· 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 Funakoshi, Karate was not merely a technique, but a way of walking upright through life.
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ABOUT US
A HISTORIC NOVEL
• Identity • Memory • Tradition • Heritage • Character • Innovation • Technology • Human Nature • Leadership • Responsibility • The Weight of the Past • The Long-Term Consequences of Human Decisions•
• Resilience • Legacy • The Passage of Time • The Stories We Tell • The Future We Creat
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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.
YEAR
2025
PAGES
+620
FORMATS
3
LANGUAGES
6
AVAILABLE IN
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