Gichin Funakoshi Quotes

45 quotes in 643 categories

• In the past, it was expected that about three years were required to learn a single kata, and usually even an expert of considerable skill…
• Once a kata has been learned, it must be practised repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence…
• The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.
• Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to it's tepid state
• A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front…
• Any man will be able, after sufficient practice, to accomplish remarkable feats of strength, but he may go only so far and no farther. There…
• You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning…
• Karate begins and ends with courtesy.
• No matter how you may excel in the art of Karate, and in your scholastic endeavors, nothing is more important than your behavior and your…
• There is no first strike in Karate.
• Karate is a defensive art from beginning to end.
• When two tigers fight, one is certain to be maimed, and one to die.
• Hoping to see karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make…
• One of the most striking features of karate is that it may be engaged in by anybody, young or old, strong or weak, male or…
• Since karate is a martial art, you must practice with the utmost seriousness from the very beginning.
• Try to do exactly as you are taught without complaining or quibbling.
• When you are learning a new technique, practice it wholeheartedly until you truly understand it.
• Don't pretend to be a great master and don't try to show off your strength.
• You must ignore the bad and adopt the good.
• Remember that you must always have a deep regard for courtesy, and you must be respectful and obedient toward your seniors.

Browse Gichin Funakoshi Quotes by Category