Who Is the Founder of Modern Martial Art and His History?

Art|Modern Art

Founder of Modern Martial Art and His History

Gichin Funakoshi is widely credited as the founder of modern martial arts. Born in 1868, Funakoshi was a master of the ancient Okinawan martial art known as karate and is largely responsible for popularizing it in Japan. He was an important figure in the post-war development of karate, and his legacy is still seen today.

Funakoshi was born in Okinawa, then a separate kingdom from Japan. He began studying karate under his father at the age of 9, before going on to study under several different teachers.

He developed a style of martial art that combined aspects of both Chinese and Japanese martial arts, which he named “Sho-tei,” meaning “finger pressure.” This style focused heavily on self-defense techniques, rather than just offensive maneuvers.

In 1922, Funakoshi was invited to demonstrate his martial art at the First National Athletic Exhibition in Tokyo. His performance caused a sensation and he was asked to remain in Japan to teach karate.

During this time, he began to modify the original Okinawan style by introducing more modern methods of training such as sparring and competitions. This helped to make karate more accessible to people from all walks of life, not just those from Okinawa or who had trained with him personally.

Funakoshi’s legacy lives on today through his students, who continue to teach karate around the world using his style as a basis for instruction. His teachings have been spread through books like Karate-Do Kyohan (The Master Text) which he wrote in 1935, as well as through organizations such as the Japan Karate Association which he founded in 1949. Funakoshi himself passed away in 1957 at the age of 88, but his contribution to modern martial arts will never be forgotten.

Gichin Funakoshi is widely considered to be the founder of modern martial arts due to his influence on popularizing karate and introducing more modern methods into its practice. His unique blend of Chinese and Japanese styles has been spread around the world by both books and organizations he founded or was involved with during his lifetime. His legacy lives on today through his students who continue to teach according to his style.