Master Gichin Funakoshi – the founder of modern shotokan karate – wrote twenty guiding principles of karate. They underpin the teachings and philosophy of Senshi Karate and our association body, Shotokan Connect. If you want to know more, ask Sensei or read Master Funakoshi’s book.
- Karate begins and ends with courtesy
- There is no first attack in karate
- Karate is an assistance to justice
- Know yourself first, before you know others
- Spirit first, technique second
- Be ready to free your mind
- Accidents come from laziness
- Karate training goes beyond the dojo
- You will never stop learning in karate
- Apply karate to everything. Therein lies its beauty
- Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool.
- Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose
- Make adjustments according to your opponent
- The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths
- Think of hands and feet as swords
- When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies
- Beginners must master low stance and posture, natural body positions are for the advanced
- Practising a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another
- Do not forget to correctly apply: strength and weakness of power, stretching and contraction of the body, and slowness and speed of techniques.
- Think of ways to apply these principles every day
“The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants”
– Gichin Funakoshi
Senshi Karate 