Karate-Do: My Way of Life Paperback – February 1, 2013

Great book, OSS!

If you are a practitioner of Okinawan karate any style past or present, you should read this book. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed reading about him. It’s not a very long book and it’s well written.

This book is said to be the auto-biography of master Gichin Funakoshi. In his book Funakoshi describes how he was introduced to karate, how he had to sneak to his master, because Karate was forbidden by the Government. He tells short stories that happened to him (like: being attacked by thieves) and how useful Karate turned out to be through his life.As the title says, Funakoshi's idea was that Karate trains your body and mind and is thus a way of life. Karate in his opinion is not about fighting. At the back of the book he even points out that winning 100 of 100 battles is not as praiseworthy as subduing an enemy without fighting. Karate is not fighting, it is a martial art. It is not about being strong and though against others, but against oneself.If you believe that Karate is a fighting sport. If you believe that the tournaments and winning is all what this art is about, by all means avoid this book, for you will not understand its message. If however you are really open-minded and understand what I wrote above, you are up for an interesting read. And I believe that every Karateka should be interested in the origin of the art. That is what you will find here.No techniques, fighting guidelines and things like this. Just the interesting stories of a gentle and reasonable Taoist that Funakoshi was.

Having practiced karate for just under two years, I thought this book would help me better to understand the true meaning of karate. I knew that commitment, respect, endurance, strength, etc. were all values, but after reading this book about the life of Gichin Funakoshi, it has really opened my eyes to what karate really is.First and foremost, this is an autobiography. It isn't an action book full of stories of fighting and taking down the bad guys. It's a foray into his life, how he feels about karate, and what it has meant to him and his family. He tells of his successes and failures, tips for healthy living and longevity, and most of all, what karate means to him.Gichin Funakoshi was responsible for bringing karate to mainland Japan, which allowed it to spread throughout the world following World War II. In this book, he brings new meaning to all of those sayings and phrases that you see pasted throughout dojos all over the country, like spirit, tranquility, and respect.I think anyone involved in any martial art, especially karate, should read this book. I'm glad I did, and it is definitely something I'll read again in the future.

Gichin Funakoshi wrote this book very late in his life, and as such, it reads a bit like having a conversation with an old man. There appear to be details that have been ommitted, and some of those that are included are questionable, but time has a way of doing that to memory. The book does give some insight into how karate was taught and learned prior to being exported to Japan, and thus the rest of the world, in the early 20th century. I think it the book also conveys well how that karate transitioned into what we practice today through its introduction into the school curriculum and its subsequent export. In the essays and short stories that make up the book, Funakoshi also details his opinions as to how one should live his or her life and how that life is improved through the practice of karate and the values instilled in one through practice. As brief history of karate and a window into how the old-timers thought and trained, I think this book is well worth a read.

This is a great book for anyone taking Shotokan Karate. This is more of an autobiography on Funakoshi. I think his life is very interesting. He tells of how he was a very sick boy but became 100 times healthier through his study of karate. This book gives his philosophy on the way he lived his life. He reminds us that everybody starts out as a beginner and the true nature of what karate really is. Anyone can learn karate, there is nothing super human about it. If you are interested in the origins of karate and how Shotokan became organized and introduced to the world, then this would be a great book for you. It's an easy read and very much enlightening.

This book has great stories about the founder. It is a great way to start your leaning about karate.

This is a very short book by Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate. It covers how he got into training in Karate, covers some of the history of how Karate came into Okinawa/Japan, and has some fun and interesting stories about some of the Masters that Sensei's love to quote (Matsumura, Itosu, etc). I have trained in Shito Ryu for a long time, not Shotokan, but the history goes back to the same Masters, which makes for an interesting read.This book won't make you a great fighter, but it will give you some insights into the mind of the Masters and give some interesting history in the process.