Funakoshi Gichin 船越義珍 (1868–1957) is an important source for research into the life and times of Itosu Ankō 糸洲安恒 (1831–1915). His publications contain numerous descriptions of Itosu’s activities. According to Funakoshi, he himself began learning karate from Itosu at a young age, probably as one of Itosu’s first students in Okinawa in the early 1880s. Continue reading