Karate is not a game of points, weight classes or showy demonstrations. It is a martial art and way of life that trains a practitioner to be peaceful; but if conflict is unavoidable, true karate dictates taking down an opponent with a single blow.  Such an action requires strength, speed, focus, control. But these physical aspects are only part...

Everyone who trains in karate must know the dojo kun.  At the end of each training session whether it be at the dojo, after class, or after a tournament, which I always call “Special Training” the dojo kun is repeated all together by the students as a reminder of why we train.  The dojo kun states the basic philosophy of karate, according...

Gichin Funakoshi laid out the Twenty Precepts of Karate,(or Niju kun) which form the foundations of the art, before some of his students established the JKA. Within these twenty principles, based heavily on Bushido and Zen, lies the Philosophy of Shotokan. The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience,...

Rank: 8th DanBirthdate: Mar 24, 1939Birthplace: TokyoUniversity: Asia UniversityStarted Karate: 3rd year of high schoolMotto: "Always remember the mind and body are one"Ueki Masaaki (植木 政明 Ueki Masaaki, born 24 March 1939 in Tokyo) is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate.He started karate at the age of sixteen, during his third year of high school under...

Date of Birth : October 4th 1924 Current Rank 10th Dan JKA/WF HQ JAPAN Born in Aichi prefecture. Oct. 4th 1924 After fininshing School he entered the Koa Junior College now renamed the Asia University in . Apr. 1942 and joined the Karate club under the tutelage of Yosiaki Hayashi Sensei of the Shotokan In 1943 he became a student of Shotokan training...

Carrying On the Spirit and Tradition of Funakoshi Gichin's Work. Master Nakayama Masatoshi had martial arts in his blood. Born in April 1913 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, he was a descendant of the Sanada clan, in the Nagano region. His ancestors were highly-skilled instructors of kenjutsu (the art of swordsmanship). Upon entering Takushoku University...

Funakoshi Gichin was born on Nov 10, 1868 in Yamakawa, Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture. He was of samurai lineage, from a family which in former times had been vassals of Ryukyu Dynasty nobles.By age 11 he had already made a name for himself in Ryukyu-style martial arts. Beginning his training under Master Azato Anko, it wasn’t long before he equaled his...

What is Karate-do ?Apart from the formal introduction of karate and its history, to me karate –do is a way to “self realization “.Through the practice of karate, we come to know what is good and bad for our karate, later what is good and bad for ourselves. With hard training and of course competitions too, we come to know how our body and mind responds...