, first at Keio, followed by Chuo, Tokyo, and Waseda to name but a few. It was through these universities that he was able to reach a much larger audience and this contributed greatly to the growing popularity of karate.

Needless to say, many karate clubs flourished on mainland Japan. Three years later karate was organized on a club level by three students: Matsuda Katsuichi, Himotsu Kazumi and Nakachi K. Funakoshi.  Funakoshi also organized karate clubs in Keio University and in the Shichi- Tokudo, a barracks situated in a corner of the palace grounds

Funakoshi visited the Shichi-Tokudo every other day to teach and was always accompanied by Otsuka, reputed to be one of the most brilliant of his students in Japan proper. Otsuka's favourite kata was the Naihanchi, which he performed before the royalty of Japan with another outstanding student named Oshima, who performed the Pinan kata (Heian).

One day, when Otsuka was teaching at the Shichi-Tokudo, a student, Kogura, from Keio University who had a san-dan (3rd-degree black belt) in kendo (Japanese fencing) and also a black belt in karate, took a sword and faced Otsuka. All the other students watched to see what would happen. They felt that no one could face the shinken (open blade) held by a kendo expert.

Otsuka calmly watched Kogura and the moment he made a move with his sword, Otsuka swept him off his feet. As this was unrehearsed, it attested to the skill of Otsuka. It also bore out Funakoshi's philosophy that kata practice was more than sufficient in times of need.

Funakoshi sensei was not only a genius in martial arts, but he was also a literary talent, and he signed all of his works "Shoto" which was his pen name. Hence, the dojo where he taught came to be known as "Shoto's school" or "Shoto's kan". Funakoshi sensei had combined the techniques and katas of the two major Okinawan styles to form his own style of karate, as a result, most Shoto-based karate-do includes the powerful techniques of the Shorei style of karate, as well as the lighter more flexible movements of the Shorin style of karate.

The original Dojo  

In the beginning Funakoshi sensei taught only sixteen katas, they were: Kankudai, Kankusho, five Heian kata (known in Okinawa as Pinan kata), three Tekki kata (known on Okinawa as Naihfanchi), Wanshu, (later to be known as Empi), Chinto, (later to be known as Gankaku), Passai, (later to be known as Bassai), Jitte, Jion, and Seisan (later to be known as Empi), since he felt that sixteen katas were more than enough for one lifetime.

After the end of the Second World War, karate was slowly revived, and a major step forward took place when the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was established in 1949, with Funakoshi sensei appointed by the organization as its first Chief Instructor due to his advanced skills and leadership capabilities. Although Funakoshi sensei was famous as a great karate master he was also acknowledged as a very humble man.

During his lifetime he emphasized three major aspects of karate-do above all else, basic technique, kata, and the development of spiritual values leading to the perfection of the character of karate's participants.

Gichin Funakoshi passed away in 1957 at the age of 87 (not 89 as previously thought).  Aside from being the inspiration behind all Shoto-based karate and introducing it to Japan, he also wrote "Ryukyu Kempo: Karate-do" and "Karate-Do Kyohan" - The Master Text.  His autobiography is "Karate-Do: My Way of Life". These books and his art are a fitting legacy for this unassuming and gentle man.

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