Dō means “the way.” Karate-dō places emphasis on karate as a way of life that goes beyond self-defense techniques to polishing both the physical and mental aspects of the practitioner. The concept of dō was promoted by Gichin Funakoshi, an Okinawan karate master who, in the early 1900s, sought to unify all of Okinawan karate and achieve official Japanese recognition of karate as a Japanese martial art. Because of his efforts karate spread to mainland Japan and to the rest of the world.
The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.
GichinFunakoshi
Funakoshi Gichin 船越 義珍 11/10/1868 – 4/26/1957
Before There Was Dō
jutsu
術
the means techniques and stratagem
Before dō there was jutsu. Jutsu is a means to an end. The end, in the case of karate, being self-defense. Self-defense meant to truly defend yourself in a fight. When Kanbun Uechi taught his first students strategy and techniques to defend themselves against Japanese thugs who were harassing them, he was teaching karate jutsu, or more specifically Pangainoon Jutsu.
