Is there any difference between Shotokai and Shotokan?
Hombu Dojo vs. Association: Historical Clarifications on Master Funakoshi's Legacy
Short answer: No. Shotokan is the name of Shotokai's Hombu (main) Dojo, and Shotokai is the name of the association.
Long answer: Shotokai (literally "Shoto's Association", where Shoto was the artistic pseudonym used by Gichin Funakoshi) was founded in the 1930s to coordinate Master Funakoshi's students and collect the funds necessary to construct his primary dojo in Tokyo. This dojo received the name Shotokan - the building or hall of Shoto. Those who trained there were naturally known as those who practiced at the Shotokan. Over time outside observers referred to the style as Shotokan, although Gichin Funakoshi himself never designated what he taught as "Shotokan style", but simply as Karate-do.
When Master Funakoshi passed away in 1957, his family entrusted his heritage directly to Shotokai, placing the school under the stewardship of Shigeru Egami and Genshin Hironishi. All of the Master's personal writings, the rights to the names Shotokai and Shotokan, and his personal seal (the tiger) were placed in their custody. Shotokai was furthermore officially commissioned by the Funakoshi family to organize Gichin Funakoshi's funeral ceremonies.
Today, the Shotokan Dojo - the Hombu Dojo of Nihon Karate-do Shotokai - stands rebuilt in Tokyo alongside Master Funakoshi's reconstructed residence, serving as the international headquarters. In Japan, Shotokan and Shotokai are historically indivisible.
Outside Japan, where the Funakoshi family's original wishes were less well known, numerous commercial entities adopted the name "Shotokan" to grant themselves instant credibility. Some even registered commercial trademarks on Master Funakoshi's personal tiger emblem without permission from his estate or Shotokai. This generated widespread public misunderstanding, leading many to believe mistakenly that Funakoshi had founded a tournament karate style. In truth, Funakoshi strictly forbade tournament competition throughout his life.
In conclusion: Shotokai is Master Gichin Funakoshi's association, and the Shotokan is the central Dojo of that association. With rare historical exceptions granted directly by the master (such as Tsutomu Ohshima's Shotokan Karate of America), the widespread commercial use of the Shotokan label diverged entirely from the founder's original philosophical mandate.
