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| The Principal Jotaro Takagi |
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Shoto-kan was constructed in Zoshigaya, Mejiro, Toshima-ku, in January 1939, by Gichin and Gigo Funakoshi and other members of Shoto-kai.
The dojo prospered and was one of the three dojo of martial arts, together with Kodo-kan of judo and Yushin-kan of kendo.
Shoto-kan, as the main dojo of Shoto-kai, served not only as a place for trainees to learn karate skills, but also as a place where Gigo and other masters studied and developed karate skills, established practice systems, and invented kata (forms), including Taikyoku no kata and kon-no kata Matsukaze. Shoto-kan played important roles in the development of karate-do.
After Giei Funakoshi died, who served as the second President of Shoto-kai, Motonobu Hiroshini worried about such moves. He discussed it with Shigeru Egami and decided that reconstruction of Shoto-kan was indispensable for keeping the spirit of Gichin Funakoshi. They asked for the co-operation of Shoto-kai members, and constructed the new Shoto-kan dojo in Shibaura, Minato-ku, in January 1976.
Shigeru Egami became the scond Principal of Shoto-kan. Since then, Shoto-kan has been a center for spreading the ideology of Shoto-kai karate and studying and spreading karate skills.
In Shoto-kan, periodical lessons of kon are given besides daily practices.
Kon lessons are given to understand that karate is the basis of all martial arts as Gichin Funakoshi said.
In 1995, I became the Principal of Shoto-kan. Since then, I have had many
opportunities to give lessons to grade holders.
Through the lessons, I am practicing one of Gichin's twenty lessons: "Train karate throughout your life".
At the end of July, Shoto-kan Dojo will move to Kikugawa, Sumida-ku, due to regional development projects.
The location of the dojo will change, but the dojo, as always, will serve as the center of Shoto-kai karate skills and the development of Shoto-kai karate-do.
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