| Gichin Funakoshi is considered the father of modern karate-do (the "way" of karate). Mr. Funakoshi was born in 1868 on the island of Okinawa, where he dedicated the early part of his life to the study of martial arts and the profession of education. In 1917 he brought karate-do to Japan and over the next five decades dedicated his life to establishing it as one of Japan's major martial arts. He undertook the task of systematizing the training and performance of karate-do and wrote some of the earliest books on this martial art. Mr. Funakoshi is responsible for the spread of karate-do world-wide. He is especially well known for insisting that life of the karate-ka be a life of humility and service for oneself and one's students. His style was called "Shotokan" after his pen name. |
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