Gichin Funakoshi Quotes

Quotes about:

• The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Lying, Character, Perfection

  229 Copy quote

• Only through training will a person learn his own weaknesses... He who is aware of his weaknesses will remain master of himself in any situation.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Motivational, Sports, Art

  127 Copy quote

• What you have been taught by listening to others' words you will forget very quickly; what you have learned with your whole body you will remember for the rest of your life.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Listening To Others, Body, Rest Of Your Life

  204 Copy quote

• In battle, do not think that you have to win. Think rather that you do not have to lose.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Winning, Thinking, Battle

  145 Copy quote

• Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behaviour.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Character, Perfection, Faithful

  163 Copy quote

• Spirit first, technique second.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Art, Technique, Firsts

  135 Copy quote

• True karate is this: that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Humility, Justice, Mind

  172 Copy quote

• Once a kata has been learned, it must be practised repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence of a kata in karate is useless.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Useless, Emergencies, Martial Arts

  151 Copy quote

• One whose spirit and mental strength have been strengthened by sparring with a never-say-die attitude should find no challenge too great to handle. One who has undergone long years of physical pain and mental agony to learn one punch, one kick, should be able to face any task, no matter how difficult, and carry it through to the end. A person like this can truly be said to have learned karate.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Pain, Attitude, Years

  Gichin Funakoshi (1994). “Karate-dō Nyūmon: The Master Introductory Text”, p.47, Kodansha International

  182 Copy quote

• No matter how you may excel in the art of Karate, and in your scholastic endeavors, nothing is more important than your behavior and your humanity as observed in daily life.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Art, Humanity, Important

  139 Copy quote

• To search for the old is to understand the new.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  64 Copy quote

• When you look at life think in terms of karate. But remember that karate is not only karate -- it is life.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Thinking, Looks, Remember

  122 Copy quote

• Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Lying, Way, Karate

  Gichin Funakoshi, Genwa Nakasone, Jotaro Takagi (2003). “空手道二十訓: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master”, p.63, Kodansha International

  28 Copy quote

• The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an opening in one's guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all times.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Art, Secret, Important

  125 Copy quote

• You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning karate is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Moving, Heart, Hands

  139 Copy quote

• Karate-do begins with courtesy and ends with rei.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Karate, Courtesy, Ends

  64 Copy quote

• To practice kata is not to memorize an order. Find the katas that work for you, understand them, digest them & stick with them for life.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Art, Order, Practice

  118 Copy quote

• When there are no avenues of escape or one is caught even before any attempt to escape can be made, then for the first time the use of self-defense techniques should be considered. Even at times like these, do not show any intention of attacking, but first let the attacker become careless. At that time attack him concentrating one's whole strength in one blow to a vital point and in the moment of surprise, escape and seek shelter and help.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Blow, Times Like These, Self

  137 Copy quote

• Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to it's tepid state

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Water, Return, Heat

  Gichin Funakoshi, Genwa Nakasone, Jotaro Takagi (2003). “空手道二十訓: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master”, p.126, Kodansha International

  43 Copy quote

• You must ignore the bad and adopt the good.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Gichin Funakoshi (1994). “Karate-dō Nyūmon: The Master Introductory Text”, p.46, Kodansha International

  113 Copy quote

• Beginners must master low stance and posture, natural body positions are for the advanced.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Beginners, Body, Natural

  124 Copy quote

• When two tigers fight, one is certain to be maimed, and one to die.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Fighting, Two, Martial Arts

  105 Copy quote

• First know yourself, then know others.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Firsts, Know Yourself, Knows

  Gichin Funakoshi, Genwa Nakasone, Jotaro Takagi (2003). “空手道二十訓: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master”, p.33, Kodansha International

  28 Copy quote

• Inner mental technique is more important than the physical one.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Important, Technique

  49 Copy quote

• The spirit of karate practice and the elements of training are applicable to each and every aspect of our daily lives.

  Gichin Funakoshi

  Thinking, Everyday, Training

  "Karate-dō Nyūmon: The Master Introductory Text".

  43 Copy quote

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