| ABOUT SHOTOKAN KARATE Traditional Japanese Shotokan style |
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Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) |
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| Shotokan (¾¾Åó´Û) is developed from various martial arts by master Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. Funakoshi was the man who 'officially' brought karate from Okinawa to mainland Japan. "Shoto" was the pen name Funakoshi used in his poetry, which means "pine waves", while "kan" means house. Hence "shotokan" was the name of the hall where he trained his students.
Funakoshi had trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan karate of the time: Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu. After years of intense study of both styles, Master Funakoshi arrived at a new understanding of martial arts, and a simpler style was created, that combined the ideals and modified the styles. The karate that he transmitted to his students reflects the changes made in the art by Anko Itosu, including the Heian/Pinan kata series.
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