Gichin Funakoshi is considered the father of modern karate and credited with being assigned the charge of taking karate to Japan. Funakoshi was from Okinawa. His penname was Shoto meaning pine waves. His students trained at a place called the Shotokan (place of Shoto) and eventually Funakoshi’s style became known as Shotokan. Approximately six million students practice Shotokan Karate world wide. This style is recognized by its powerful linear movements and low stances. Funakoshi’s Kata are listed in his master text ‘Karate-do Kyohan’. He believed that approximately two dozen katas should suffice for karate practitioners. Too few kata would not expose the practitioner to enough techniques and too many would not allow the mastering of technique. The master text should be consulted for more accurate details.

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Gichin Funakoshi was born in 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration. He trained under Yasutsune Itosu and Yasutsune Azato. Bushi Matsumura trained Azato and Itosu studied under Gusukuma.

Kara-te meaning: ‘te’ can be translated as hand and ‘kara’ means empty. ‘Kara’ is more complex than just empty; purging oneself of evil thoughts is ‘kara’. Being hollow like bamboo and unselfish is ‘kara’. The void of the vast universe is ‘kara’.