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There are wall paintings within the pyramids of Egypt, which depict warriors fighting.
These paintings, some 4,000 years old would look very familiar to any student of the Art of Karate
as they depict unarmed warriors, one performing a rising block. It is clear that some form of unarmed
fighting has existed as long as humanity itself.
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| Bohdidarma |
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Some 2,000 years ago, the Indian Zen Monk, Bohdidarma
(Daruma in Japanese) walked from India to China and settled in a wooded area beneath a small hill. In a cave,
he sat and meditated for a period of 9 years. Most of the Monks could not follow his methods so he developed
a system of physical exercises based upon the Bhuddist Sutras to assist his followers develop the physical
strength necessary to gain the mental discipline for meditation. Thus, Shaolin Kung Fu was born.
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More recently, in the Ryukyu Archipelago Around 1400, the Okinawan King, Sho Hashi united the Islands and banned the
use of all weapons on Okinawa. It is without doubt that this ban meant that the indigenous fighting systems of the Island
were developed in secrecy or died out altogether.
Two systems developed side by side on Okinawa. The peasant classes, in order to protect themselves and their property from
bandits, developed a system of fighting using their everyday tools. The rice flail, the fisherman's spear, the farmer's sickle etc.
These arts became known as Kobudo. Kobudo has two meanings: Ko means Old or ancient. Budo means Martial Arts. Kobu means weapons,
Do means Way therefore Kobudo can mean both, old Martial Arts or Weapon Ways.
The upper classes of Okinawan Society appear to developed their own weaponless way of defending themselves which they called simply "Te"
or Hand. In the 16th Century, the Islands were invaded and annexed for Japan by the Satsuma Clan and again the use of weapons were banned.
This undoubtedly forced the development of both systems into secrecy.
Okinawa was known as a great trading nation and had traded openly with both Japan and China for a great deal of time. It is believed that
because of this trade, the Chinese systems of unarmed fighting had some influence on the development of Te and even had an Okinawan system
named after them as "Chinese Hands" was practiced into the 19th Century.
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By 1868, the systems of Kobudo and Te had a high degree of efficiency and both systems seem
to have survived side by side, often merging around the edges. In this year, Funakoshi Gichin was born. A rather sickly child, his parents did
not expect him to live much beyond his teens, thus, his parents and grand parents seem to have lavished attention on him and, at a very early age,
asked a family friend to teach him "Te".
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| Gichin Funakoshi |
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| Ankoh Azato |
| Funakoshi studied "Chinese Hands" or "Karate" under two masters. Ankoh Azato and Ankoh Itosu.
It was Itosu who developed the Pinan or Heian Kata as a method of teaching Karate to ever increasing numbers.
In the late 19th Century, The Japanese Government introduced Conscription into the Armed Forces. The Medical examiners on Okinawa noticed that many
of the conscripts had good physiques. This lead to the introduction of Karate into the physical education system and Karate's secretive past was gone.
Funakoshi, a school teacher by this time was instrumental in developing the program. |
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| Ankoh Itosu |
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A respected School teacher as well as a distinguished KarateKa, Funakoshi was asked to give a demonstration
for the Crown Prince Hirohito who stopped off in Okinawa before beginning a tour of Europe and the USA.
This demonstration gave rise to others and Funakoshi was asked to demonstrate Karate in Tokyo in 1921. At this time, he was instrumental in bringing about the change
in Karate's name. The Ideogram used meaning "Chinese" (also pronounced Kara) was changed to the Ideogram for Empty. Thus the more familiar name, Karate - "Empty Hands"
came into being.
After this demonstration, Funakoshi was inundated with requests for information and instruction in the Art. Thus, Mr Funakoshi abandoned plans to return to Okinawa and
began accepting students in Tokyo.
Mr Funakoshi was a classical scholar as well as a Karate Master and would write Poetry under the pen name of "Shoto" which means pine waves. He chose this name, as he would
often go for walks in the Pine Forest that covered the slopes of Mount Torao on Okinawa.
Although the initial years in trying to establish Karate in Japan were tough, Mr Funakoshi was fortunate in that University Students and several businessmen became students.
By 1936, there was enough money raised by the students to purchase a piece of land and build the first purpose built Karate Dojo in Japan. Mr Funakoshi's students call this
building "Shoto's Place" - "Shotokan". Mr Funakoshi never called his Art anything except Karate but others, in order to classify Funakoshi's style from the other styles that
were making their way from Okinawa started calling his style the Shotokan Ryu or - the style they practise at Shoto's Place.
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Funakoshi's Second son, Yoshitaka, himself a student of Karate, took on the main teaching role at the Shotokan and the
lengthening of the stances is accredited to him as well as the introduction of "Fudo Dachi" - the rooted stance. Unfortunately, Yoshitaka was not a well man and suffered from
Tuberculosis. This lead to an early death in 1943. In 1945, the Shotokan was completely destroyed during an air raid.
After the War, Many of Japan's traditional Martial Arts were banned for time by the Occupation Forces however, Karate escaped the ban and soon, Mr Funakoshi was asked to give
lessons at various Armed Forces Bases in Japan. It became clear to him that, if Karate was to become an International "sport" (a term Funakoshi disliked) a governing body would be
needed. He tried, unsuccessfully, to form a National Body that would unite all the various styles of Karate however, only his own students were to follow his lead. In 1955, the
Japan Karate Association was incorporated by the Ministry of Education with Master Funakoshi as Chief Technical Director.
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| Yoshitaka Funakoshi |
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| Masatoshi Nakayama |
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About this time, one of the Students at Takushoku University was beginning to build quite a reputation and he came under the wing
of Funakoshi's senior student - Masatoshi Nakayama. This student was a young Hirokazu Kanazawa.
Following a disagreement about the direction of Karate, Some of the Senior students of Mr Funakoshi left the JKA in 1956 to form the Japan Karate Do Shotokai.
Master Funakoshi, remained as head of both organizations and kept teaching until his death at the age of 89 in April 1957. The Words:
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| Hirokazu Kanazawa |
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"KARATE NI SENTE NASHI"
"There is no first attack in Karate"
Are carved upon his tomb.
In the October of 1957, the first All Japan Karate Championships were held. The Japan Karate Association had earlier inaugurated its first Instructor's Training Program and one of the First
Instructors on this program was looking to win the Championships for the JKA. This was the Young Hirokazu Kanazawa. Unfortunately, a week before the championships, during a practice bout, he
sustained a fractured wrist. Bitterly disappointed, he faced the fact that he would have to miss out on the Championships that year. A visit from his mother was to prove a significant event
in his life. Traveling many miles from the family home in Iwate Prefecture, Mrs Kanazawa asked her son if he only did Karate with one hand? Telling her that you use the whole body in Karate,
he decided to enter the competition.
Hirokazu Kanazawa, at the age of 26, not only entered the Championships with a broken arm, but won the Kumite Event making him the first All Japan Champion. The Legend was born. In the following
year, he took both the Kata and Kumite Titles making him the first Grand Champion. This feat has only been repeated a further 5 times in the history of the event.
Hirokazu Kanazawa, with a charismatic personality and great technical skill was quickly becoming a popular teacher of Karate. As a graduate of the JKA Instructor's Program, he was assigned to spread
Karate abroad and was sent, firstly to Hawaii, then to Europe. In 1965, he was sent to Great Britain and became Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. In 1968, he returned to Japan
to take on two posts, one as Head of the JKA's International Division and one as a director of the JKA. He was given the job of coaching the Japanese Team for the Second World Championships which were
to be held in Paris. Needless to say, the Japanese Team emerged victorious.
In 1972, the International Section of the JKA was named the Shotokan Karate International. Mr Kanazawa was still the appointed Head. In 1977, after a disagreement, Mr Kanazawa Resigned from the Japan
Karate Association and formed the Shotokan Karate Do International Federation. As Mr Kanazawa has said, his policy was never to persuade students to leave and follow him but, he had an open door policy.
If people wished to train with him, they were welcome to do so. Such was the reputation of the man, many people did want to train with him. Such is his reputation as an international Instructor,
Mr Kanazawa still spends over 6 months of every year traveling abroad to teach. Despite his busy schedule, Mr Kanazawa still visits the UK twice a year.
In 1987, Master Nakayama, the second Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association passed away without leaving a logical successor to take his place. This left the JKA in turmoil and a nine year court
case ensued between two factions over the right to call themselves the JKA. This court case split the JKA and fragmented its membership throughout the world. Quietly, the SKIF continued to grow and Master
Kanazawa continued to travel the world to spread the Shotokan Message.
Now in his seventies, Mr Kanazawa still shows the mastery of technique and physical ability that have been his hallmarks throughout his life. Still supremely fit, he delights in visiting his Shotokan "Family"
throughout the world.
In 2000, he was awarded the rank of Ju Dan - 10th Dan and is the only Shotokan Master alive to hold the rank. The SKIF now finds itself with branches in more countries than the JKA with over 2,500,000 members
in over 106 countries. From humble beginnings, the SKIF has risen to become the largest single style organization of its kind in the world.
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