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Commentaries by Master Genshin Hironishi. President of Shotokai International Association with headquarters in Japan. The last surviving 5th Dan of the 12 godan karatekas that existed by the end of the Second World War.

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PROLOGUE
Our Master and father, Shoto, Gichin Funakoshi, died on April 26th 1957.
The next day we had a very urgent meeting to analyse a very complicated matter that immediately arose after his death, the Japanese Karate Association (JKA, "Kyokai") would not assist to the funeral ceremony if they were not the ones organizing it.

The Kyokai attitude surprised us all in a disagreable way. Their attitude was unacceptable, even mor so considering the words of Master Giei Funakoshi, primogenite of O-sensei, who insisted on the following:
"The burial of my father shall be in the hands of the Shotokai school because he had no other position than director of the Shotokan Dojo and the Shotokai school. Now that the Dojo has burnt down and disappeared, it is only logical that his burial should be in charge of the School.".

We know that in a traditional heirarchical society as the Japanese, the primogenite's wish is the one that counts most with respect to the funeral, the Kyokai requirement was not accepted.

At that moment the Kyokai aglutinated some of the main universities that concentrated a long history of karate as Keio, Takushoku and Hosei, while Chuo, Noko, Seijo, Gakushin and Senshu Universities were loyal to the Shotokai School, fully backing the organization of the funeral by the latter.

With respect to Waseda University, there was a complicated internal situation. Mr. Ohama, director of the Physical Education Coordination Department and a fellow countryman of Master Funakoshi and a very dear friend, was in charge of coordinating the funerals, while on the other hand the club had taken Kyokai's position, actively acting on behalf of the latter. They could not boicot the funerals ignoring Mr. Ohama's intentions but neither did they offer to back up the reconsideration of the Kyokai. Thus they were present at the meeting but they did not give their opinion on the subject.

This complicated and tense environment preceded the meeting where around 50 karatekas were convened. I was present as a moderator limited to that position, Mr. Egami and his helper Yanagizawa (Chuo representative) would be in charge of convincing the Kyokai that they should reconsider their attitude.

All through the meeting Mr. Egami repeated his call to reason in name of the primogenite Giei, with his short and precise sentences, very much convinced that it would be a grave mistake if they did not assist to the funeral. The Kyokai, on the other side, from the beginning maintained a rigid attitude: "If the funerals were not organized by the Kyokai, they would not assist...".

Hours and hours passed and not agreement was reached. It was clear that for the Kyokai there was no possibility of reconsideration. The representatives of Takushoku, Keio and Hosei retired taking with them their clubs flags, that had been left for the prefuneral ceremonies. They said they would need them the next day for some university ceremonies.

After long hours of discusion, we were obliged to reach a conclusion, whatever it was: " The assistance, or non assistance, to the funerals would be a personal decision..." We had no other solution than to do it that way.

The only reason sported by the Kyokai consisted in the fact that Master Funakoshi, besides being President of the Shotokai School, he occupied the position of highest technical counselor of the Kyokai. As I have before stated, I acted as a moderator at the meeting and I limited myself to that role. I made no comments on the subjects; I only commented on a personal plane to correct an error which was the following:
The Kyokai does not recognize the Taikyoku (a Kata), thus it is not practiced by them. It says the kata was created by and perfected by Master Gigo (Funakoshi). But this is not so. The Taikyoku is the result of many years of training by many people.. Mr. Kuguimiya (Takushoku) is one of those karatekas. During the Second World War " Karate-Do Kyohan" was published (the Second Edition), book written by Master Funakoshi, as we all know. In the supplement of that book the author presents the Taikyoku under his own signature. Once that is said I call to your attention one thing: if the Kyokai considers Master Funakoshi as the highest tecnical counselor and it doesn't practice the Taikyoku, this would be incoherent.

After that encounter what had to happen happened. In December of that year Mr. Nakayama came to see me and we had the following conversation:
"Become a member of the Kyokai. Stop your subtilty and become a member"

To this invitation my response was final.
"Before inviting me to enter the Kyokai you have to do two things: Go to the house of the Funakoshi and ask them to forgive you. How can I become part of the organization that boicotted our Master's funeral?, and you will also have to recognize the Taikyoku as oficial. If you fulfill these two compromises, I will consider it".

"Well, you may be right. But let's not discuss now. Join the Kyokai and later on impose your reasons". (The Kyokai, at the moment of our conversation, already recognized the Taikyoku as created by Master Funakoshi. But they still did not practice it, something I could not understand).

"Look Nakayama, we are karate technicians. We have trained together and shared hard times. I hope you understand me. You have students and if people say to them: you are from the association that boycotted the burial of Master Funakoshi!, that hurts you, doesn't it, no? Go to the home of the Funakoshi and beg for forgiveness. It's a mere formality, I know, but you must do it".

This was the last time I saw Mr. Nakayama.

The publication is taken from a site www.shotokai.cl

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The Comment:

I think, that the given publication will be very interesting to all admirers каратэ, developing Shotokan. This article, in my opinion, very brightly shows real sight of life on the part of heads of federations sports каратэ for this reason I have asked to place it on an official site of the Centre "Ronin Renmei".

Not the secret, that Japanese Association Karate is, practically, the first-ever organization sports karate. Today it is a lot of heads of this organization come to Russia for realization of seminars, certifications, tournaments. All this is presented, as continuation of an affair of Sensei Funakoshi. From the Russian representatives of this organization very much frequently it is possible to hear a phrase: "We, and only we, are engaged really traditional karate because Japanese from JKA are successors of traditions of Sensei Funakoshi, and, hence, and traditions of ancient Masters".

The majority of them, really, trust that speak. Though, in a reality karate in which they are engaged, that taught Funakoshi is absolutely not similar. It is not meaningful to ask in thousand time about how Traditions karate-do to and to sights of Funakoshi realization of sports competitions on karate. You see it is well-known, that Funakoshi was categorically against not only competitions, but even simply free kumite on training.

It seems to me, that sensei Funakoshi, softly speaking, would not approve that ease from which these "successors" distribute in Russia Black belts 13-14 to years teenagers...

This article, in my opinion, has very precisely shown essence of all sports каратэ where concepts of morals, respect, continuity of generations only are declared. Really in the foreground rather material purposes for which achievement not especially reflect on ways cost. I see only one answer to a question: "Why JKA (where the majority of heads were pupils Funakoshi) has taken such position in relation to funeral of the Master? ". The answer, in my opinion, is simple - JKA wanted to act as the privately-owned organizer of funeral to use in the future this fact, as confirmation of the status of "Successor" of traditions of the Great Master! This scandalous step was caused by banal desire to make to itself advertising! It is essence sports karate. Also it is a parameter of that a plenty of the Japanese masters, unfortunately, have ceased be carriers of Tradition, and have turned to usual dealers fighting arts! Well karate it is possible to speak about what morals and Spirit with people which even are ready to transform death of the Teacher into the advertising company?

Yes, not badly very much it is possible to own engineering karate. Very well it is possible to speak about Tradition and Spirit of karate. But the trace in life is left not with our words, and affairs which we make. And whether people entering the organization sports каратэ reflected, about that WHAT tradition they undertake to carry in the future and to transfer the pupils? Whether it is worthy to continue to live? And can be for all will better if this FALSE tradition will become a thing of the past at the same time who has tried to create it?....

Eugeny Bezruchko
4 Dan (the Black belt) karate-do