Shotokan Karate-Do History

JKA History :
The Japan Karate Association (JKA), headquartered in Tokyo, was founded
in 1948 by Master Gichin Funakoshi, the father of today's karate. JKA
now is the world's largest shotokan karate organization with affiliated
members in almost every country throughout the world. Karate History :
Though karate was first introduced to Japan during the 1920's, its
traditions in Okinawa are centuries old, and, like many Japanese and
Okinawan arts, its roots can be traced to ancient China.

Master Gichin Funakoshi, one of karates pioneers in its introduction to
Japan, was born in Shuri, Okinawa in the Fall of 1868, and it is he who
would have the greatest influence on the development of karate in the
Twentieth Century. Although a school teacher by profession, Master
Funakoshi was considered to be one of the more proficient karate
masters in Okinawa by the time he was in his early thirties. In 1902,
Master Gichin Funakoshi and his students put on the first formal public
demonstration of karate for Shintaro Ozawa, the commissioner of schools
for Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture. Ozawa was so impressed by this art
and the young men demonstrating it that he made it possible for
Funakoshi's karate to be included in the schools on a formal basis.
This action was against the wishes of many of the older karate teachers
on Okinawa. 1906 marked the first public demonstration of karate, but
it wasnt until 1913 that Master Funakoshi was finally able to organize
a demonstration team of approximately 25 men to travel around Okinawa
and demonstrate this art to the public.

Master Funakoshi was invited as the representative of the Okinawan Prefecture

to demonstrate at the Butokuden (the official center of all martial arts in Japan) in 1916
and in Kyoto, Japan in 1917, but there was little more than passing interest at these displays.

However, on March 6, 1921, the Crown Prince of Japan, Hirohito, visited Okinawa while

en route to Europe and witnessed a karate demonstration in Shuri Castles great hall. In the
early Spring of 1922, Master Funakoshi returned to Japan at the request
of the Ministry of Education to demonstrate at the first National
Athletic Exhibition in Tokyo. The martial arts community, particularly
Jigoro Kano (the founder of judo), and the educational community were
so impressed and so eager to learn that Master Funakoshi was convinced
to remain in Japan. After that exhibition, Master Funakoshi was
besieged by requests for him to stay on in Japan to teach karate. Two
of the people requesting that he stay were Hoan Kusugi, the popular
painter who later created the Shotokan Tiger, and Jigoro Kano. As a
result, the 53 year old Master Funakoshi migrated from his home to
teach and spread the art of karate to Japan. In 1925, Master Funakoshi
began gaining students and developing clubs at the various colleges and
universities in the Tokyo area.

In 1929, teachers and students in the Keio University's Karate Research Group

discussed the translation of the kanji for karate, and agreed to change the kanji

of karate to mean "empty hand." They contended that this new kanji was a better
representation of what karate had developed into. This change was
adopted over the protests of many Okinawans, but remains the accepted
translation to this day. Master Gichin Funakoshi was instrumental in
this movement through his publication of a series of newspaper articles
as well as his book, "Karate-do Kyohan". Originally, the symbol kara
had meant Tang, referring to the Tang Dynasty of China. Another
character for kara was chosen, which came from the Zen concept meaning
empty or rendering oneself empty. Te, of course, was both the Okinawan
and Japanese word for "hand." It was the consensus of the Keio research
group that these kanji characters more accurately represented the true
nature of karate as a method of character development through physical
training.

Eventually, this interpretation became the accepted definition. By the
late 1930's, the karate movement was gaining strength, with Master
Funakoshi having established and taught at more than 30 karate clubs on
college campuses and at commercial businesses. Karate clubs were
established, successively, at Keio University, Tokyo Imperial
University, Shoka University, Takushoku University, Waseda University,
Nihon College of Medicine, and other schools in the Tokyo area. When
World War II started, many karateka left to fight for their country,
and further development of karate as art was stymied. In 1945, with the
return of the country's male population, karate and budo were developed
and introduced into the public education system. Karate had thus become
a way of life in Japan. Immediately after the war, the karateka of
Japan began reorganizing. Their goal was to build a large, strong
organization. In May of 1948, the Nihon Karate Kyokai (the Japan Karate
Association) was officially organized, with Master Funakoshi named
chief instructor emeritus. Since Master Funakoshi was 81 years old,
Masatoshi Nakayama was chosen to handle the actual teaching and
Hidetaka Nishiyama was appointed chief of the instruction committee.
Master Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern karate, died on April 26,
1957. On his black, cross-shaped gravestone are the words

"Karate ni sente nashi" ["There is no first attack in karate"].