A Brief History of Shotokan Karate

Gichin Funakoshi ( 1868 – 1957 ) was one of the Okinawa karate masters who introduced karate to Japan in 1921.

Shotokan is named after Gichin Funakoshi's pen name, Shoto, meaning “Pine Waves” the movement that is caused when wind blows through Pine forests. “Kan’ means training hall, or house, thus Shotokan referred to the “house of Shoto.” This name was coined by Funakoshi's students when they posted a sign reading “Shoto kan” above the entrance of their dojo.

In 1939, Funakoshi built the first Shōtōkan dojo in Tokyo. He changed the Japanese written characters for “karate” to mean “empty hand” instead of the Okinawan “China hand” to avoid confusion about the origins of karate. Also, he thought the use of “empty” made sense because it emphasized that karate involved no weapons and a clear mind.

In 1949 he supervised the creation of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). He remained its honorary head until his death in 1957.

After World War II, Funakoshi's surviving students formalized his teachings.

Funakoshi’s most enduring legacy, however, is his Niju kun, or “Twenty Principles”, essentially a set of guidelines to students on how to become better people.

Shotokan Karate in South Africa has origins that go back to the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in the 1960’s, the Shotokan Karate International ( SKI ) and the World Shotokan Karate-do Federation (WSKF) organizations in Japan.

The Shotokan Karate organization in South Africa was established in December 2010) When the organizations Shihankai controlling group unanimously decided to break from all Japanese control and become an autonomous organization with out any direct affiliation to any other international Shotokan Karate organization.

Shotokan Karate South Africa endeavors to keep as close as possible to Gichin Funakoshi’s Shotokan teachings and way of Karate.

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