Karate-Do Nyumon

The Master Introductory Text

Author  Gichin Funakoshi
Karate-Do Nyumon

Karate-do Nyumon literally means a passage through the gates of the Karate way--in other words, an introduction to the world of Karate. Karate-do Nyumon is the result of Master Funakoshi's wish to clarify Karate thought and practice for those who know nothing about it. It comprises unpublished writings from the years before his death in 1957, together with simplified kata--sequences of movements--synthesized by Funakoshi from the traditional Okinawa Karate-do kata, for beginners.


Master Funakoshi begins by exploding some of the myths of Karate: "Karate-do is a noble martial art, and the reader can rest assured that those who take pride in breaking boards or smashing tiles, or who boast of being able to perform outlandish feats like stripping flesh or plucking…