· A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  · 

Walking Upright

Walking Upright  is the first book in the trilogy that bears its name. It tells the story of Gichin Funakoshi, the master who brought Tōde from Okinawa to Japan and helped transform it into Karate-Dō.


Through his life, the book opens the path for the rest of the trilogy, exploring the spirit of Budō: discipline, humility, respect, and character.


For Gichin Funakoshi, Karate was not merely a technique, but a way of walking upright through life.

Walking Upright

Discover Walking Upright in your language. Select one of the available editions and begin reading the opening chapters of this historical novel, inspired by the life of Gichin Funakoshi, directly on the website. You can also download a free PDF sample and continue reading whenever you like. Choose your language, discover the story, and begin the journey.

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Step into the extraordinary story of Gichin Funakoshi and discover how Karate-Dō began its journey from Okinawa to mainland Japan.


Walking Upright is a historical novel that brings to life the man behind one of the world’s most influential martial arts traditions. Through personal struggles, cultural change, and a lifelong search for purpose, the novel reveals the human story behind the birth of modern karate.


Download the free preview, read the opening chapters, and begin the journey

Walking Upright Book 1

EXAMPLE IN ENGLISH

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  PUBLISHED

Walking Upright

Karate-Dō · The story of Gichin Funakoshi

A fictional novel inspired by real events. Not a manual of techniques but an essay in lived ethics: how the Okinawan path of karate-dō became a discipline for the body, the mind, and the way we move through the world. A meditation on lineage, dignity and the quiet decision to walk upright.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 1.

Milton Chanes — Author’s Blog

De Tōde a Karate-Dō | Historia del Karate

von Milton Chanes • 27. Oktober 2026
Descubre la historia del Karate-Dō, desde el Tōde de Okinawa hasta Japón, en el ensayo de Milton Chanes sobre sus maestros, orígenes y evolución.

Tode Ken Kyu Club

von Milton Chanes • 22. September 2026
TODE Ken Kyu Club Quando os grandes mestres de Okinawa tentaram construir uma tradição comum de Karate 

Tode Ken Kyu Club

von Milton Chanes • 22. September 2026
Entdecke die Geschichte des Okinawa Tōde Kenkyū Club, in dem große Meister wie Chojun Miyagi und Kenwa Mabuni in den 1920er-Jahren gemeinsam an der Entwicklung des Karate arbeiteten.

Tode Ken Kyu Club

von Milton Chanes • 22. September 2026
TODE Ken Kyu Club When Okinawa’s great masters tried to build a shared Karate tradition

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  PUBLISHED

Bushi. The guardian of Shuri

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The story of Sōkon Matsumura

This book is a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura, one of the most influential figures in Okinawan martial history. Before karate had its modern name, Matsumura served the Ryūkyū Kingdom as a warrior, royal bodyguard, and strategist trained in Okinawa and China. Through students such as Ankō Asato and Ankō Itosu, Matsumura’s legacy ultimately reached Gichin Funakoshi, who introduced karate to the world.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 2

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  SEPTEMBER 2026

Waka-sensei. The prince who never reigned

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The story of Sōkon Matsumura

This book is a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura, one of the most influential figures in Okinawan martial history. Before karate had its modern name, Matsumura served the Ryūkyū Kingdom as a warrior, royal bodyguard, and strategist trained in Okinawa and China. Through students such as Ankō Asato and Ankō Itosu, Matsumura’s legacy ultimately reached Gichin Funakoshi, who introduced karate to the world.


Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 3

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN

A HISTORICAL ESSAY  ·  AUGUST 2026

The path of Karate-Dō

From Tōde to Karate-Dō · The history behind the fiction

The Path of Karate-Dō is a historical essay that explores the origins and evolution of karate through the lives of the masters who shaped it. Drawing on historical sources, memoirs, and martial traditions, it traces the path from the warriors of the Ryūkyū Kingdom to the emergence of modern karate. Written as a companion to the Walking Upright trilogy, it reveals the history, people, and sources behind the stories.


A companion volume to the Walking Upright Trilogy

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+570


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

3


  AVAILABLE IN