Kancho K Funakoshi

Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi
World Chief Instructor, 9th Dan

Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi, founder and Chief Instructor of the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association started judo training in 1948 under Arakaki Sensei at the Gakuen Japanese Language School in Honalulu, Hawaii.
He attended Farrington High School in the Kalihi District and was on the football team and captain of the Territory of Hawaii Championship swim team. While attending the University of Hawaii on a swimming scholarship Funakoshi Sensei started Kempo training under Adriano Emperado from 1956 to 1959.

Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi, founder and Chief Instructor of the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association started judo training in 1948 under Arakaki Sensei at the Gakuen Japanese Language School in Honalulu, Hawaii.
He attended Farrington High School in the Kalihi District and was on the football team and captain of the Territory of Hawaii Championship swim team. While attending the University of Hawaii on a swimming scholarship Funakoshi Sensei started Kempo training under Adriano Emperado from 1956 to 1959.
Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi, founder and Chief Instructor of the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association started judo training in 1948 under Arakaki Sensei at the Gakuen Japanese Language School in Honalulu, Hawaii.
He attended Farrington High School in the Kalihi District and was on the football team and captain of the Territory of Hawaii Championship swim team. While attending the University of Hawaii on a swimming scholarship Funakoshi Sensei started Kempo training under Adriano Emperado from 1956 to 1959.

In 1960, Funakoshi started Shotokan training when the Japan Karate Association (JKA) assigned its first champion, Hirokazu Kanazawato teach at the Karate Association of Hawaii for three years. For the next three years, Funakoshi trained under Masataka Mori, another instructor from the JKA. From 1966 to 1969, he trained under the third and last instructor sent by the JKA, the legendary Tetsuhiko Asia another former grand champion from Japan.

In 1969, after training 10 years under three of Japans top instructors and winning the grand championship of the Karate Association of Hawaii for five years ion a row (1964 – 1968), Kenneth Funakoshi was appointed as the Chief instructor for Karate Association of Hawaii.

Funakoshi moved to San Jose, California to teach karate in December 1986. In 1987, the non-political Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association was founded with its world headquarters now in Milpitas, CA and affiliates throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, South America, and Africa.