Customer Reviews

Karate Do My Way of Life

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Funakoshi Gichen was many things to many people. Although today he is for the most part remembered and respected as the founder of the style we know today as Shotokan, Funakoshi Gichen was also a school Teacher, a family man, a man educated in the Confucian classics, a practitioner and teacher of Karate, and an Okinawan who undertook the task of bringing the art of Karate-Do from its native island of Okinawa to the Japanese Mainland in his later years.

Remarkably, Funakoshi lived through several important eras in Okinawa and Japan's history. As a young man he recounts the impact of Meiji-era forced modernization, where men holding public posts were required to cut their traditional top-knots. His accounts of training with Master Itosu and Master Azato and stories of their explaits are some of the most specific known to us. Funakoshi also describes the sacrifices he made to continue practicing Karate while on Okinawa, at one point turning down a promotion because the travel would have separated him from his karate teachers. We learn how Yasutsune Itosu was instrumental in helping make karate a part of the physical culture curriculum in Okinawa's schools, and later how Funakoshi's background as an educator and karateka made him the ideal candidate to travel to Japan to demonstrate karate.

Funakoshi describes how his extended family of 10 in Okinawa struggled to make ends meet on his teacher's salary of 3 yen a month, scraping by only because of the diligence of his wife, who grew vegetables and wove cloth to help make ends meet. His wife he tells us, also became adept at performing Karate kata, which she practiced to raise her spirits when tired (page 39)!

Funakoshi initially came to Japan to demonstrate karate, was invited to the Kodokan by Jigoro Kano and ended up teaching Kano some basic manouvers which are now included in the Judo curriculum. Perhaps it was his exposure to Judo that led him to stay in Japan and undertake the task of teaching Karate with the hope of popularizing it among the masses. Maybe he was just a teacher at heart, and he finally realized an opportunity to combine the two subjects he enjoyed--teaching and karate.

In the beginning of his stay in Japan, Funakoshi started with virtually nothing, taking employment as a groundskeeper and watchman, at times having to pawn his personal belongings for basic necessities. His efforts did eventually pay off in spite of his evidently gentlemanly good manners and lack of hard-driving salesmanship. Keio University took an interest, with Takushoku not far behind...and from here, the establishment of Funakoshi's karate began to take root in Japan.

Throughout the book author Funakoshi mentions specific events and people, peppering his writing with funny and interesting anecdotes. A first class view of a specific period in time during which an art travelled from a village in Okinawa, to Japan, then world.

This is probably the most important book for any student of Shotokan karate-do to read, and is extremely helpful for a student of ANY karate style or method. I first read this book when I was beginning my training, and besides Funakoshi's biography already being a very fascinating read, I found the insight into the mind of the greatest karate master in modern history to be extremely useful in understanding what Karate-Do REALLY is. (It's interesting even more still because Funakoshi doesn't really speak much on the spirit of karate-do, but reading about his life gave me more insight into the Do than any speech on the subject probably ever could.)

I was overwhelmed by the feeling this book and this man generated. Even though the book resembles a brief of his memoirs, Funakoshi communicates the attitude, mood, and a small glimpse of the mindset one should bring to the study of karate. One might find the humble nature of this man's writings subtly profound in many aspects. The expectations I had before reading the tome were cleverly diverted, and my appreciation of karate of which I am a student grew immeasurably. I find myself recalling points he mentioned during my training sessions, other tasks in my daily routine, and even personal situations.

For anyone who believes that they have made a lifelong committment to the Martial Arts, you should read this book. Master Funakoshi intertwines the important spiritual and physical components of a life in "the way" with the story of his own personal life. One of the things that I liked most was that he went through some of the same thought processes that I have during my training. If you are truly a student of the Martial Arts (whether it is Karate or not) this book belongs in your personal library.

Ginchin Funakoshi has been credited with modernizing karate. He is also the first to open a dojo (karate school) in Tokyo. Whether he is actually the father of modern Karate or not is not relevant because he is truly a recognized Grand-Master. This is his story of both his life, karate, and the philosophies the martial artist follows. He also explodes some of the more famous myths that seem to surround karate and other martial arts such as ripping a man's heart out with your bare hands.

Funakoshi writes about his masters and the differences between karate then and now. He writes about the change of his culture during the late nineteenth century and the resistance with the Samarai families. He explains the dedication and hardships he endured to open Shotokan (the first karate school). He does not weave a tale of woe. He actually understates the case and leaves it to the reader to grasp the obvious. It is this understating that is the true beauty of this book. He writes about having to hurt a would be attacker and then feeling that he failed in his quest of martial arts. Funakoshi states time and again the artist does not use his art to harm and he feels that it is true failure to lower oneself to the use of violence. His anecdotes is how a true master is able to avoid physical conflict.

This book is a great read for both the martial artist and non-artist. I am a student of karate, but not Shotokan and this book is incredibly important to me. This is not a how to, but the story of the develpoment of a grand-master. Highly Recommended.

Although I practice several martial arts, shotokan karate is not one of them. I nonetheless wanted to read this book as Funakoshi was a master and I thought his writings might have insights useful to any martial artist. I was not disappointed.

The book is not organized chronologically very well with several decades glossed over. Funakoshi clearly decided not to focus on the minute details of his life but instead highlighted his life's journey through the martial arts. Despite the sparse writing, a reader gains a tremendous respect not only for shotokan karate, but even more so for the man who took it upon himself to spread it so broadly.

When one studies several martial arts rather than a single system, one often views things a bit differently. One issue that I have wondered about is why do some martial arts become international to be practiced worldwide while others, often just as effective in terms of self-defense, remain obscure. If nothing else, Funakoshi's book provides a few clues to the answer - by a belief in your art, unbendable determination and years of hard, hard work.

This autobiography of the Father of Modern Day Karate exposes the character behind the legend and may surprise the student raised in awe of a superior teacher. Using anectdotes of past masters and lessons in his own life, Funakoshi is able to explain the philosophy of karate clearly and concisely. Anyone attempting Shodan in Shotokan Karate should definately read this book so that they can read into the basic techniques and understand that karate's ultimate goal is tranquility and not to beat the hell out of anyone who confronts you!

I am also the karate player, but still not the good one. Before, I used to think that karate is only the matter of punching and kicking. Anyway after I have a good chance to read this book, I know more about the meaning of Karate-do. And I think it's really a good book not only for the karate player, but also for everybody. Although sensei Funakoshi was very old when he wrote this book, I think it doesn't matter. He wrote it with his sole from his 90-year experience.

This book is said to be the auto-biography of master Gichin Funakoshi. In his book Funakoshi describes how he was introduced to karate, how he had to sneak to his master, because Karate was forbidden by the Government. He tells short stories that happened to him (like: being attacked by thieves) and how useful Karate turned out to be through his life.

As the title says, Funakoshi's idea was that Karate trains your body and mind and is thus a way of life. Karate in his opinion is not about fighting. At the back of the book he even points out that winning 100 of 100 battles is not as praiseworthy as subduing an enemy without fighting. Karate is not fighting, it is a martial art. It is not about being strong and though against others, but against oneself.

If you believe that Karate is a fighting sport. If you believe that the tournaments and winning is all what this art is about, by all means avoid this book, for you will not understand its message. If however you are really open-minded and understand what I wrote above, you are up for an interesting read. And I believe that every Karateka should be interested in the origin of the art. That is what you will find here.

No techniques, fighting guidelines and things like this. Just the interesting stories of a gentle and reasonable Taoist that Funakoshi was.

`Karate-Do: My Way of Life' is an excellent book by Gichin Funakoshi where he recounts various events and experiences from his life. Rather than being a traditional autobiography it is more like a memoir where he shares his training, beliefs and theories on life and Karate. He shares assorted stories about his early training and the truth behind some of the myths that have sprung up around him, his fellow Karateka and his martial art in general. It also looks at the development of Karate from a secret martial art practised by him and a few others during the early years of the Meiji restoration to it's later status as an internationally renowned art. This book is very easy to read and you can see this master is both wise and humble and many martial artists can learn a great deal from him (whether Karate is their chosen art or not). This also sheds some light on life in Japan during the period of the authors life and makes for fascinating reading if you are interested in Japan in general. There is also a middle photo section showing Funakoshi during his later life. It pays to be aware that this book has no specifics about Karate techniques (you will need another book if that is what you are after) but it does look at Funakoshi's thoughts of life, training and the experiences of his life and overall it makes for fascinating and enlightening reading.

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