Shotokan Karate
Shotokan Karate was founded by Gichin Funakoshi in Okinawa, Japan. The name, Shoto-kan comes from it's origin as a organized school, Shoto (which means pine waves (as in when the wind blows through the pines) was Funakoshi's pen name & Kan is the word for house or hall. Funakoshi had simply called it Karate, his students gave the style the name Shotokan or house of pine.
Karate, as Funakoshi called his style means Empty (Kara) Hands (Te), Karate was not designed for offense but self defense.
Karate, as Funakoshi called his style means Empty (Kara) Hands (Te), Karate was not designed for offense but self defense.
Shotokan (松濤館流, Shōtōkan-ryū?) is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa [1] and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.
Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements (in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate) led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Motonobu Hironishi and Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single "Shotokan school", although they all bear Funakoshi's influence.
Gichin Funakoshi had trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan karate of the time: Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū. After years of study in both styles, Funakoshi created a simpler style that combined the ideals of the two.[5] He never named his style, however, always referring to it simply as "karate." Funakoshi's karate reflects the changes made in the art by Ankō Itosu, including the Heian/Pinan kata series. Funakoshi changed the names of some of the kata in an effort to make the Okinawan kata names easier to pronounce in the Japanese Honshū dialect.
In 1924, Funakoshi adopted the Kyū / Dan rank system and the uniform (keikogi) developed by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo.[17] This system uses colored belts (obi) to indicate rank. Originally, karate had only three belt colors: white, brown, and black (with ranks within each). The original belt system, still used by many Shotokan schools, is:
* 8th rising to 4th kyū: white
* 3rd rising to 1st kyū: brown
* 1st and higher dan: black
Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements (in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate) led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Motonobu Hironishi and Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single "Shotokan school", although they all bear Funakoshi's influence.
Gichin Funakoshi had trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan karate of the time: Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū. After years of study in both styles, Funakoshi created a simpler style that combined the ideals of the two.[5] He never named his style, however, always referring to it simply as "karate." Funakoshi's karate reflects the changes made in the art by Ankō Itosu, including the Heian/Pinan kata series. Funakoshi changed the names of some of the kata in an effort to make the Okinawan kata names easier to pronounce in the Japanese Honshū dialect.
In 1924, Funakoshi adopted the Kyū / Dan rank system and the uniform (keikogi) developed by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo.[17] This system uses colored belts (obi) to indicate rank. Originally, karate had only three belt colors: white, brown, and black (with ranks within each). The original belt system, still used by many Shotokan schools, is:
* 8th rising to 4th kyū: white
* 3rd rising to 1st kyū: brown
* 1st and higher dan: black
The Shotokan Tiger Symbol
When a student of karate hears the term “Shotokan Tiger,” one image comes to mind: the traditional symbol of the tiger inside the circle which has become representative of Shotokan Karate.
That symbol is properly called the “Tora no Maki,” or the Tiger Scroll.
The drawing was originally created by a Japanese man named Hoan Kusugi who was a friend and student of Funakoshi. The character up in the northeast quadrant of the circle is part of the artist’s signature.
Kusugi was reportedly instrumental in convincing Funakoshi to teach karate in Japan. He also was the man who first convinced Funakoshi to write his knowledge of karate into a book, and promised him that if he would, he would design the book and make a drawing specifically to illustrate the book cover.
“Ryukyu Karate Kenpo,” Funakoshi’s first book about karate, was written in 1922, but the plates for that original book were destroyed in the fire of the Great Kanto Earthquake in September of 1923. Later that year, Funkoshi released the book again, this time under the name of “Rentan Goshin Jutsu.”
Kusugi is reported to have declared to Funakoshi that his book was the master text of karate. In Japanese, the master text for a particular topic is called the “Tora no Maki,” recalling the traditional practice of writing their documents as long scrolls. Already by Funokoshi’s time, the practice had been long abandoned, but the name stuck.
“Scroll of the Tiger” in this case is idiomatic and means “Key” or “Book of Knowledge.” The picture of the tiger in the circle is a pun on the words “Tora no Maki,” which could also be taken to mean “Roll of the Tiger.”
When Funakoshi created our system of martial arts, he chose the tiger as the animal symbol to represent Shotokan because it signified strength, power, and tenacity.
The tiger in the traditional circular image is a traditional Chinese design that implies “the tiger never sleeps.” It symbolizes, therefore, the keen alertness of the wakeful tiger and serenity of the peaceful mind.
The Shotokan Tiger is drawn within a circle to show that the power of the tiger, like the power of Shotokan, is contained. It indicates that this power should never be used on a whim. The power is only unleashed, or broken from the circle, in order to defend ourselves or others who can’t defend themselves from a violent attack.
When a student of karate hears the term “Shotokan Tiger,” one image comes to mind: the traditional symbol of the tiger inside the circle which has become representative of Shotokan Karate.
That symbol is properly called the “Tora no Maki,” or the Tiger Scroll.
The drawing was originally created by a Japanese man named Hoan Kusugi who was a friend and student of Funakoshi. The character up in the northeast quadrant of the circle is part of the artist’s signature.
Kusugi was reportedly instrumental in convincing Funakoshi to teach karate in Japan. He also was the man who first convinced Funakoshi to write his knowledge of karate into a book, and promised him that if he would, he would design the book and make a drawing specifically to illustrate the book cover.
“Ryukyu Karate Kenpo,” Funakoshi’s first book about karate, was written in 1922, but the plates for that original book were destroyed in the fire of the Great Kanto Earthquake in September of 1923. Later that year, Funkoshi released the book again, this time under the name of “Rentan Goshin Jutsu.”
Kusugi is reported to have declared to Funakoshi that his book was the master text of karate. In Japanese, the master text for a particular topic is called the “Tora no Maki,” recalling the traditional practice of writing their documents as long scrolls. Already by Funokoshi’s time, the practice had been long abandoned, but the name stuck.
“Scroll of the Tiger” in this case is idiomatic and means “Key” or “Book of Knowledge.” The picture of the tiger in the circle is a pun on the words “Tora no Maki,” which could also be taken to mean “Roll of the Tiger.”
When Funakoshi created our system of martial arts, he chose the tiger as the animal symbol to represent Shotokan because it signified strength, power, and tenacity.
The tiger in the traditional circular image is a traditional Chinese design that implies “the tiger never sleeps.” It symbolizes, therefore, the keen alertness of the wakeful tiger and serenity of the peaceful mind.
The Shotokan Tiger is drawn within a circle to show that the power of the tiger, like the power of Shotokan, is contained. It indicates that this power should never be used on a whim. The power is only unleashed, or broken from the circle, in order to defend ourselves or others who can’t defend themselves from a violent attack.