Suggested Reading

“Karate-Do, My Way of Life" by Gichin Funakoshi

This book tells the life story of Gichin Funakoshi. Funakoshi Sensei is the acknowledged Father of modern karate-do. This is an English translation of his autobiography which was written not long before his death in 1957 at age eighty-nine.

Funakoshi Sensei was in his early 50’s when he introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in Tokyo in 1922. 

The style name Shotokan refers directly to Funakoshi Sensei. Shoto was the pen name used by Funakoshi Sensei when he wrote poetry. The word shoto means pine waves and refers to the way the wind moved the needles of the pine trees on a mountain where he liked to walk and spend time. The word kan simply means gym or hall, so Shotokan is the gym or hall where Shoto practiced/taught karate.  

“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu.

This is the oldest military treatise (thesis) in the world.

Master Sun said:

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Sun Tzu 420 BC. (a brilliant strategist)

http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt “Sun Tzu”.

Sun Tzu also called Sun Zi was a military strategist who wrote The Art of War. Sun Tzu lived in the fifth century B.C., and was a native of the State of Ch'I in China.

Sun Tzu worked as an advisor and sometimes a commander in various kingdoms.  The king of Wu made him a general. In this capacity, he defeated the state of Ch’u, entered Ying, and intimidated Ch’i and Chin.

His book “The Art of War” is still studied by the world’s defence force establishments. The insights contained in “The Art of War” can be related to many aspects of everyday life.

There are numerous translations of the “The Art of War” which try to explain the text in terms familiar to the world at that time. The principals stated by Sun Tzu are as true and relevant today as they were in his time. I have two different translations that I read from time to time.

Please use the link under the picture of Sun Tzu to have a look at a very clear translation of the text of this master piece “The Art of War”. This Translation was undertaken in 1910 by Mr Lionel Giles. Mr Giles’s translation on that website does not examine the meaning of the translation.

Sensei John

“The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate” by Gichin Funakoshi.

This book contains the spiritual legacy of the Master Gichin Funakoshi.

This is a truly excellent book for reading and reflection and will help you seek the deeper meaning of Karate-Do.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself “What is Karate-Do”? The answer may surprise you.

When I speak of spiritual aspects further down in this text I do not mean from a religious point of view. But rather I mean from the point of view of perfection of the human spirit or character. Karate-Do is about you becoming the best person you can be.

Karate-Do is not merely concerned with kicking and punching, though that is part of the physical aspect of our art. I now quote Funakoshi Sensei who is the recognized Father of today’s modern karate.

"True karate is that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice." Gichin Funakoshi

Remember though, Funakoshi Sensei had a number of different teachers himself. One of his principle teachers was Itosu Sensei. It was Itosu who greatly influenced modern day karate’s development through Funakoshi Sensei.

These two men Funakoshi and Itosu were natives of Okinawa and “modern karate” was introduced into the Okinawan school system as a physical education system. This modern school based karate did not teach the old “Te” (pronounced “TAY” i.e. the brutal applications from the kata that is Bunkai/Oyo). The “Te” is still in every kata that you learn. You simply need to have your eyes opened to the “te” initially through a competent instructor. Later you will look for these deeper meanings/applications yourself.

Only an instructor who has studied such things can to pass them on to you. Some people practice kata all their lives believing that the kata is only what the untrained eye sees, block/punch.

Funakoshi Sensei exported this “modern karate” from Okinawa to mainland Japan in 1922. Post World War II, karate has spread world wide as the occupation forces returned home.

There is also the theory that those in power (politically in Japan) knew the war would come, and this school based martial art (karate physical education program) would prepare the population mentally and physically for that war. This is a dark aspect of the art.

“The Twenty Guiding Principles of KARATE” is available through good book stores. You will find the philosophy enlightening. It is the focus on the spiritual aspects, Master Funakoshi insisted, that turns karate the martial art, into karate-do a “Way”.

"Dynamic Karate" by M. Nakayama

This is one of the best basic Shotokan karate reference books on the market.

The book was written by Nakayama Sensei. He took a very scientific approach to karate and the body mechanics through which karate power is derived and delivered.

This book is well designed, and answers a lot of questions that people new to karate will have. From an instructor's perspective there are an infinite number of lesson plans here.

Posture, stances, punching, blocking and kicking techniques are all covered.

One of the things I like is that Nakayama Sensei demonstrates how not to do something and shows why, as well as describing the correct way to perform techniques.

You will see a few techniques in the book that could have been performed technically better but we all do some things better or worse than others.

This book is a must have.