If there is a person thanks to whom karate today occupies a leading position in Japan, then this is Funakoshi Gichin. Meijin (master) was born in the central city of Okinawa Shuri Island and began his second life as a fighter for the official recognition of this sport only when he was 53 years old.
Early biography
Funakoshi Gichin was born in 1868 in a family of teachers known in Shuri. His grandfather taught the daughters of the village governor, owned a small allotment and had a privileged status. Father abused alcohol and squandered most of his property, so Gichin grew up in poverty.
The story of Funakoshi Gichin is very similar to the story of many great martial artists. He started out as a weak, sickly boy whom his parents brought to Yasutsune Itos to teach him karate. Dr. Tokashiki prescribed a treatment based on medicinal herbs that were supposed to strengthen his health.
Under the leadership of Azato and Itosu, Yasutsune Funakoshi blossomed. He became a good student. His other teachers, Arakaki and Sokon Matsumura, developed his potential and disciplined his mind.
Master Funakoshi Gichin himself later recalled that he got his first experience when he lived with his grandfather. While studying in elementary school, he trained under the guidance of the father of his classmate, who turned out to be the famous master of serine-ryu Yasutsune Azato.
Teaching
In 1888, Funakoshi became an assistant school teacher and then married. His wife, also involved in a local version of Chinese hand-to-hand combat, encouraged him to continue classes. In 1901, when this type of martial art was legalized in Okinawa, classes became mandatory in high schools. With the support of Azato and Itosu, Funakoshi announced that he was starting to learn karate. He was 33 years old.
Moving to Tokyo
After Funakoshi left Okinawa in 1922, he lived in a student dormitory in Suidobat in a small room near the entrance. In the afternoon, when students were in their classes, he was engaged in cleaning rooms and worked as a gardener. In the evenings, he taught them karate.
After a short time, he accumulated enough funds to open his first school in Meisuzuku. After that, his Setokan was opened in Medziro and he finally got a place where many students came from, such as Takagi and Nakayama from Nippon Karate Kyokai, Yoshida Takudai, Obata from Keio, Shigeru Egami from Waseda (his successor), Hironishi from Chuo, Noguchi from Waseda and Hironori Otsuka.
Karate Popularization
It is known that during Funakoshi Gichin's trips around Japan, during which he gave lectures and held demonstrations, he was always accompanied by Takeshi Shimoda, Yoshitaka (his son), Egami and Otsuka. In this case, the first two were his main instructors in the 30-40s.
Shimoda was an expert from the Nen-ryu-kendo school, and also studied ninjutsu, but after one of the rounds he became ill and died young in 1934. He was replaced by Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi, a man of excellent character who possessed high-class equipment. According to Shigeru Egami, there was no one else who could continue learning this karate style. Due to his youth and vigorous training methods (sometimes called hard strength training), he had a conflict with Otsuka Hironori. They say that he could not stand the hard training, so he left school to establish his own style of "Vado-ryu" ("Harmonious Way"). It is clear that this name refers to a conflict with Yoshitaka. The influence of the latter was very important for the future of setokan karate, but he died very early. In 1949, at the age of 39, he died of tuberculosis, which he had been ill with all his life.
Official recognition
The world of martial arts in Japan, especially since the beginning of the 20s. and until the early 40s, was influenced by ultranationalists. Many disdainful of everything that was not in this sense pure enough, calling it pagan and wild.
Funakoshi managed to overcome this prejudice and, finally, by 1941, he achieved official recognition of karate as one of the Japanese martial arts.
A lot of sports clubs flourished in the country. In 1924, this type of martial art was presented at Keio University in the first karate club. The following were Chuo, Waseda (1930), Hosei, Tokyo University (1929) and others. Another club was opened in the City-Tokudo barracks, located on the corner of the palace square.
Self-sufficiency
Funakoshi visited City Tokudo every day to teach setokan karate. Once, when training was conducted by Otsuka, a Kogur student from Keio University, who had a black belt of the 3rd degree in Japanese kendo fencing and a black belt in karate, took a sword and entered into battle with the trainer. Everyone watched what would happen. They felt that no one could resist a drawn sword in the hands of a kendo connoisseur. Otsuka calmly watched Kogura, and as soon as he made a movement with his weapon, he knocked him down. Since this was not rehearsed in advance, this confirmed his ability. This also confirmed the Funakoshi philosophy, according to which the practice of kata is more than enough for learning the technique of karate, and it is no less important than a trainer.
Clean style
However, in 1927, three men: Miki, Bo, and Hirayama decided that shadow fights alone were not enough and tried to imagine jiya-kumite (free fight). To conduct their matches, they developed protective clothing and used kendo masks . This allowed for full contact fights. Funakoshi heard about these fights, and when he failed to dissuade them from such attempts, which he considered humiliating for the art of karate-do, he stopped visiting City Tokudo. Neither he nor Otsuka appeared there again. It was after this event that Funakoshi banned sports sparring (the first competitions began to be held only after his death in 1958).
Education system
When Funakoshi Gichin arrived on the mainland, he taught 16 katas: 5 pinan, 3 naihanti, kusyanka-dai, kusyanka-se, seisan, patsai, vansu, tinto, jutte and jion. He taught his students basic techniques until they moved on to more complex techniques. In fact, at least 40 katas were included in the curriculum, later they were included in a limited edition of Shigeru Egami's monumental work “Karate-for-Specialist”. The training based on multiple repetition, which was established by Master Funakoshi, showed themselves very well. His students continued to demonstrate the most accurate type of karate of all taught.
Admirers and critics
Jigoro Kano, the founder of modern judo, once invited Gichina Funakoshi and friend Makoto Gima to perform in Kodokan. About 100 people watched the performance. Gima, who had studied with Yabu Kentsu in Okinawa in his youth, performed the nihanshu sedan, and Funakoshi performed the kosekun. Sensei Jigoro Kano watched the performance and asked Gichin about his tricks. He was very impressed and invited Funakoshi and Gima to dinner.
Despite all the efforts of Funakoshi to teach the true art of karate, his detractors were not without. Critics despised his insistence on kata and denounced what they called "soft" karate, which took too much time. Funakoshi insisted that training in one set of movements should last 3 years.
Tao man
Funakoshi Gichin was a humble man. He preached and practiced humility. Not as a virtue, but the humility of a person who knows the true value of things, full of life and awareness. He lived in peace with himself and with his brethren.
Whenever the name of a karate master Gichin Funakoshi is mentioned, it recalls the parable of “The Tao Man and the Little Man.”
One student once asked a teacher: “What is the difference between a Tao man and a small man?” Sensei replied: “It's simple. When a little man receives his first dan, he cannot wait to run home and scream loudly about it. Having received his second dan, he climbs onto the roofs of houses and speaks loudly to everyone about this. Having received the third dan, he jumps into his car and drives around the city, honking, and telling everyone he meets about his third dan. When a Tao man receives his first Dan, he will bow his head in gratitude. Having received the second, he will bow his head and shoulders. Having received the third, he will bow to the belt and quietly go along the wall so that no one sees him. ”
Funakoshi was a Tao man. He did not attach importance to competitions, fights or championships. He emphasized individual self-improvement. He believed in the general decency and respect with which one person relates to another. He was a master of craftsmen.
Funakoshi Gichin died in 1957 at the age of 89, humbly making his invaluable contribution to karate.
Heritage
In addition to a number of books on this type of martial art, the master wrote an autobiography "Karate: My Life Path."
Funakoshi Gichin outlined his philosophy in "20 principles of karate." Everyone who is trained in this type of martial art must study and comply with them in order to become better people.
Quotes by Gichina Funakoshi
- The ultimate goal of karate is not to win or lose, but to improve the character of its participants.
- Heard will be forgotten very quickly; but the knowledge acquired with the whole body will be remembered for the rest of his life.
- Only through training does a person learn about his weaknesses ... He who is aware of his weaknesses has control over himself in any situation.
- Seek perfection of character. Believe it. Go ahead. Respect others. Refrain from aggressive behavior.
- True karate is this: in everyday life, the mind and body must be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and during times of trial, a person must fully devote himself to the cause of justice.
- One whose spirit and mental strength are strengthened by a strong character will easily cope with all the obstacles in his path. Anyone who has suffered physical pain and suffering for years to learn one hit must be able to solve any problem, no matter how difficult it is to complete it. Only such a person can truly be said to have learned karate.
- Do not think that you must win during the battle. Think better that you must not lose.