The Darkest Moments of Karate-do: The 1957 Schism and the Origin of Egami Karate
Ōsensei (大先生) Gichin Funakoshi with senior disciples Genshin Hironishi and Shigeru Egami.
The Darkest Moments of Karate-do: The Origin of Egami Karate
Historical Testimony by Master Genshin Hironishi • Commentary and Archival Analysis
Primary Source & Archival Attribution:
This historic firsthand chronicle was originally published by Master Genshin Hironishi in the Boletín Shōtōkai de España (1984), and subsequently analyzed in Marco Forti's definitive study Shōtōkai No Rekishi: Excursus sulla storia del Karate-dō del M° Shigeru Egami (FIKTA Corso Maestri, 2003, chapter "Il momento più buio per il Karate-dō", pp. 10 - 17).
Historical Context: The 1956 - 1957 Schism
During the post-World War II reconstruction of Japan, a profound philosophical rupture emerged within the Shotokan community. Ōsensei (大先生) Gichin Funakoshi (1868 - 1957) had spent his life teaching that Karate-do is an ethical, spiritual Budo dedicated to character perfection and mutual harmony. O-Sensei was adamantly opposed to free sparring competitions (shiai), warning that sport rules and point-scoring would inevitably degrade lethal, authentic martial technique into superficial tapping and egotistical vanity.
In 1949, several collegiate groups established the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Initially, senior disciple Isao Obata served as chairman, with Master Funakoshi named Supreme Counselor. However, as the younger JKA faction led by Masatoshi Nakayama moved aggressively to codify tournament competition rules and transform karate into an international spectator sport, Obata and Funakoshi felt deeply betrayed. Obata resigned from the JKA in protest.
In response, Funakoshi's orthodox senior disciples - led by Isao Obata, Shigeru Egami, Genshin Hironishi, and Funakoshi's eldest son Giei Funakoshi - formally reorganized the Nihon Karate-do Shotokai in 1956 to protect Master Funakoshi's pure, non-competitive martial vision.
When Ōsensei Gichin Funakoshi passed away on April 26, 1957 at age 89, the smoldering tensions erupted into an open crisis surrounding his official funeral.
The Firsthand Account of Master Genshin Hironishi
Transcribed from Master Hironishi's 1984 testimony; Hironishi was one of the last surviving Godan (5th Dan) masters among the original twelve appointed before the end of World War II, and longtime President of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai.
Prologue: The Boycott of the Funeral
Our Master and father, Shoto, Gichin Funakoshi, passed away on April 26, 1957.
The following day, an emergency meeting of approximately fifty karate leaders was convened to resolve a painful and complicated issue that arose immediately upon his death: the Japan Karate Association (JKA / "Kyokai") announced that it would refuse to attend the funeral ceremonies unless the JKA was designated as the sole official organizer.
The Kyokai's stance shocked and saddened all of us deeply. Such an attitude was completely unthinkable, especially in light of the explicit declaration made by Master Giei Funakoshi, the eldest son and heir of O-Sensei, who stated unequivocally:
"The funeral of my father shall be organized entirely by the Shōtōkai school. He held no administrative post other than Director of the Shōtōkan Dojo and Supreme Head of the Shōtōkai. Now that the central dojo has burned down during the war, it is only natural and proper that his funeral be conducted by the School."
In traditional Japanese society, the decision of the firstborn son (chonan) is sovereign in family funerals. Therefore, the Kyokai's administrative ultimatum could not be accepted.
At that time, the Kyokai was backed by universities with established karate clubs such as Keio, Takushoku, and Hosei. Conversely, Chuo, Tokyo Noko, Seijo, Gakushuin, and Senshu Universities remained staunchly loyal to the Shōtōkai, giving their unconditional support to the funeral organized by the school.
Waseda University found itself in a delicate internal conflict. Mr. Ohama, Director of Physical Education at Waseda and a close compatriot and dear lifelong friend of Master Funakoshi, was entrusted with coordinating the funeral services. However, the active Waseda Karate Club had aligned itself with the Kyokai. Consequently, while Waseda representatives attended the meeting out of respect for Mr. Ohama, they remained silent throughout the heated proceedings.
The Breakdown of Negotiations
Under this tense and sorrowful atmosphere, the assembly began. I was present in the role of moderator, limiting myself strictly to that neutral capacity. Master Shigeru Egami and his assistant Yanagisawa (representing Chuo University) undertook the burden of appealing to the Kyokai's conscience.
Throughout the meeting, Master Egami made repeated calls to reason in the name of the eldest son Giei. In his characteristically concise, measured voice, Egami argued that it would be a grave, unforgivable disgrace for karateka to boycott the funeral of the art's founder. The Kyokai, however, remained rigid and unyielding: "If the funeral is not organized by the Kyokai, we will not attend."
Hours passed without resolution. The impossibility of any compromise became painful. The representatives of Takushoku, Keio, and Hosei finally departed, removing the university club flags that had already been deposited for the vigil, claiming they were needed for campus ceremonies the following morning.
After hours of exhausting debate, we were forced to adopt an open resolution: attendance at the funeral would be left to each individual's personal conscience.
The Question of Kata Taikyoku
The sole justification offered by the Kyokai was that Master Funakoshi, in addition to being President of Shotokai, held the titular position of Chief Technical Counselor of the Kyokai.
During the debate, I broke my silence only once, in a personal capacity, to address a glaring contradiction:
*"The Kyokai does not recognize Kata Taikyoku, and therefore refuses to practice it. The Kyokai claims that Taikyoku was created exclusively by Master Yoshitaka Funakoshi. But that is factually incorrect. Taikyoku was the fruit of many years of research by several senior karateka, including Mr. Kugimiya of Takushoku.
Furthermore, during the war, the second edition of 'Karate-do Kyohan' was published by Master Gichin Funakoshi himself, and in the official supplement, the Master presented Taikyoku under his own signature. Therefore, if the Kyokai honors Master Funakoshi as its supreme counselor yet refuses to practice Taikyoku, its position is completely incoherent."*
The Final Encounter with Masatoshi Nakayama
In December of that same year, Mr. Masatoshi Nakayama came to visit me personally. We had the following exchange:
Nakayama: "Join the Kyokai. Drop these technical subtleties and become a member of our association."
Hironishi: "Before inviting me to join the Kyokai, there are two mandatory things you must do. First, you must go to the Funakoshi family residence and beg for forgiveness. How could I ever join an organization that boycotted the funeral of our Master? Second, you must officially recognize Kata Taikyoku. If you fulfill those two commitments, I will consider it."
Nakayama: "You may be right. But let us not argue about that now. Join the Kyokai first, and then you can argue your points from within."
(By that point, the Kyokai had conceded that Taikyoku was authored by Funakoshi, yet still refused to teach it in its syllabus).Hironishi: "Listen to me, Nakayama. We are karate technicians. We trained together, sweated together, and survived harsh times side by side. I hope you understand: you have students, and if people ask them, 'Are you from the association that boycotted Master Funakoshi's burial?', that will wound their conscience. Go to the Funakoshi home and apologize. Even if you consider it a mere formality, it is a duty that must be fulfilled."
That was the last time I ever spoke with Mr. Nakayama.
The Legacy of the 1957 Funeral
On May 10, 1957, Master Gichin Funakoshi's official funeral was held at the historic Gokokuji Temple in Bunkyo, Tokyo. More than one thousand mourners gathered to pay their final respects.
Following this painful parting of ways, Master Shigeru Egami assumed the role of Chief Instructor (Shihan) of the Shotokan, with Master Genshin Hironishi as Chief Examiner and later President of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai. Together, they preserved Master Funakoshi's pure, non-commercialized Budo: prioritizing deep physical relaxation, penetrating non-telegraphed power, and spiritual fellowship over the fleeting glory of competitive sporting tournaments.
Bibliography & Archival Sources
- Marco Forti, Shōtōkai No Rekishi: Excursus sulla storia del Karate-dō del M° Shigeru Egami, FIKTA Corso Maestri, 2003, chapter "Il momento più buio per il Karate-dō", pp. 10 - 17.
- Genshin Hironishi, interview in Boletín Shōtōkai de España, Madrid, 1984.
- Gichin Funakoshi, Karate-do Kyohan (Second Edition), Tokyo, 1943.
- Shigeru Egami, The Way of Karate: Beyond Technique, Kodansha International, Tokyo, 1976.
