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Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) was the founder of the shotokan-ryu
style. Funakoshi was born in the Okinawan capital of Shuri into a
family of the Shizoku class (upper class). Master Gichin Funakoshi
was instructed by Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Itosu. He was
responsible for introducing Karate to Japan in the 1920's. He was
also responsible for changing (or defining, depending how you look
at it) the meaning of the word Karate-do.
He changed the 'kara' symbol in Karate from the old symbol,
meaning 'China', to the new symbol, meaning 'empty'.
In his book Karate-Do Nyumon, he writes: "Just as an empty valley
can carry a resounding voice, so must the person who follows the
Way of Karate make himself void or empty by ridding himself or all
self-centeredness and greed. Make yourself empty within, but
upright without. This is the real meaning of the 'empty' in Karate."
"...Once one has perceived the infinity of forms and elements in the
universe, one returns to emptiness, to the void. In other words,
emptiness is none other than the true form of the universe. There are
various fighting techniques - yarijutsu ['spear techniques'] and
bojitsu ['stick techniques'], for example - and forms of martial arts,
such as judo and kendo. All share an essential principle with
Karate, but Karate alone explicitly states the basis of all martial
arts. Form equals emptiness; emptiness equals form. The use of the
character [for 'empty'] in Karate is indeed based on this principle."
The result of this change is that Karate, which formerly translated
loosely to 'Chinese hand', now translates to '[the way of the] empty
hand'.
style. Funakoshi was born in the Okinawan capital of Shuri into a
family of the Shizoku class (upper class). Master Gichin Funakoshi
was instructed by Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Itosu. He was
responsible for introducing Karate to Japan in the 1920's. He was
also responsible for changing (or defining, depending how you look
at it) the meaning of the word Karate-do.
He changed the 'kara' symbol in Karate from the old symbol,
meaning 'China', to the new symbol, meaning 'empty'.
In his book Karate-Do Nyumon, he writes: "Just as an empty valley
can carry a resounding voice, so must the person who follows the
Way of Karate make himself void or empty by ridding himself or all
self-centeredness and greed. Make yourself empty within, but
upright without. This is the real meaning of the 'empty' in Karate."
"...Once one has perceived the infinity of forms and elements in the
universe, one returns to emptiness, to the void. In other words,
emptiness is none other than the true form of the universe. There are
various fighting techniques - yarijutsu ['spear techniques'] and
bojitsu ['stick techniques'], for example - and forms of martial arts,
such as judo and kendo. All share an essential principle with
Karate, but Karate alone explicitly states the basis of all martial
arts. Form equals emptiness; emptiness equals form. The use of the
character [for 'empty'] in Karate is indeed based on this principle."
The result of this change is that Karate, which formerly translated
loosely to 'Chinese hand', now translates to '[the way of the] empty
hand'.
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