GGichin Funakoshi is widely reguarded as the father of modern karate and is certianly the father of Japanese karate. He was an Okinawan school teacher and an enthusiastic karate-ka . He began karate training in his childhood, primarily with Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Itosu. Shotokan is derived from the contrasting styles of Shorin and Shorei.
Funakoshi was selected to give the first demonstrations of karate outside Okinawa. They occurred in 1917 and in 1922. His demonstrations were well received and there was much interest in the introduction of karate to Japan. Funakoshi remained in Japan after the second demonstration.
Our style is called Shotokan as a tribute to Master Funakoshi, who used the pen name Shoto on poetry and calligraphy. Shoto means waving pine and Kan means hall.. Funakoshi selected this name because he enjoyed hearing the sound of the wind through the pine trees as he took evening walks in Okinawa.
In 1936 Funakoshi built his first dojo in Tokyo . His students named it the Shotokan, meaning Hall of the waving pines. Funakoshi did not actually name his style of karate, but the name of the dojo came to be associated with the style itself.
Funakoshi continually edited, revised and updated the various kicks, punches and body dynamics until the day he died in 1957.
Karate is the defense of one's self from an attack without the aid of any weapon. It is the use of one's own body in a perfectly controlled and precise manner performing highly skilled and intricate movements in a moment of an attack by one or more persons.
Shotokan students use strong stances with punching and kicking techniques. In each technique they combine breathing,timing, muscle control, and momentum to produce the greatest speed and power of which they are capable.
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