Funakoshi Sensei

Funakoshi Gichin Sensei (1868-1957)

Born in Okinawa in 1868, FUNAKOSHI Gichin started to practice Karate around 1879 with two Okinawa’s top masters of Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu. In 1922, invited to demonstrate Karate to the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese public, his demonstration was such a success that he decided to remain in Japan to teach and promote his art. Gichin Funakoshi passed away in 1957 at the age of 88. Aside from creating Shotokan Karate and introducing it to Japan and the world,

this unassuming and gentle man also wrote books, among them :
"Karate-do: My Way of Life" and “The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate”.

FUNAKOSHI Sensei is widely considered as the founder of modern Karate.