Kyle Funakoshi

[RenegadeMonk]

My God, Steve you are such an ass!

It is truly incredible. I have never seen such a bad case of "small man syndrome" in all my life (hint: harping on about Japanese instructors when no one else had mentioned them is dead give-away).

Reply if you want to, but I've figured out how to put you on ignore so I won't even see your response. I've been visiting MA forums since about 2000 and despite some major arguments, I've never met anyone I thought was so worthless or ignorant a debater that I would actually gain from being unable to read their posts, but Steve, you take the biscuit.

Between your slimy smarmy pretence at humility and altruism and your badgering, insulting, patronising and childish rants/attacks (such as the one above) for which you can give not a single rational justification, you have succeeded where even those driven by mental illness have failed. Communication with you is truly a waste of life.

Enjoy your little empire Steve, after-all, at least no judge can take this one away.

[fujicolt]

Dave - whatever! Some of us got over falsely based respect for Japanese Karateka a long time ago and realised that respect should be focused where due - irrelevant of national origin. That's why we have respect for many Japanese Karateka - to an extent and beyond the Dojo you simply cannot imagine - and massive respect for many non japanese Karateka.

tis simply Dave - don't send Karate around the world and expect to be the only one's able to do it!

did you watch any of the Soccer world Cup!

And Dave find out the whole truth afore you send veiled comments! You really are on thin Ice!

[fujicolt]

Kyle - genuine question here - from your interview

would you say having the surname ‘Funakoshi’ has hindered or benefited you at all in your karate training and in what ways?



(KF) Not sure, but I am asked what the relation is to Kenneth Funakoshi and Gichin Funakoshi. Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi is my Father, and Sensei Gichin Funakoshi is my cousin.

Sorry to ask but how can a man whom died many decades afore you where born be your cousin - or did you mean he was your dad's cousin?

I merely ask because several of us have heard different versions over many years and still cannot work it out. no disrespect to you or your Dad but confusing - but actually just human 'inquiry' that doesn't mean anything really - your father coulda been Nat King Cole - or Frank Sinatra or similar doesn't mean you can sing and shouldn't be a judgement of what you do IMHO

I can't sing at all - sound like a cinder trapped under a door but my daughter sings like an angel - it has nothing to do with what her surname is or mine. as for you!

[nathanso]

Kyle - genuine question here - from your interview

would you say having the surname ‘Funakoshi’ has hindered or benefited you at all in your karate training and in what ways?



(KF) Not sure, but I am asked what the relation is to Kenneth Funakoshi and Gichin Funakoshi. Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi is my Father, and Sensei Gichin Funakoshi is my cousin.

Sorry to ask but how can a man whom died many decades afore you where born be your cousin - or did you mean he was your dad's cousin?

From TSW interview:

When I was practicing Judo and Kempo, my parents used to tell me that we had a relative who was teaching a martial art in Okinawa. I didn’t know the relationship between Gichin Funakoshi, Shotokan and the Japan karate Association until after I joined the Karate Association of Hawaii.

During the 1960’s, my father used to travel every year to Okinawa because the Funakoshi family was trying to complete a genealogy book of the Funakoshi name. My father had to contribute information on the Funakoshi families living in Hawaii. All four of my grandparents came to Hawaii from Okinawa in the late 1800’s.

Fortunately, all the birth records in Okinawa were not destroyed during World War II. The Funakoshi lineage is now traced back over 450 years. Gichin Funakoshi is my fourth cousin. Gichin Funakoshi’s grandfather and my great, great grandfather was the same person. My father brought home a copy of the Funakoshi genealogy book from Okinawa and I have it in my possession today. ....

Some people think I am his grandson, so I have to get a paper or napkin and draw a genealogy chart to show that we are fourth cousins.

[fujicolt]

Thanks Niel

so fourth Cousins so only really connected by name then? Why oh why are you all so - Karate is Japanese - after so many decades of them taking our money and telling us KARATE IS FOR EVERYONE?

think about it! I am not the enemy here - but wrongly placed allegiance may be! Karate is supposed to make us all able to be capable of free thinking - i think.

''when we reach the stage when we adhere to nothing our actions are naturally good'

Nakayama Sensei quoting his teaching/research Mmmmm....

time to let go folks and not adhere = maybe!

[Tom O'Brien]

It's funny. My cousin just started a web-based family tree. My dad had 7 siblings. I have 52, first cousins. I have so many relatives I can't even figure out how we are related. Many of them don't even have the name O'Brien. It can be hard to figure out relations but the internet has really brought a lot of light on the subject. A lot of relatives are coming out of the woodwork. It's very interestig.

Thanks,
Tom

[kensei]

First off, I just read the WHOLE thread to date..and I am a bit taken aback. Each thread taken as a new conversation...Steve you look like a quack in this one!
Now this is just what I saw when reading coast to coast as it were....

A) Kyle has some neat videos of basic Karate on the Black Belt web site, and I assume for sale. Kyle has them posted here by a person who visits here a lot.

B)Kyle is belittled and told his Karate is "old hat" by Steve...no shocker here so far, steve does those things and we put up with it mostly.

C) Kyle comes here and is nice enough to chat with us...and explain to Steve, who has firmly put both feet in his mouth! That the "old hat" works, that is why they are here, and compares it to a boxing jab..which is very basic, but works because different people do them differently.

D)Steve completely mis-understands the post and goes off on Kyle for 1. thinking he knows better because he is Japanese, 2. is preaching to a ex boxer about boxing (thus missing the whole point...nothing new), and 3. thinks Kyle is flogging his wears with his name...which he is not..he is using his tournament record and rank..DUH!

E) Steve goes off about how we are all sheep for following the Japanese!....???? wow, when did that become part of the conversation?? Looking a bit paranoid Steve, do the voices say they are going to bomb pearl harbor still?? First off he is American from Hawaii, Not "Japanese", secondly he is being viewed in the tapes for his teaching, not his skin tone and roots! the little that Black belt shows is okay, not the greatest demo I have ever seen but not the worst, he is fairly quick and STEVE he mentions facing different instructors and himself to compare them you crazy old GIT! He was not challenging you, if you took it that way that is your problem…and a very telling issue Me thinks!

F) Then Steve questions how close a relative Kyle is to Gichin Funakoshi, a well known and already answered question…USE GOOGLE YOU PUTZ! He is Kyles 5th cousin and his fathers 4th cousin. It is common in North American to drop the 1st, 2nd, 3rd ext. when talking about cousins, so I get that you don’t get it.

Now, to end this embarrassing little squabble I have three questions…easy to follow and easy to answer by everyone I am asking….
1. Does anyone else think that Steves thinking is valid, his behavior acceptable or shows the Shotokanway in a good view when visitors come calling?
2. Kyle, will you please stick about and add your two cents worth when you can…don’t get chased off by the old man in the corner talking to himself, he does not represent us all, just himself and often we find his attacks and behavior embarrassing as well. Keep coming back and adding to the conversation as an equal, without worry of being attacked…I hope!
3. David, can you please instruct us all on the use of this magic Ignore button please!

PS.
Despite the tone of this post, I am half kidding about Steve, he goes in cycles from incredibly useful source to embarrassing old git that makes you wonder if he has ever actually tied a belt round his equator!

[kylefunakoshi]

James ~ Thanks for responding on my behalf. Answering that kind of stuff can be exhausting and pointless. I do browse the topics and if something catches my attention, especially if it will benefit someone else, then I'll share my 2 cents.

Stevo ~ If you heard me sing, you'd swear Nat King Cole was my Father.

Kyle "Cole" Funakoshi

[kensei]

No problem Kyle. Steve is a good guy...just need to dig to find it sometimes.

I remember buying your dads videos when I was a fair bit younger..and wishing I grew up in Hawaii and not Canada!

James

[kylefunakoshi]

James ~ No prob, I'll just use one of these to make the job easier.

http://www.cepolina.com/photo/caterpill ... er_dig.htm

Stevo ~ apparently, you have resentment built up from bad experiences in the past. However, ask anyone who has trained with me and you'll find I have never rubbed them the wrong way. So, regardless of the bitter taste in your mouth, leave it in the past and move on. If you wrongfully lump someone into a category without having met them, your cancerous feelings will escalate and chip away your mind and integrity.

kyle funakoshi

[Reid]

Sorry I have to chime in here.
I've trained for some time under Kyle's older brother Kevin, and I've read through this forum from its inception but have never posted.


I won't speak for Kyle or anyone in the Funakoshi family, and I don't want to, but I've never seen Kyle, Kevin or his father Kenneth promote themselves as having better knowledge of Shotokan or karate because of their last name. Ever. I have seen flyers and have heard other people do so for them, however. I'm not sure what their stance is on such things.
Most of the stories I've heard from my own Sensei were the exact opposite in that they admit to not having anything passed down from the 1900s. And in fact, my Sensei often spoke of a lot of resentment about being treated as an Americans under the JKA system and in fact NOT getting "fair" treatment many times. I think there's a pride that, despite this, they were successful tournament competitors, like all the other successful American instructors.

Once again, I think there's a great pride in the family name, and I've never seen or heard a claim that the knowledge was passed down through the family from the founder--ever. In fact, if you talk to any of them and get to meet any of them, they're more the type to be very honest and very quick to demistify ideas and expectations. It's almost as though that's the Funakoshi modus operandii. They take your hopes of being passed down some secret and squash them and tell you what you already know flat out. I think I've heard the term 'train hard--there's no secret' a million times, since I was 10.

I think a lot of people bring their expectations to the table, and in reading a lot of the threads on this forum, I can see how some karateka are impressed by certain instruction and not others. The overriding sense I get from a lot of threads here is that instructors are weighed by their innovative training, demonstration or explanation, which are all indicative of a Western epistemology, the idea of new, newness or uniqueness.

If you're as mature in your years as an instructor as you seem, I'm sure you understand the notion of false expectations and the secret techniques that students yearn for--that secret training that they feel they feel will push their technique to the next level. I know you know better; it's clear from your posts, but it's a trap we all sometimes fall toward, even for the accomplished and experienced. It's a very Western way of thinking, but since we're ALL Westerners (even though some of us have japanese last names, as I do), it happens to me sometimes when I attend seminars (I come away unimpressed), we all fall into that trap of imposing some essentialist thought onto something material. I expect to learn something new from a seminar. I hardly ever do, and when I do, it's what I already but from an interesting perspective.

I'd actually like to write an article some time about Western epistemologies and how they inform student's expectations of martial arts instruction, but that's likely for another day.

[kanku]

welcome to this board Kyle , I hope to see more posts from you . I have read some articles about your father and one point that sticks to my mind from one of his comments was that he can evaluate some one's karate just by watching them perform Hian shodan which I totally agree it is a very good yardstick .

my regards to you and your family , it has always been a ambition to visit Hawaie and if the chance comes along I make sure to visit your dojo .

[kylefunakoshi]

@ Reid ~ As someone who sees with clarity and can decipher both hemispheres of thought, it would be beneficial for the majority to read your article on Western epistemologies. I truly believe there is a gap of thoughts that need to be translated to avoid misinterpretations, such as Emperor Hyland has.

@ Kanku ~ We may have an international tournament in Hawaii within the next 2 years, so maybe we'll see you there after all.

kyle funakoshi

[fujicolt]

@ Reid ~ As someone who sees with clarity and can decipher both hemispheres of thought, it would be beneficial for the majority to read your article on Western epistemologies. I truly believe there is a gap of thoughts that need to be translated to avoid misinterpretations, such as Emperor Hyland has.

@ Kanku ~ We may have an international tournament in Hawaii within the next 2 years, so maybe we'll see you there after all.

kyle funakoshi

Kyle - i am astonished that you as a supposedly Senior Karateka have resorted to childish name calling.

I as a man - irrelevant of karate - allow your opinion but i think you have not done yourself a favour - by simply trying to push a superiority of opinion backed up by NAME CALLING - and on the power of your surname! sorry but you have!.

I have no EMPIRE to be EMPEROR over - my name is Hyland - a proud Irish name of Celtic Origin but naff all to do with Karate.

So i just had to do Karate. In doing so i have seen some extraordinary examples of Fine Karateka - many with Japanese origin names but hey - just like us over here their name had Nothing to do with Karate - so they just had to do it. they couldn't rely on advertising a heritage decades ago to develop something - no they JUST HAD TO DO IT - they are legion with names from many nations around the world and many are extraordinary Karateka - not just winners of their private world championships that their Dad set up!
Many of them - cos competition became TOO important - went out and showed that they could survive in many Karate circles - including Real World events.

But many more stayed at home and had to make karate work in wider arenas and show they survive in Violent Situations.

where did your family Empire come from ( and please do not deny you have CREATED ONE With fine business sense and good advertising. - we still have the Old Adds here you know, so do not even go near denying 'claiming a genetic dependency as being somehow valid as being Superior in Karate - or that we NEVER used the FUNAKOSHI NAME! - and i am sorely tempted to comment further here - but shall not because that would just be resorting to - well something not about Karate.

I have already pm'd you PRIOR to seeing your attack on me, to try and have a chat - tis up to you!

You resorted to treating me with no respect - despite not knowing anything about MY Karate Career and even resorted to Name Calling

My Surname is Hyland. I am British NOT Japanese. I Have trained for longer than you have - AND have 'DONE A BIT' and have not had to rely on My Dad or great Cousins name to give me any advantage.

Kyle Funakoshi - you do not appear to me to have grasped Karate or Japanese ways (Okay you grew up in Hawaii and are Called Kylie) - but you appear to me to try and bully from afar. Not my experience of your distant relations race!

and if this is how TSW has become - lets hero worship without fact and deride and name call without fact - rather than find the truth I AM VERY VERY SADDENED!

Karate stopped being a Japanese only thing years ago - their are more outside of Japan studying than within. I am not saying Japan cannot teach us anymore but I am Saying they ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES.

if you want the list of 'Outside of Japan' Instructors I would suggest you train with PM me.

Sorry Folks but i won't just fold cos your name is japanese - even if historical - and if you do you aint doing the Karate I was taught by the likes of Enoada Sensei!

[kylefunakoshi]

Shihan Steve,

Don't worry, you're invited to participate in the Seniors division at our tournament.

I correspond privately with people who are worthwhile.

Kyle Funakoshi