Karate-Do

[D Call]

I recently read Karate-Do by Gichin Funakoshi.  What I enjoyed most about the book was learning the history of karate.  Karate went from an obscure self-defense form of martial arts, known only in Okinawa, to being world renowned.  Funakoshi, a founder of karate, had a very humble start to teaching karate outside of Okinawa.  While he demonstrated martial arts in Tokyo, he had to work as a groundskeeper for a local school and pawn his personal items to make ends meet.  After World War II, U.S. servicemen in Japan became interested in karate.  Funakoshi was invited to teach at U.S. bases and became a highly respected karate instructor.  Servicemen returning to the U.S. established dojos, and karate became an internationally recognized form of martial arts.  Reflecting on Funakoshi's experiences, I was surprised how certain skills can take you to amazing places in life.