Shigeru Egami

Shigeru Egami has been described as fearsome, with both physical and psychological strength. Although not commonly recognised in the West, Egami is considered Gichin Funakoshi’s one student who most closely followed his Principles, especially in the belief that Karate was not just a physical pursuit.

Shigeru Egami was born on 7th December 1912 in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Like most children during that era, his first exposure to martial arts came from Judo, starting at the age of 13.

By the time Egami entered Waseda University in 1932, he had been practising Judo for several years. He had also been practising Kendo and Aikijutsu, an early form of Aikido.

At Waseda, participating in some form of sport was required to obtain a degree. Karate was still relatively new in Japan, having only been introduced ten years earlier by Funakoshi. To promote the art of Karate, Funakoshi taught it at several universities. Formed in 1936, the Waseda University Karate Club is one of the oldest in Japan.

Egami joined Waseda’s Karate club, training under Takeshi Shimoda, Funakoshi’s assistant. Shimoda is often considered to be Funakoshi’s most talented student, having trained with him since 1922. Genshin (Motonobu) Hironishi, who would become President of the Shotokai organisation, also trained at this time. The two of them became lifelong friends.

Shimoda died in his early thirties from pneumonia. Some sources state he died in 1932. However, the common consensus is that he died in 1934. Yoshitaka Funakoshi replaced him as Gichin Funakoshi’s main assistant.

Yoshitaka Funakoshi was the third son of Gichin Funakoshi. Much of the advancement in Shotokan Karate can be attributed to him. He introduced the characteristic Shotokan long stance and also various kicking techniques. His dynamic style made him popular among the younger students.

The 1930s saw Egami travelling around Japan with Yoshitaka Funakoshi, giving various Karate demonstrations. These trips aimed to promote Karate. In 1935, the Shotokai association was established. It brought together all of Gichin Funakoshi’s students.

After graduating from university, Egami had the opportunity of getting a good job through his father’s connections. However, he worked as a waiter so that he could continue his Karate training.

In 1937, Gichin Funakoshi appointed Egami to the Shotokan Committee for evaluation. He was the youngest instructor to be given the honour. A little after this time, he was called up for active military service. However, he was released after only four days, as it was found that he was suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.

In 1939, Egami worked for the Department of War at the Nakano School, an institute for the training of elite forces personnel. Yoshitaka Funakoshi and Tadao Okuyama were also teaching with him.

The period of 1941 to 1945 was mixed for Egami. He was married in 1941, and by 1945, his wife, Chiyoko, had given birth to two of his three sons. Between 1942 and 1945, many of his peers and Gichin Funakoshi’s students were killed during the Pacific conflict of World War II. 1945 saw the destruction of the Shotokan dojo during the sustained bombing of Tokyo. The dojo in Zoshigaya was the first Karate dojo built in Japan, in 1936. During the bombing raid, his house was destroyed. He and his family had to live in the ruins. 1945 saw the death of his teacher and friend, Yoshitaka Funakoshi, from gangrene of the lungs.

After the war, many of Gichin Funakoshi’s surviving students wanted to resume their pre-war Karate training. However, through a lack of training, some of those students’ technical skills had declined. To address this decline of technique, the Nippon Karate Kyokai (Japan Karate Association) was formed in 1949. The association aimed to gather knowledge of Karate. Funakoshi was named Technical Director of the JKA. It should be noted that a few years earlier, Egami had become his assistant, helping him with teaching duties.

In 1948, Egami’s third son was born. In that same year, he opened a dojo in the Mitsui Miike factory.

In the 1950s, Egami increased his teaching duties. At Waseda University, he was the manager of the Karate club. He was also a lecturer in Physical Education at Chuo, Toho and Gakushuin universities.

Egami’s health began to suffer when he was in his forties. Between 1956 and 1957, he underwent two operations for stomach ulcers. He also suffered a heart attack, which resulted in him being dead for almost ten minutes. The illness led to a curtailment of his personal Karate training, but not his teaching duties.

On 26th April 1957, Gichin Funakoshi passed away. At the hospital, his close family were present. Egami was the only student present at his bedside.

Following Funakoshi’s wishes, the Shotokai was reformed by a group of individuals, including his family and various university groups. The organisation was responsible for his funeral arrangements. However, a disagreement occurred between the Shotokai and the Japan Karate Association. The JKA believed they should organise the entire funeral and would not participate after the Funakoshi family declined their offer.

After the funeral, Shotokai continued as an organisation. Several of the university groups, however, decided to leave the organisation. Egami and Hironishi remained with Shotokai. Egami became the Chief Instructor, with Hironishi eventually becoming the organisation’s president.

In 1957, a split occurred in the Shotokan World. The JKA and Shotokai organisations decided to follow their own paths. The JKA, under Chief Instructor Masatoshi Nakayama, was beginning to follow a more sport-oriented approach to Karate. The Shotokai followed a more traditional approach to Karate, in keeping with Funakoshi’s teachings.

In 1962, Motonobu Hironishi was elected the new President of the Shotokai, following the death of Giel Funakoshi the previous year. Over the years that followed, Hironishi and Egami developed the Shotokai into a respected international Shotokan organisation.

Since the early 1950s, Egami had been looking at new ways in which striking could be improved in Shotokan Karate. He believed that the body should be more relaxed before striking. He felt that the makiwara (striking post) practice should be lessened. Egami believed that Karate was perceived as a martial art used for violence. He wanted Karate to develop more in line with Gichin Funakoshi’s Principles, that Karate was a tool to improve oneself.

Harmony was another key principle explored by Egami. In this respect, similarities can be found in Aikijutsu’s development into Aikido, under Morihei Ueshiba. He also studied irimi, the technique of entering straight into a technique.

In 1958, Funakoshi’s book “Karate-Do Kyohan” was republished. Egami featured in many of the photographs in the book.

For the rest of his life, Egami continued his investigations into improving Karate and also taught his findings to others.

In 1973, Egami took a teaching trip to Los Angeles, USA, at the invitation of Tsutomu Ohshima. They had both attended Waseda University.

Three years later, Egami took teaching trips to Taiwan and five European countries. He was hosted in France by Tetsuji Murakami, who had become his student in 1967. In Spain, Egami was hosted by Atsuo Hiruma, another of his students. He also visited Florence, Italy.

In 1976, Egami’s book, “The Way of Karate: Beyond Technique“, was published. Revised editions were published in 1986 and 2000 under the title “The Heart of Karate-Do“.

In June 1978, Egami returned to Spain, accompanied by his wife and his student Tomoji Miyamoto. They visited Madrid, Seville, and Valencia. He was hosted again by Atsuo Hiruma.

On 8th January 1981, Shigeru Egami died from a brain tumour. He was 68 years old. He was survived by his wife, Chiyoko, his children and grandchildren.

Shigeru Egami fully understood Gichin Funakoshi’s belief that Karate was more than a physical pursuit. He understood that Karate included a strong mental element. It is a pity that many karateka in the West know very little about this elite martial artist.