Karate do kyohan gichin funakoshi biography

Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) was a renowned martial artist and the founder of Shotokan Karate, one of the most popular styles of karate today. He was born in Shuri, Okinawa, which was then an independent kingdom, and began his martial arts training at a young age under various Okinawan masters.

Karate do kyohan gichin funakoshi biography

He is often referred to as the “father of modern karate.”

Early Life

Gichin Funakoshi was born on November 10, 1868, in Shuri, Okinawa, which was then a separate kingdom known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. At a young age, Funakoshi began studying the local Okinawan martial arts styles, including Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū.

Teachers

Funakoshi trained under several prominent karate masters.

The most important teachers were Ankō Asato and Ankō Itosu. According to Funakoshi’s own account in his autobiography “Karate-Do: My Way of Life,” he trained under Matsumura Sōkon for several years. It is also said that Funakoshi trained under Arakaki Seishō.

Itosu, in particula