· A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  · 

Waka-sensei

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.

 · 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.

Waka-sensei

Discover Waka-sensei in your language. Choose one of the available editions and begin reading the opening chapters of this historical novel, inspired by the life of Gigo Funakoshi, directly in your browser. You can also download a free PDF sample and continue reading whenever you like. Select your language, enter the world of early twentieth-century Japan, and discover the story of a young teacher shaped by discipline, responsibility, and sacrifice.

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Waka-sensei is a historical novel that brings to life the young teacher remembered for his demanding approach to training, his personal discipline, and his influence on a generation of karate practitioners.


Through family legacy, illness, sacrifice, and a rapidly changing society, the novel reveals the human story behind a life devoted to Karate-Dō.


Download the free preview, read the opening chapters, and enter the world of Waka-sensei.

Coming Soon

Waka-sensei is not yet available. While you wait, you can read the opening chapters of Walking Upright, the first book in the trilogy, inspired by the life of his father, Gichin Funakoshi.

Discover how Karate-Dō began its journey from Okinawa to mainland Japan and explore the story that opens the path to Waka-sensei.

WAKA- SENSEI Book 3

EXAMPLE IN ENGLISH

A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  ·  PUBLISHED

Waka-Sensei · The Story of Gigo Funakoshi

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.

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+620


FORMATS

3


LANGUAGES

6


AVAILABLE ON AMAZON FROM OCTOBER 2026

  AVAILABLE IN

Milton Chanes — Author’s Blog

Karate-dō Kyōhan

By Milton Chanes • July 10, 2026
Karate-dō Kyōhan (1935) From the Lost 1922 Book to the Foundation of Modern Karate-Dō
Karate-Dō Kyōhan

Kosugi Hōan’s Tiger: Born in 1922 or 1935?

By Milton Chanes • July 10, 2026
The most widely accepted version among karate practitioners today connects the famous tiger with Karate-Dō Kyōhan, published in 1935. There are good reasons for this association, and Japanese institutional sources explicitly connect Kosugi with a tiger design for that later work.
Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964) and the Shotokan Tiger: The Artist Behind Funakoshi’s First Karat

Kosugi Hoan (1881–1964)

By Milton Chanes • July 9, 2026
Discover Walking Upright, Milton Chanes’ historical novel inspired by Gichin Funakoshi and the transformation of Tōde into modern Karate-Dō.
Bushi tells the story of Matsumura Sōkon, a legendary Okinawan master

Bushi. The guardian of Shuri

By Milton Chanes • July 8, 2026
Bushi tells the story of Matsumura Sōkon, a legendary Okinawan master whose life, discipline, and warrior spirit helped preserve the roots of what would later become Karate-Dō.