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Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) - father of modern karate. A modest teacher who first demonstrated the martial art from Okinawa in Kyoto, then in Tokyo in 1922 at the First National Athletic Exhibition. He fascinated many people so much that he remained in Tokyo and taught there (with a break in the times of war) as long as he lived. Only after his success did other experts start to arrive from Okinawa to teach karate in the whole of Japan. His famous Shotokan dojo is presently associated with the name of the style that is practised in greatest numbers all around the world and which in its kinds often differs from the Funakoshi style. Master Funakoshi simplified and systematised many kata - forms from Okinawa, however, as for kumite, he never accepted anything but schematised fights, opposing spontaneous fights and sports karate. He very strongly underlined the obligation to deprive oneself of aggression, avoid dangers and not to aim at confrontation. His following motto gained a lot of popularity: karate ni sente nashi - karate does not strike first. |
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| "Tode" Sakugawa |
Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura
(1798 - 1890) |
Yasutsune Itosu
(1813 - 1915) |
FUMIO DEMURA IN WARSAW
One of the most famous martial artist in the world, shihan Fumio Demura, the author of many books about Shito-ryu and weapons from Okinawa: bo, nunchaku, tonfa, sai (published in many languages, also in Polish) first time was in Poland. Tomasz Piotrkowicz, president of the Polish Karate Association and chief-instructor in Warsaw Karate Center, has invited Shihan Demura. In 9-11 November 2001 over 200 karatekas took part in this International Karate and Kobudo Seminar (people from Poland, Germany, Russia, England and even Canada).
Shihan Fumio Demura was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1938. He began the study of kendo at eight years of age. As his training formalized, he studied kendo under the legendary Nakamura Taisaburo Sensei, and kendo and karate under Sakagami Ryusho at his dojo in the Tsurumi district of Yokohama. An avid student, Shihan Demura trained daily in the martial arts, achieving high levels of proficiency at a young age. While training at Sakagami Sensei's Itosu-Kai dojo, he was introduced to the Okinawan kobudo teacher Taira Shinken Sensei, and soon became knowledgeable in various Ryukyu weapons, an ability he would become famous for after his move to America.
In 1961 Shihan Demura won the National Kumite title of Japan. He was now teaching karate in Tokyo, but had the desire to come to the United States. His opportunity presented itself in 1963 when martial arts historian Donn Draeger introduced him to the American karate pioneer Dan Ivan who was in Japan looking for a talented instructor to assist him with his dojos in southern California. In 1965, Shihan Demura moved to the United States where he is generally considered the first to teach authentic Shito-Ryu karate and Okinawan kobudo. Shihan Demura quickly became a prominent figure in the American karate world through his teachings and his highly skillful and entertaining demonstrations. Over the years that followed Shihan Demura and his students introduced thousands of people to the martial arts through their colorful displays in the southern California area.
Shihan Demura is the friend of soke Takayuki Kubota 10 dan, the karate teacher of shihan Piotrkowicz.
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