Gichin Funakoshi

This introduction to karate teaches both the physical training and the mental philosophy necessary for karate mastery. The book also provides the complete history of karate.

There are certain books in which every true martial artists should have in their library. A few of those books are "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do", "Karate-Do Kyohan", "Zen in the Martial Arts", "The Book of Five Rings", "The Art of War", and last but not least, Karate-Do Nyumon. Gichin Funakoshi has a view of Karate-Do that most practitioners do not see. He wants it more of a way of life...a whole exercise of mind, body, and spirit. In this book, he expands on this belief and even includes the almost forgotten (but important) Ten-No-Kata. It is short and worth the study. This book contains a lot of "Do" as well as technique. Funakoshi is the "man" in my book, along with Lee, Inosanto, Ueshiba, Rhee, and Hatsumi.

Gichin Funakoshi is considered the father of modern karate. In the 1920s, he wrote the first of several classic karate texts, culminating his career with the publication of Karate-do Kyohan, which remains among the most important and influential works on karate today. The Kyohan, however, evolved from Karate Jutsu, a much earlier work. In the formative writings of the Jutsu, Funakoshi set out the philosophy and forms that he would practice and refine for the rest of his life. As the Kyohan's earliest version, Karate Jutsu has attained legendary status. Legions of enthusiastic martial arts practitioners have sought out the original Japanese version, and pirated English-language editions have circulated for years.

Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) is known throughout the world as one of karate's great masters. Born in Okinawa, he began training in karate as a child. Also educated in the Confucian classics, he became a schoolteacher early in life. In 1922, he demonstrated the then-secret Okinawan art on the Japanese mainland, which led to karate's introduction to the rest of Japan and subsequently the rest of the world. Funakoshi devoted the remainder of his life to this traditional sport and wrote several classics on the subject.

Gichin Funakoshi, the father of karate, once said that "the ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants". To support his life-long stance and offer guidance to future practitioners, he penned his now legendary "Twenty Principles". While the principles themselves have circulated for years, a translation of the accompanying commentary has never been published. This translation is aimed at martial arts enthusiasts in general and followers of karate in particular, The original text was written as terse axioms, the precepts of which are open to various interpretations; "There is no first attack in Karate" has occasioned endless discussion about its true meaning. Many such unresolved questions are answered in the commentary, which is filled with philosophical musings, historical episodes, and advice for anyone seeking a better way. The text is translated by John Teramoto, a karate practitioner and respected translator in the field and is accompanied by rare photographs and original calligraphy.