Teachers (2)
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As
Asato Ankō
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1 source
fact_check
Well-documented student-teacher relationship mentioned in multiple historical
sources, though only Wikipedia is cited
"Anko Asato (安里 安恒, Asato Ankō, Azato Yasutsune in Japanese, 1827 – 1906)
was a Ryūkyūan master of karate. He and Ankō Itosu were the two main karate
masters who taught Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate."
— Ankō Asato - Wikipedialink
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Itosu Ankō
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1 source
fact_check
Well-documented student-teacher relationship mentioned in multiple historical
sources, though only Wikipedia is cited
"Anko Asato (安里 安恒, Asato Ankō, Azato Yasutsune in Japanese, 1827 – 1906)
was a Ryūkyūan master of karate. He and Ankō Itosu were the two main karate
masters who taught Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate."
— Ankō Asato - Wikipedialink
Students (13)
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Mas Oyama
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1 source
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Wikipedia confirms Oyama studied Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku
University for two years
"Oyama later attended Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a
student at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi where he trained for two years."
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mas Oyama -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
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Choi Hong-hi
(1937-1942)
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2 sources
fact_check
Wikipedia reports Choi's claim, but independent scholarship finds no record
of Choi in Funakoshi's attendance records
"Choi also claimed to have learned Shotokan karate under Funakoshi
Gichin"
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Choi Hong-hi.
Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
blockdisputes
"At that time, Funakoshi kept accurate records of attendance and
promotions, and there have been no occurences found by scholars of Choi in those
records."
— Jeffries, Andy. (2023). Opinion piece: Choi
Hong-hi, founder or fraudsterlinkinfo
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Tsutomu Ohshima
(1948-1953)
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1 source
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Ohshima trained directly under Gichin Funakoshi at Waseda University from 1948
to 1953 and was promoted by him; extensively documented
"Ohshima began studying karate in 1948, while a student at Waseda
University. There, he trained under Shotokan's founder, Gichin
Funakoshi"
— Tsutomu Ohshima (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo
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Taira Shinken
(1922)
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2 sources
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Taira was introduced to Gichin Funakoshi in Tokyo in 1922 and studied karate
under him
"Introduced to Gichin Funakoshi, a fellow Okinawan and karate
instructor"
"Funakoshi Sensei was already well versed in the Bo and the Sai and may
have encouraged Taira Sensei in his studies"
— Shinken Taira - JKR-UKlink
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Ōt
Ōtsuka Hironori
(1922)
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2 sources
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Well documented in the Wado-ryu Wikipedia article: met Funakoshi in 1922,
trained under him and was among his first promoted black belts in 1924,
assistant instructor in his Shotokan school by 1927
"In 1922, he met Gichin Funakoshi and began to train under him."
— Wadō-ryū - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)
linkinfo
"In 1924, Ōtsuka became one of the first students promoted to black belt in
karate by Funakoshi."
— Wadō-ryū - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)
linkinfo
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Mochizuki Minoru
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3 sources
fact_check
First-person account in the Karaté-Bushido interview: three months of Gichin
Funakoshi's courses in Tokyo, though Mochizuki adds he does not really
consider himself Funakoshi's student; corroborated by the Hiroo Mochizuki
interview and Black Belt magazine
"à Tokyo, j'ai suivi pendant 3 mois les cours de Gichin Funakoshi
sensei, mais je ne me considère pas réellement comme son élève."
— Bénoliel, P.. (1987). Minoru Mochizuki - entretien
(Karaté-Bushido no. 139, septembre 1987, pp. 28-35)info
"Elève de Jigoro Kano, qui l'avait envoyé apprendre l'aïkido auprès
de Morihei Ueshiba, Minoru Mochizuki avait aussi travaillé avec Gichin
Funakoshi. [...] Mais il se trouvait un peu faible du point de vue des atémis,
qu'il avait pourtant étudié avec Funakoshi"
— (2016). Hiroo Mochizuki: Échapper au
conditionnementlinkinfo
"Minoru Mochizuki holds the distinction of being the only living man to
have studied with aikido founder Morihei Uyeshiba, judo founder Jigoro Kano, and
"the father of Japanese karate", Gichin Funakoshi."
— A Man of Many Budo (interview with Minoru
Mochizuki), Black Belt, Aug 1989.link
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Masatoshi Nakayama
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2 sources
fact_check
Multiple sources confirm Nakayama learned karate under Gichin Funakoshi, the
founder of Shotokan, at Takushoku University
"Nakayama entered Takushoku University in 1932 to study Chinese language,
and began learning karate under Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka (also
known as Gigō)."
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Masatoshi Nakayama
- Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
"Upon entering Takushoku University in 1932, Master Nakayama immediately
joined the university's karate club, studying under Master Funakoshi Gichin
and one of the master's sons, Funakoshi Yoshitaka."
— Japan Karate Association. Master Nakayama Masatoshi
- Japan Karate Associationlinkinfo
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Ko
Konishi Yasuhiro
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2 sources
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Japanese Wikipedia states Konishi learned karate from Funakoshi Gichin, meeting
him in June 1925
"1924年（大正13年）に船越義珍から空手を学んだ。"
— Japanese Wikipedia article on Konishi Yasuhiro
linkhistory
"When he [Konishi] met Funakoshi Gichin in June 1925, he was finally able
to learn Karate. However, since its contents was only Kata, together with Ōtsuka
Hironori 大塚博紀 (1892–1982, founder of Wadō-ryū Karate-dō and Jūjutsu Kenpō) who
was also a disciple of Funakoshi, Konishi began to devise Yakusoku Kumite 約束組手
and the like. Later Konishi studied Karate with Motobu Chōki and Mabuni
Kenwa."
— Ryukyu Bugei website
link
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Kimura Masahiko
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1 source
fact_check
Kimura's autobiography mentions studying Shorinji-ryu (Shotokan) under
Funakoshi Gichin for over 2 years
"Later on, I [ed. Kimura] got interested in karate, and learned
Shorinji-ryu (Note: today’s Shotokan karate) under the guidance of Master
Funakoshi for a little over 2 years."
— 'My Judo' by Masahiko Kimura, His Story
& Vision in His Own Words Part 1 (BJJ EE)link
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Hirokazu Kanazawa
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2 sources
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Well-documented across multiple sources that Kanazawa learned directly from
Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan, and was one of the last living karateka
to have done so
"Kanazawa also learned from the founder of the Shotokan style, Gichin
Funakoshi, and was one of the last living karateka (practitioners of karate) to
have done so."
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Hirokazu Kanazawa -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
"A direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan
karate."
— Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation
linkinfo
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Hidetaka Nishiyama
(1943-1950)
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1 source
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Nishiyama trained under Gichin Funakoshi at the Shotokan honbu dojo from 1943;
extensively documented
"Began training in Shotokan karate at the art's honbu dojo under its
founder, Gichin Funakoshi"
— Hidetaka Nishiyama (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo
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Funakoshi Gigō
(1918)
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1 source
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Son and student of Gichin Funakoshi, well-documented family relationship
"He was sickly as a child and began the formal study of karate-do at the
age of twelve as a means to improve his health.[4] In the early years, Gichin
Funakoshi often took Gigo with him to his trainings with Yasutsune Itosu"
— Gigō Funakoshi - Wikipedialink
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Egami Shigeru
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1 source
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Well-documented student of Funakoshi with multiple reliable sources
"Egami met Master Funakoshi when he was 18 years old, the moment he began
studying at the famous Waseda University, there he helped to establish its
Karate Do Club. (...) He followed his Master together with Yoshitaka Funakoshi
and Takeshi Shimoda all around Japan staging exhibitions, trying to expand the
knowledge of Karate-do as a Japanese martial art."
— Master Shigeru Egami, O-sensei’s successor
(1912-1981) (Shotokai Encyclopedia)link
Sources
Shoshin Nagamine. (1976). Tales of Okinawan Grand Masters (Shoshin
Nagamine)info
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN28MWKKSN4J02MVY1VB