Hoping to see karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible. Times change, the world changes, and obviously the martial arts must change too. The karate that high school students practice today is not the same karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago [this book was written in 1956], and it is a long way indeed from the karate I learned when I was a child in Okinawa.
Gichin FunakoshiA student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch and a reverse punch are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a handful.
Gichin FunakoshiStudents of any art, including Karate-do must never forget the cultivation of the mind and the body.
Gichin FunakoshiTo practice kata is not to memorize an order. Find the katas that work for you, understand them, digest them & stick with them for life.
Gichin FunakoshiThe spirit of karate practice and the elements of training are applicable to each and every aspect of our daily lives.
Gichin FunakoshiHoping to see karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible. Times change, the world changes, and obviously the martial arts must change too. The karate that high school students practice today is not the same karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago [this book was written in 1956], and it is a long way indeed from the karate I learned when I was a child in Okinawa.
Gichin Funakoshi