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      Sports & Outdoors Books > Martial Arts Books
      Paperback Karate-Do: My Way of Life Book
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      ISBN: 0870114638

      ISBN13: 9780870114632

      Karate-Do: My Way of Life

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      Format: Paperback

      Condition: Very Good

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      Book Overview

      Linking the time when karate was a strictly Okinawan art of self-defense shrouded in the deepest secrecy and the present day, when it has become a martial art practiced throughout the world, is Gichin Funakoshi, the "Father of Karate-do."

      Out of modesty, he was reluctant to write this autobiography and did not do so until he was nearly ninety years of age. Trained in the Confucian classics, he was a schoolteacher early in life, but after decades of study under the foremost masters, he gave up his livelihood to devote the rest of his life to the propagation of the Way of Karate. Under his guidance, techniques and nomenclature were refined and modernized, the spiritual essence was brought to the fore, and karate evolved into a true martial art.

      Various forms of empty-hand techniques have been practiced in Okinawa for centuries, but due to the lack of historical records, fancy often masquerades as fact. In telling of his own famous teachers-and not only of their mastery of technique but of the way they acted in critical situations-the author reveals what true karate is. The stories he tells about himself are no less instructive: his determination to continue the art, after having started it to improve his health; his perseverance in the face of difficulties, even of poverty; his strict observance of the way of life of the samurai; and the spirit of self-reliance that he carried into an old age kept healthy by his practice of Karate-do.

      Related Subjects

      Japanese Culture Mind-Body Connection Physical Fitness Self-Improvement Teaching Methods Autobiography Life Lessons Biographical Biographies Biographies & History

      Customer Reviews

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      Rated 5 stars
      One of the First Men Who Brough Karate into the Modern Age

      By Thriftbooks.com User,

      Funakoshi Gichen was many things to many people. Although today he is for the most part remembered and respected as the founder of the style we know today as Shotokan, Funakoshi Gichen was also a school Teacher, a family man, a man educated in the Confucian classics, a practitioner and teacher of Karate, and an Okinawan who undertook the task of bringing the art of Karate-Do from its native island of Okinawa to the Japanese...

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      Rated 5 stars
      From the Mouth of the Master

      By Thriftbooks.com User,

      Ginchin Funakoshi has been credited with modernizing karate. He is also the first to open a dojo (karate school) in Tokyo. Whether he is actually the father of modern Karate or not is not relevant because he is truly a recognized Grand-Master. This is his story of both his life, karate, and the philosophies the martial artist follows. He also explodes some of the more famous myths that seem to surround karate and other...

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      Rated 5 stars
      Reading Into Technique

      By Thriftbooks.com User,

      This autobiography of the Father of Modern Day Karate exposes the character behind the legend and may surprise the student raised in awe of a superior teacher. Using anectdotes of past masters and lessons in his own life, Funakoshi is able to explain the philosophy of karate clearly and concisely. Anyone attempting Shodan in Shotokan Karate should definately read this book so that they can read into the basic techniques...

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      Rated 5 stars
      Perfect for any karate student!

      By Thriftbooks.com User,

      This is probably the most important book for any student of Shotokan karate-do to read, and is extremely helpful for a student of ANY karate style or method. I first read this book when I was beginning my training, and besides Funakoshi's biography already being a very fascinating read, I found the insight into the mind of the greatest karate master in modern history to be extremely useful in understanding what Karate-Do...

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      Rated 5 stars
      The Point is Communicated

      By Thriftbooks.com User,

      I was overwhelmed by the feeling this book and this man generated. Even though the book resembles a brief of his memoirs, Funakoshi communicates the attitude, mood, and a small glimpse of the mindset one should bring to the study of karate. One might find the humble nature of this man's writings subtly profound in many aspects. The expectations I had before reading the tome were cleverly diverted, and my appreciation...

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