Gichin Funakoshi Quotes

Only through training will a person learn his own weaknesses... He who is aware of his weaknesses will remain master of himself in any situation.

The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.

What you have been taught by listening to others' words you will forget very quickly; what you have learned with your whole body you will remember for the rest of your life.

In battle, do not think that you have to win. Think rather that you do not have to lose.

Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behaviour.

Spirit first, technique second.

True karate is this: that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.

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 of a kata in karate is useless.

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 humanity as observed in daily life.

One whose spirit and mental strength have been strengthened by sparring with a never-say-die attitude should find no challenge too great to handle. One who has undergone long years of physical pain and mental agony to learn one punch, one kick, should be able to face any task, no matter how difficult, and carry it through to the end. A person like this can truly be said to have learned karate.

To search for the old is to understand the new.

Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty.

When you look at life think in terms of karate. But remember that karate is not only karate -- it is life.

The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an opening in one's guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all times.

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 is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do.

Karate-do begins with courtesy and ends with rei.

To practice kata is not to memorize an order. Find the katas that work for you, understand them, digest them & stick with them for life.

Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to it's tepid state

When there are no avenues of escape or one is caught even before any attempt to escape can be made, then for the first time the use of self-defense techniques should be considered. Even at times like these, do not show any intention of attacking, but first let the attacker become careless. At that time attack him concentrating one's whole strength in one blow to a vital point and in the moment of surprise, escape and seek shelter and help.

You must ignore the bad and adopt the good.

First know yourself, then know others.

Beginners must master low stance and posture, natural body positions are for the advanced.

When two tigers fight, one is certain to be maimed, and one to die.

The spirit of karate practice and the elements of training are applicable to each and every aspect of our daily lives.

Success, cannot be attained alone. Any person's time and power is limited. A wise leader enlists others in working toward organizational goals.