The efforts of Gichin Funakoshi's original students have certainly borne fruit. Throughout the world there are many excellent karate teachers who have surpassed their instructors in skill, talent, and dedication to karate. This is indeed a tremendous testimony to Funakoshi's teachings. But there have been instances, particularly in America and Japan, where the talent of the student has not been warmly welcomed by the teacher. In fact, the abilities of the student has sometimes been feared by the instructor and viewed as a threat to their authority and position in the karate organization.

This is truly regrettable and unfortunate. If we look at the early documentation of Funakoshi's karate, examine his technique closely, and compare that to the abilities of his students we find that the pupils have indeed surpassed their master. For the good teacher, this is a tremendous thing. It is not a thing to be ashamed of.

Good teachers want their students to surpass them and to have greater success than they have. But this part of Gichin Funakoshi's legacy was not always properly inherited by several of his successors. Political issues, arguments, and the human desire for power have corrupted the karate process to some extent. All is not lost though, so we need not lose heart just yet.

No history of human achievement is without some bumpy spots and modern karate is, in no way, an exception to this rule. To date there are more karate organizations in North America than we can count, largely the result of splinter groups fighting amongst themselves. This in-fighting has been to the detriment of karate as a whole, and has been primarily responsible for the lack of karate's acceptance as an Olympic event.

Many top instructors have expressed deep frustration in dealing with the after-math of organizational divisions. Although there have been these kinds of issues in the past, karate teachers and students have much reason to be hopeful and optimistic about their art.

There is more ahead for karate than what is in the past. The future of karate is brighter than it ever has been in the past. Modern science and meticulous research has resulted in the development of a karate which surpasses its past practice. We know more about the physiology and mechanics of the human body than we have ever known and this information helps students and teachers approach the art with a greater understanding of how to practice and grow in this art.

There are some karate teachers who lament that karate today is not as good as it has been in the past. True, there have been some awesome karate men of the past who have been inspirational to practitioners world-wide but this author believes that more great martial artists will come. Gichin Funakoshi and his best original students have made karate a system where students can, through due diligence and effort, surpass the master. The karate they have given us is indeed a marvelous legacy.

Copyright Notice