Karate is more than simply a physical sport, it is a state of mind and soul. This book goes into detail on both aspects of the art. The life of Gichin Funakoshi is one full of Adventure and Excitement. He tells of many brushes with danger where karate helped him out.

The Japanese, having conquered Okinawa, made a law saying no one could practice Karate. So, Gichin Funakoshi met secretly with two Karate masters to study the art. He traveled several miles to get to the dojo (practice hall) were he trained.

After many years he began work as a schoolteacher. He was elated because it brought him closer to the dojo. Once he turned down a promotion to vice-principal because it would take him to another island were he could not travel to the dojo.

One story I found particularly good was that of a tropical storm. Funakoshi got on top of his slat roof where he practiced punches all during the storm. Throughout the book he tells stories similar to this about himself and other karateka (karate practitioners) and their daring feats. These stories add a great deal of depth about the karate spirit, which runs throughout the book.

Soon he went to Tokyo, Japan. There he worked at a college as a janitor but also taught a class on Karate-do (the way of karate). The money wasn’t that good. He got by okay though. His students built him a dojo that was called Shoto-kan. This is the origin of the Shoto-kan school of karate. Then he started making enough money to get by better.

After the WWII ended, Funakoshi started teaching Karate to American military troops, giving seminars, and going around popularizing the art. Karate was ultimately Funakoshi’s entire life’s work.