Name: Waka-sensei
Author: Milton Chanes

Waka-sensei is the third and final book in the Walking Upright Trilogy. It tells the story of Gigo Funakoshi, the son of Gichin Funakoshi, remembered for his demanding approach to training and his influence on a generation of karate practitioners.

Through his life, the book explores the challenges of carrying a family legacy, the tension between tradition and personal conviction, and the discipline required to follow a path shaped by sacrifice, illness, and a rapidly changing Japan.

For Gigo Funakoshi, karate was not merely an inheritance to be preserved, but a lifelong commitment to effort, character, and continuous personal development.

Karate-Dō · The Story of Yoshitaka (Gigo) Funakoshi

A fictional novel inspired by real events. Not a manual of techniques, but a reflection on inheritance, discipline, responsibility, and sacrifice. The novel explores the life of a young teacher who carried the weight of his father’s legacy while searching for his own place within a changing martial tradition.

A meditation on mortality, conviction, and the difficult balance between preserving what has been received and pursuing one’s own understanding of the path.

Walking Upright Trilogy - Book 3.