The Japanese Master Gichin Funakoshi who introduced Karate-Do to Japan in 1921 said that “the essence of Karate-Do is the art of being non-violent”. The word “Karate” has been known since the 1920’s; however the roots of the art extend back well over a thousand years and possibly to the 5th century B.C. According to legend, a Buddhist monk named Bodhi Dharma took unarmed combat techniques, practiced in India, with him to China. There he developed a system of physical training based on yoga breathing methods and a Chinese unarmed fighting method called “Kempo.” China’s advanced knowledge of acupuncture improved the Kempo techniques by making use of weak points in the human body. In 628 A.D. a 12 chapter book appeared which was a curriculum for physical fitness (massage therapy) but did not discuss fighting techniques. The author of this book claimed to be a student of Dharma. This is the legend of the beginnings of Karate but cannot be taken as factual history. In truth little is know about the early development of Karate until the 17th century in Okinawa.

It was on the Island of Okinawa, the traditional point of contact between the Chinese and the Japanese cultures, where combat techniques developed and self-development aspects were introduced. Over a long period of time a combative art, known as Tang Hand or Tang Te, developed from a blend of Kempo and Te (hand) which was a form of fighting used by the local people.

During the Japanese occupation of Okinawa (1609-1868), the use of weapons was prohibited, which forced the people to fight with their bare hands. Some Karate techniques are difficult to explain today since they were originally used against weapons. Over a period of some 300 years different forms of Tang Te evolved in various areas of the island. In 1902 the Okinawan government introduced Karate into the secondary school system. Itosu was the first instructor; Gichin Funakoshi was also an instructor of this program. It was at this time that a systematized and methodological approach to learning this combative art developed which later became popular among the public.

Gichin Funakoshi was born in 1868 and first studied his Karate techniques which Shuri-te and Shorin masters Anko Itosu and Yasutsune Azato. Funakoshi practiced calligraphy and published his work under his pen name “Shoto.” The school where he taught Karate became known as the Shotokan (Shoto’s school). Later his students and many outsiders acknowledge his style of teaching as Shotokan Ryu; Funakoshi did not refer to his methodology as such. In 1917, Funakoshi was invited to give demonstrations in Japan and the Japanese were so impressed that, in the early 1920’s, Karate was introduced into the Japanese elementary school system and given its currently accepted name Karate. As Karate became more popular, many other Okinawan experts came to give instruction in other systems which, although different from each other, were based on the same common principles. For a short time, at the end of World War II, the teaching of martial arts was outlawed by the American forces, but the ban was soon lifted. Many western service men in Japan during and after the war studied Karate and spread it to Europe and the America’s. An increasing number of Japanese instructors also moved overseas. During the late 1950’s and the 1960’s this process accelerated and by the 70’s Karate was practiced extensively throughout the world. Unfortunately, this accelerated process resulted in many instructors without the knowledge required to fully understand the martial arts of Karate-Do.

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Notable students

Hironori Ōtsuka, Gigō Funakoshi (his son), Isao Obata, Shigeru Egami, Teruyuki Okazaki, Tetsuhiko Asai, Masatoshi Nakayama, Yasuhiro Konishi, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Tsutomu Ohshima, Taiji Kase, Mitsusuke Harada, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Won Kuk Lee, Masutatsu Oyama, Tetsuji Murakami, Yutaka Yaguchi, Won Kuk Lee, Byung Jik Ro, Choi Hong Hi

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DOJO KUN

 

SEEK PERFECTION OF CHARACTER

Hitotsu! JINKAKU KANSEI NI TSUTOMERU KOTO

 

PROTECT THE WAY OF TURTH

Hitotsu! MAKOTONO MICHI O MAMORU KOTO

 

FOSTER THE SPIRIT OF EFFORT

Hitotsu! DORYOKU NO SEISHIN O YASHINAU KOTO

 

HONOR THE PRINCIPLES OF ETIQUTTE AND RESPECT OTHERS

Hitotsu! REIGI O OMONZURU KOTO

 

REFRAIN FROM VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR

Hitotsu! KEKKINO YU O IMASHIMERU KOTO

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Master Gichin Funakoshi’s Twenty Precepts of Karate-do

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​1. Never forget: Karate begins with rei and ends with rei.

    (rei has the meaning of courtesy, respect)

2. There is no first hand in Karate.

    (There is no first attack in Karate.)

3. Karate supports righteousness.

4. first understand you, and then understand others.

5. The art of mind is more important than the art of technique.

6. The mind needs to be freed.

7. Trouble is born of negligence.

8. Do not think Karate is only in the dojo.

9. The training of Karate requires a lifetime.

10. Transform everything into Karate; there lies the exquisiteness.

11. Genuine Karate is like hot water; it cools down if you do not keep on heating it.

12. Do not hate the idea of winning, while the idea of not losing is necessary.

13. Transform yourself according to the opponent.

14. The outcome of the fight all depends on the manoeuvre.

15. Imagine one’s arms and legs as swords.

16. once you leave the shelter of home, there are a million enemies.

17. Postures are for the beginner, later they are natural positions.

18. Do the kata correctly; the real fight is a different matter.

19. Do not forget the control of the dynamics [of power],

      the elasticity [of body] and the speed [of technique].

20. Always be good at the application of everything that you have learned.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​Consider the physical benefits...

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All students who walk through our door have different physical abilities and life experiences.

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Some are already involved in other sports, while others are starting karate because they know it is a great way to become physically active. We can improve upon an individual's existing strengths and help everyone develop new ones.

Our students come to us from every imaginable sport and activity, and find that training in the Martial Arts helps them perform at their peak. Regardless of the activity -- soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, hockey, dance, gymnastics, bowling, biking, skiing, snowboarding, track -- the cross training done in a Martial Arts class will enhance everyone's athletic performance!

 

Equally important are the mental benefits developed in the Martial Arts!

Character is developed over time. The quality of that character is the product of what we practice and how we live. It develops from our lifestyle. We encourage kids to actively live their lives - to get outside and play, to step outside of their comfort zone and do something they are not sure they can do, to help others, to read, to think, to imagine how great they can be. Good, strong character is not a product of watching endless hours of TV or playing video games.

 

We provide a safe place for our students to develop the courage to overcome life's challenges and the confidence to believe in and stay true to themselves. It is our goal to help our students develop integrity, honor, and strength.

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Develop important life skills!

 

From elementary school through high school, to college and beyond, we teach our students important skills they can use in real life situations of all kinds. Imagine helping you or your kids:

·         Learn to Focus

·         Practice Self-Discipline

·         Gain Confidence Physically & in Decision Making

·         Learn How to Set & Achieve Goals

·         Experience the Rewards of Dedication & Perseverance,
by not quitting when things seem too hard

·         Respect Themselves & Others

 

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us at hq.fsdojo@gmail.com

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Standing bow

Stand with heels together, feet pointing slightly outward (like a “V”). Keep knees straight; elbows straight and relaxed; hands open and at the seams of your pants (the outside of your legs); fingers together. Bend at the waist, about 20 degrees forward. Unbend. The whole bow takes about a breath’s length.

Kneeling (seiza)

Place left knee on the floor; then right knee. Sit down on feet. Big toes of left and right feet should overlap (either one on top). Keep back straight and shoulders relaxed. Rest left hand (hand open, fingers together) on left thigh and right hand on right thigh, so that fingers point inward. For anatomical reasons, men should have about a fist or two’s width between their knees, women should have knees together.

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Bowing in seiza

Slide the left hand from the thigh to the floor immediately in front of the left knee (not too far in front, i.e., left elbow shouldn’t touch the floor). Do the same with the right hand, so that the right hand motion is slightly behind (in time) the left hand motion. Palms should touch the floor to show deep respect. Bow at the waist, taking a little longer than for a standing bow (forehead comes close to the floor, but does not touch it). Slide your hands back up to their initial position on the thighs, this time with the left hand slightly behind the right hand.

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Entering and exiting the dojo

Bow, standing at the entrance, facing the dojo or towards the front of the dojo, whether you are entering or exiting the dojo.

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Lateness

Try not to be late. If you are late, bow in, then quietly kneel near the entrance. Wait until the instructor acknowledges you. Then bow kneeling, get up, and quickly join the group. If you arrive just as everyone is kneeling at the beginning, don’t move, don’t make any noise, just wait until warming-up starts, and bow in as described above.

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Opening sequence

When you hear “Line up!” or “One line!”, stand shoulder to shoulder facing the front of the dojo, in rank order. Try to line up so that the instructor is right in the middle of the line. If class size is big, the senior student may ask you to form more than one line, in which case, you should try to line up so that the lines are approximately of the same length. “Seiza!”: sit down in seiza, so that knees are aligned with the person on your left. “Mokusou!”: quite meditation – just lower your gaze, relax, and breathe. “Mokusou yame!”: stop. “Shoumen ni rei!”: Bow to the front of the room (this signifies bowing to the institution of karate and to the line of instructors who brought it to your instructor). “Sensei ni rei!”: Bow to the instructor. When you’re bowing, you can say “onegaishimasu,” which, roughly translated, means “Please,” i.e., please teach me, please help me, please hold class, etc. At the signal of the instructor, get up (quickly, without waiting for the person on your left, necessarily).

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Closing sequence

Same as the opening sequence, except that after mokusoh, there is a recitation of the dojo kun. Repeat after the senior student, loudly (but not so loud that your voice stands out) and in unison. During the final bow to the instructor, you can say “arigatou gozaimashita,” which means “Thank you.” “Thank you” in English is okay, too. At the end, the instructor will get up. Wait until the person on your left bows and gets up before you do the same.

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Clean-up

Before class starts, there is usually some sort of cleaning of the dojo. During this time, actively participate to whatever extent you can. Don’t sit back and stretch when others are still cleaning.

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General Etiquette Guidelines during Training

• Most importantly, the moment class starts, your mind should be on karate and on trying to improve your own technique. Concentrate, give spirited kiai, don’t talk unnecessarily, and practice hard! (This is under “etiquette” because doing otherwise would be disrespectful to the instructor, as well as to yourself, both of who have bothered to come.)

• Don’t wear jewelry, watches, etc.

• Don’t chew gum.

• Whenever you’re told to move from one part of the room to another, do it quickly (i.e., run or trot, at least). Also, don’t pass in front of anyone – go behind and around.

• Whenever you’re asked to stand back or sit back and watch, do so in a normal standing or kneeling position, silently, without leaning on walls or distracting others. If you’re ever in a kneeling position and you’re uncomfortable, it’s generally okay to bow and then switch to sitting cross-legged.

• Whenever you stand from a sitting position, switch to kneeling, bow, then stand.

• If you ever need to leave a class early, let the instructor know beforehand.

• Every time you get a new partner for any exercise, bow. Every time you’re about to switch partners, bow to your old partner before moving on to the next.

• Don’t make overt displays of how tired you are, no matter how tired you are.

• If you’re ever asked to count, count in whatever language you feel comfortable with, but make the counts short, sharp, and spirited.

• Follow normal rules of etiquette that apply.

• Finally, these aren’t strict rules followed by every dojo. Some don’t follow them exactly, in which case, you should start off erring on the side of being overly courteous but avoid doing anything to stand out, since that in itself can be interpreted as rudeness.

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Other things you should know

• Don’t say any words when you kiai. “Kiai” itself, being a Japanese word should NOT be a kiai. Common kiai include “Ya!” and “Ei!”

• Don’t be afraid to kiai! If you have a strong kiai, it will often spur others to work harder, as well. The overall tone of a class is set by the level of spirit of the class, which can be raised with better kiai. On the other hand, if your spirit is poor or your kiai weak, you might bring down the class spirit.

• Do not hesitate to ask senior students and instructors for help before or after class. Time permitting, you should try to learn kata outside of class so that during class, the instructor can spend more time making comments about your technique rather than what move comes next.

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