Gichin Funakoshi - My Way Of LifeDVD Review
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Gichin Funakoshi: Karate Do, My Way Of Life, is a great DVD that concentrates on telling the story of the ‘grandfather’ of karate do, and how he brought tode to Japan and eventually developed the style of Shotokan karate. Principally the content of the DVD is made up of Professor George Alexander narrating an interesting and detailed tale of the life and times of this extraordinary man. This information is well shot and well presented in color. Alexander’s delivery is clear and easy to grasp and he is able to maintain a viewer’s attention. Interspersed throughout are clips of Funakoshi and other footage of various karateka. The clips of Funakoshi are welcome viewing but not always of the highest standard. This is forgiveable of course given the age of the film and the lower technological standard. Other clips are clearer but less interesting to watch from an historical point of view. The clips all show Shotokan in the latter stages of development; that is, when the style had morphed significantly from its Okinawan stylistic origins and had become something more akin to what we see today. This in itself is interesting but I personally would have very much welcomed viewing footage when the karate was more combat-oriented and more traditionally Okinawan (if any such tape exists).
 ). Alexander introduces Funakoshi’s two principal teachers - Masters Azato and Itosu - and how they impacted their famous student in different ways. Alexander also delves back into the origins of karate, tracing the roots back to a mixture of indigenous tode and Chinese Shaolin kenpo, itself developing from the teachings of Bodhidharma and his Eighteen Fists of Lohan reputedly-combative exercises taught to the monks of the Shaolin temple.
Another important figure in the development of Shotokan was Funakoshi’s third son, Yoshitaka, the Young Sensei. Alexander notes that it was through the influence of the powerful Yoshitaka that the stances of Shotokan deepened, the techniques became fully extended, kicks came to be directed at the body and head (as opposed to the knees and groin of the more traditional pre-Yoshitaka version) and the change in combat / training distance from close to long range. For anyone interested in the development of Shotokan this is important and significant information and marked a watershed in the development in the style. Along with the history and examination of important figures, Alexander also analyzes the central themes of Funakoshi’s philosophy of life and karate. While Alexander acknowledges that there were former masters who were more competent in fighting and in the performance of kata, where Funakoshi shone is in his emphasis on going beyond technique to view karate as a means of perfecting one’s character. It is this emphasis that is most thought provoking and presents karate as a way of life rather than (more simply) a way of fighting. Alexander covers six principal teachings of Funakoshi as well as one of the best known karate precepts: karate ni sente nashi. Or, There is no first attack in karate. Alexander also discusses the Shotokan Tiger and describes where it came from and what it symbolizes.
Overall the DVD is a great buy and something to return to for inspiration. I especially like to play DVDs such as this while I am working out at home. The visual content is only a fraction of what you get; the DVD works well as an audio presentation. The only issue I would say I have with the DVD is that there is no chapter select menu and in fact even while playing the DVD you are not able to skip to new chapters and must instead rely on forwarding or rewinding. This is a small point however and at 59 minutes duration, it is easy to navigate the disc. A must buy then for anyone serious about Shotokan, the history of karate or in the approach of seeing karate as a vehicle to self-improvement. Order here
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