Tetsuji Murakami was born in Shiozuka in 1927.
After practising Kendo, at the age of 19 he enrols in Master Yamagushi’s dojo (he is a pupil of Sensei Funakoshi’s). He does not accept him willingly and gives himself three years’ time to decide whether to take him on as a student or not.
It is 1946 and karate is very well-known in Japan, so much so that after the war people practised it in the streets as two-thirds of the city of Shiozuka had been bombed and destroyed. Sensei T.M. tells us that in those times fighting was very important. Kihon was used a lot and Tetsuji is completely won over by karate and for the next ten years will follow the hard but exciting courses held by his master.
Master Murakami arrives in France on 3.11.1957 where his is summoned by Mr. Plee in the quality of a Japanese karate expert.
At the time he was practising Shotokan and said that this practise was called Karate but it was actually not really karate. In fact, the early French karatekas had learned karate from Japanese books. This art had undergone several influences as among those who practised it there were French and Chinese boxing instructors. Practically speaking, the technique was not very accurate but everybody had a good fighting experience.
The Sensei explained that in Japan the spirit of BUDO is part of everyday life. Hoever, when asked to explain this the are unable to. It is a kind of sixth sense. In the beginning it is incomprehensible, you just do it without thinking about it. Then, by merely repeating a gesture an attitude can then be understood by the body, It is not enough to teach the techniques, one must love one’s pupils. Strictness does nothing without love and nothing can be done if there is no love. Love between my pupil and myself is absolutely necessary, but for there to be love I must possess harmony within, in my body and in my spirit. Sometimes, during a course, I cannot find such harmony.
Maybe it is my fault or maybe it is my pupils’… When I find harmony within it is easier to teach. There must exist a kind of communion between my pupils and myself for us to be able to communicate.
While visiting Japan Sensei Murakami sees Shotokai for the first time and is awestruck. He had already been aware of the fact that his higher level pupils were not making any progress and he thought that if they learned Shotokai that it would be different, they could move on. Converting to this art was very difficult for the Sensei. It was a great responsibility towards his pupils because a new style cannot be judged very quickly. First you have to practise it.
The enormous difference lies in the manner in which it is performed.
The Sensei explained that the word Shotokai means “the organisation of the Funakoshi methods”. “Kai” means “college”. Master Funakoshi’s old students founded a friendly association in order to help Master Funakoshi’s friends and their work with Karate. The “Dojo” is called “Shotokan”, “Kan” meaning “house”. Master Funakoshi named his method “Karate-Do”. But very soon his Dojo’s name was confused with his method and his students came from the Shotokan...
The Shotokai now owns the Central Dojo – Hombu Dojo of which Master Shigeru Egami is the head.
The difference in method is profound; we try to be as natural as possible. The body cannot be separated from the spirit. If the spirit cannot be controlled the body can never be controlled. The body must be natural and open and the spirit always ready.
In the following years Sensei Murakami spreads Shotokai throughout many European and non-European countries. He manages to create several associations in every country and thus becomes a very strong point of reference for Shotokai.
By many considered an introvert and a cold man, in truth he is very meditative and in continuous technical evolution, in constant search, by means of his lean and agile body full of energy, of the essence of Karate-Do traditional Shotokai.
In his private life he is a lover of pipe smoking, classical music, coffee, his pet poodle and his Toyota. Together with his wife Nieves and his son Hiroshi, once a year in July he organises the fabulous International Workshop in Sérignan where hundreds of followers flock to from all over the world.
In 1986, already a very sick man, he organises a memorable trip to Japan with his delegation of European followers where he and his students present European Shotokai to the Japanese. This is the last time that he will wear his Karategi as soon after his illness will get worse and after much suffering he will pass away on 24 January 1987, leaving an immeasurable emptiness among his disciples.