· 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

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

De Tōde a Karate-Dō | Historia del Karate

By Milton Chanes • October 27, 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

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

Tode Ken Kyu Club

By Milton Chanes • September 22, 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

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