miltonchanesacademy

Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:20:39 GMT

Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964)

In the spring of 1922, Gichin Funakoshi travelled to Tokyo at the invitation of the Japanese Ministry of Education to present the art of Okinawa at the First National Physical Education Exhibition, held in Ochanomizu. He was 53 years old at the time, and nothing suggested that this discreet Okinawan schoolteacher was about to change the history of Japanese martial arts forever.

For the occasion, he prepared three long scrolls containing ordered photographs of stances, kata, and hand and foot movements, and the demonstration proved to be a remarkable success. His intention, however, was to return to Okinawa as soon as the event was over. The first postponement came when Kanō Jigorō, founder of jūdō and president of the Kōdōkan, asked him to give a lecture and demonstration of his art.

After the demonstration, Funakoshi was once again preparing to return to Okinawa when he received a visit from the painter Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964) , a prominent figure in Tokyo’s artistic circles and president of the Tabata Poplar Club, a gathering of painters and poets. Kosugi was not unfamiliar with the Okinawan art: in 1913, during a journey to Europe, his ship had stopped in Okinawa, where he had his first encounter with Tōde, which left a deep impression on him.

Fascinated by that art, he asked Funakoshi to postpone his departure and teach the members of the club. Those first classes, together with the insistence of Kanō Jigorō and the kendō master Nakayama Hakudō, proved decisive in leading Funakoshi to remain permanently in the Japanese capital.

His relationship with Kosugi soon bore further fruit. It was Kosugi who encouraged Funakoshi to write the first book on karate, committing himself to take charge of the design. Thus Ryūkyū Kempō: Karate (1922) was born, the first karate book published in the world, whose cover already displayed the famous tiger painted by Kosugi.

The design played on the Japanese expression tora no maki — the definitive reference text of an art — since tora also means “tiger”: Funakoshi’s book would become the tora no maki of karate. That tiger would accompany the master’s later works, including Karate-Dō Kyōhan (1935), and would eventually become one of the most recognizable symbols of Shōtōkan.

Bushi. The guardian of Shuri

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:47:47 GMT

Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 2

Before karate was known as Karate-Dō, before it reached Japanese universities, and even before it became a discipline practiced throughout the world, there existed an ancient, silent art deeply connected to the history of Okinawa.

For generations, that art was known as Tōde.

And among the great names who shaped that tradition, one stands out with particular strength: Matsumura Sōkon.

Bushi was born from the desire to tell his story.

Matsumura Sōkon was not simply a martial arts master. He was a man shaped by a complex era, in which the Ryūkyū Kingdom existed between Chinese, Japanese, and Okinawan influences. His life unfolded in a world where diplomacy, loyalty, honor, and survival were all part of the same reality.

In the service of the kings of Ryūkyū, Matsumura became a respected figure not only for his physical skill, but also for his character, his discipline, and his deep understanding of the art. Tradition remembers him as an exceptional warrior, but also as a teacher capable of transmitting something far more important than technique: a way of facing life.

That is why the title Bushi does not speak only of a fighter. It speaks of an attitude. Of a way of being in the world. Of the inner firmness of someone who learns to control his strength, master his fear, and act with dignity even in difficult times.

The novel enters an Okinawa that existed before modern karate, when the art was still transmitted privately and the great masters were known more for their actions than for their words. In that context, Matsumura Sōkon represents a bridge between the warrior past of Ryūkyū and the later evolution of Tōde into what, many decades later, would be called Karate-Dō.

Bushi is not intended to be only a novel about martial arts. It is a story about identity, duty, tradition, and transformation. Through Matsumura’s life, the reader is brought closer to a world where every gesture carried meaning, where teaching could not be separated from character, and where true mastery began long before combat.

Within its pages are the echoes of the palaces of Shuri, the political tensions of the old kingdom, the influence of China, the presence of Japan, and the slow formation of a martial tradition that survived through transmission from master to disciple.

Matsumura Sōkon was one of the deepest roots of that tradition. His legacy would influence later generations and reach, directly or indirectly, fundamental figures such as Ankō Itosu, Ankō Asato, and Gichin Funakoshi. Without Matsumura, the history of karate could not be understood in the same way.

Within the trilogy, Bushi occupies an essential place. If Walking Upright follows the life of Gichin Funakoshi and the moment when the art of Okinawa began to make its way to Japan, Bushi looks further back, toward the roots. Toward the time when spirit, technique, and loyalty were still tied to the world of the old Ryūkyū.

The novel invites the reader to discover not only who Matsumura Sōkon was, but what he represented. Because behind the myth of the great master lies a deeper question: what does it truly mean to be a bushi?

The answer is not found only in strength, victory, or reputation. It is found in silent discipline, in loyalty to one’s principles, in respect for tradition, and in the ability to remain firm when history changes around us.

Bushi is a novel about origin. About the weight of inheritance. About a man who helped preserve an art that, over time, would transform the lives of millions of people.

Because before modern Karate-Dō, there were masters who walked in silence.

And among them, Matsumura Sōkon holds an immortal place.

Bushi: THE GUARDIAN OF SHURI

Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 2

Bushi is available on Amazon in several formats and languages, allowing readers around the world to discover the story of Matsumura Sōkon and the warrior spirit of Okinawa.

Whether in digital edition or print, this novel invites readers to explore the roots of Karate-Dō through a historical journey of loyalty, discipline, tradition, and personal transformation.

Walking Upright. The story of Gichin Funakoshi

miltonchanes.academy@gmail.com (Milton Chanes) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:16:50 GMT

WalkinG Upright Trilogy - Book1

There are lives that cannot be explained solely by the events they contain, but by the quiet transformation they awaken in those who look upon them. The life of Gichin Funakoshi is one of them.

Walking Upright was born from that idea: to tell the story of a man who, long before becoming an essential figure in the spread of karate, was a frail child, a young man shaped by the traditions of Okinawa, and a teacher who found in the ancient art of Tōde much more than a method of self-defense. He found a way of life.

The novel is set in a time of profound change. Okinawa, once the heart of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, was caught between its own past and the growing influence of Japan. In that world, the art that would later be known as karate was still practiced discreetly, passed from master to student, far from the large dōjō, competitions, and modern image we know today.

Funakoshi grew up in that world. Under the guidance of masters such as Asato Ankō and Itosu Ankō, he came to understand that the value of the art lay not only in technique, but in the character it helped to shape. Training was not merely a sequence of strikes, blocks, and kata. It was an inner discipline. A way of learning to endure, to resist, to move forward, and ultimately, to stand tall. That is the heart of the novel.

Walking Upright is not intended to be only a story about karate. It is also a story about identity, humility, perseverance, and transmission. Through Funakoshi’s life, the reader is brought closer to an Okinawa where oral tradition, respect for teachers, and the cultivation of character formed part of a single vision of the world.

The novel follows Funakoshi from his early years to the moment when his destiny begins to change irreversibly. In 1922, he traveled to Tokyo at the invitation of the Japanese Ministry of Education to present the art of Okinawa at the First National Physical Education Exhibition. His intention was to return soon to his homeland, but that journey would mark a turning point. The insistence of figures such as Kanō Jigorō, Nakayama Hakudō, and Kosugi Hoan would lead him to remain in the Japanese capital and begin a task that would forever transform the history of martial arts.

But behind the recognized master there was always a quiet man. An Okinawan schoolteacher who taught with patience, who believed in courtesy, discipline, and personal improvement. A man who understood that karate should not be reduced to victory over another, but should become a path for shaping the human being.

That is why the title Walking Upright carries a symbolic meaning. It does not speak only of physical posture or bodily strength. It speaks of dignity. Of the ability to remain firm even when the world changes around us. Of walking with integrity, humility, and purpose.

The novel is part of a trilogy devoted to the great figures who helped shape modern karate. Walking Upright focuses on Gichin Funakoshi; Bushi explores the figure of Matsumura Sōkon; and Waka-sensei enters the life of Gigo Funakoshi, the master’s son and a fundamental figure in the technical evolution of Shōtōkan. Alongside them, the historical essay The Path of Karate-Dō offers a deeper understanding of how and why the ancient Tōde eventually evolved into Karate-Dō.

Writing Walking Upright was a way of looking back to the origin. Of trying to understand not only what happened, but what it meant. Because the karate we know today did not appear suddenly. It was the result of many lives, many decisions, and many sacrifices.

Among all of them, the life of Gichin Funakoshi holds a special place. His story reminds us that the true path does not always begin with strength. Sometimes it begins with fragility. With doubts. With a silent search. And, little by little, with the decision to rise and walk upright.

Walking Upright is available on Amazon in several formats and languages, allowing readers around the world to discover the inspiring story of Gichin Funakoshi, the Okinawan schoolteacher who helped transform the ancient art of Tōde into modern Karate-Dō.

Whether in digital edition or print, this novel invites readers to explore the origins of karate through a historical journey of humility, perseverance, discipline, and personal transformation.