The History of Shotokan Karate

Shotokan Karate was created by Gichin Funakoshi, who took as the basis for his new art some of the fighting styles found on the island of Okinawa.  These styles grew from Chinese fighting styles which became the kung fu and other forms of "soft", or flowing combat styles of today.

Funakoshi imported his new art from Okinawa to mainland Japan, and grew his Shotokan school of dojos in the 1920s and 1930s.  Some of his pupils went on to establish their own styles.  Meanwhile, Shotokan Karate  was made internationally world-famous in the 1950s and 1960s through the efforts of the Japan Karate Association, and in particular the JKA's chief instructor Masatoshi Nakayama.  Sensei Nakayama was the chief instructor of the JKA from 1955 until his death in 1987 and was  instrumental in preparing generations of Japanese instructors to take Shotokan Karate to new places in the world.

The Dojo Kun

The dojo is a place where you leave the outside world at the door.  In some classes, the opening and closing rituals are used to signify this breach with your ordinary life.  The rituals are essentially a marker, helping you to get ready mentally for concentrating on your training only and blocking out any distractions which might be on your mind.  After training, some classes recite what is known as the Dojo Kun, a set of maxims or mottoes which act as a good guide to success in life.