Karate is a martial art of Okinawan origin. Okinawa is an island in Japan.

Karate is a
synthesis of indigenous Okinawan fighting methods and southern Chinese martial arts.
Karate is primarily a striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes and
open hand techniques; however, grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints,
throws, and vital point striking are inherent in the finer points of the art.
Karate is characterized by the use of the hips and stances to generate striking power, by
the distinctive use of breathing to focus power, and by the practice of prearranged
forms. The prearranged forms are called kata. A person who practices karate is
sometimes referred to as a karate-ka. In Japanese, karate-ka means "karate
practitioner".
Karate is also called karate-dō.
Karate Training
Karate training is divided into three major areas: basics, forms , and sparring. Basic
motion (Kihon) is the study of the fundamental techniques of the art. Forms (Kata) is a
series of movements and techniques linked together by the physical/combative principles
that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves against imagined
opponents. The moves involved in a specific form may have multiple interpretations as
self-defense techniques. Sparring may be constrained by many rules or it may be free
sparring, and may be practiced both as sport and for self-defense training.
Types of Karate
There are several different karate styles. Many styles use specialized condition
equipment. Some styles use traditional Okinawan weapons.
Some common styles are:
• Goju-ryu karate
○ Goju-ryu is the hard/soft school of Karate.
○ Goju-ryu is one of the four original Okinawan styles of Karate, and was
founded by Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953).
• Shotokan karate
○ Shotokan is one of the four main schools of Karate in Japan. Shotokan is
best characterized by its long and deep stances and its use of more linear
movements.
○ Shotokan Karate has little of the circular movements found in Okinawan
styles of karate, nor does it have the body conditioning and supplementary
training exercises typical for Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate.
○ Tournaments and point-sparring are central to the Shotokan karate.
• Wado-ryu karate
○ Wado-Ryu Karate is one of the four main styles of
Japanese karate.
○ Wado-Ryu Karate was developed by Otsuka Hironori
○ Wado-Ryu Karate is a combination of Shotokan karate, Jujutsu, grappling
and Tai Sabaki.
○ Wado-ryu karate does not practice many of the body toughening exercises
common to other styles of karate, preferring rather to use Tai Sabaki to
evade attacks.
• Shito-ryu karate
○ Shito-Ryu Karate was developed by an Okinawan karate master named
Kenwa Mabuni (1890-1954).
 ○ Shito Ryu is a combination of the kata and techniques of Gojuryu KArate
and Shuri-Te Karate.
○ Characteristic for Shito-Ryu Karate are the square-on stances and linear
strikes.
○ Traditional Okinawan weapons are also taught in the Shito-Ryu style of
karate.
• Kenpo karate
○ Kenpo Karate is a complete fighting system that is particularly popular in
the United States.
○ Kenpo places equal emphasis on the use of hands and feet and uses
similar fighting techniques to other Okinawan fighting styles.
○ Kenpo also practices Kata or forms like other martial arts.
○ Whereas most Karate styles use white gis (uniforms), a visual
characteristic of Kenpo is its use of black Gis for higher grades and
sometimes mixing black Gi tops with white pants and vice versa.
• Choose a style. There are several different types of martial arts. Some of the
more popular styles are
○ Stand-up styles place a lot of focus on punching, kicking, and blocking.
 Karate
 Kung Fu
 Tae Kwon Do
 Boxing/Kick boxing
 Krav Maga
 Wushu
 San Shou
○ Ground Fighting or Grappling Styles have a large focus on the "wrestling"
aspect of combat.
 Brazilian Jujitsu
 Shooto or shoot fighting
 Sambo
 Greco-Roman Wrestling
○ Throwing styles are styles that primarily start from a standup position but
utilize throws, trips, locks and other means to disrupt the balance of an
opponent.
 Judo
 Aikido
 Shuai Jiao (Chiao)
 Hapkido
○ Weapons based styles focus the majority of their practice on the use of
one or more weapons.
 Kali
 Iado
 Kendo
 ○ Low impact or Meditative Styles are heavily focused on breathing, internal
energy, stress relief and a low impact form of martial arts training and
exercise.
 Tai Chi
 Ba Gua
 Chi Gong based style
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History of Karate
Articles Related articles can
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Martial Arts:
History/Information
home
new articles
section catalog
keyword catalog What is Karate?
title catalog
author catalog The art of Karate is a system of combat
developed on the island of Okinawa.
Top of Form
Karate may allow you to defeat an
partner-pub-6909 opponent by the use of striking and
kicking. The students practice hard
ISO-8859-1 physical training to develop fighting
skills.This training requires strenuous
physical and mental discipline. Karate
helps with the development of a strong
character and builds a feeling of respect
Search toward our fellow man. The study of
Karate, therefore, may be valuable to all
Bottom of Form people, male and female, young and old
alike.
The literal meaning of the two Japanese
characters which make up the word
Karate is "empty hands." This, of course,
refers simply to the fact that Karate
originated as a system of self-defense
which relied on the effective use of the
unarmed body of the practitioner. This
system consisted of techniques of
blocking or thwarting an attack and
counter-attacking the opponent by
punching, striking or kicking. The
modern art of Karate has developed out
of a thorough organization of these
techniques.
Karate as a means of self-defense has
the oldest history, going back hundreds
of years. It is only in recent years that
the techniques which have been handed
down were scientifically studied and the
principles evolved for making the most
effective use of the various moves of the
body. Training based on these principles
and knowledge of the working of the
muscles and the joints and the vital
relation between movement and balance
enable the modern student of Karate to
be prepared, both physically and
psychologically, to defend himself
successfully against any would-be
assailant.
As a physical art, Karate is almost
without equal. Since it is highly dynamic
and makes balanced use of a large
number of body muscles, it provides
excellent all-around exercise and
develops coordination and agility.
Many girls and women in Japan have
taken up Karate because, in addition to
its usefulness as self-defense, it is
especially good for the figure. It is widely
practiced by both children and older
people as a means of keeping in top
physical condition, and many schools are
promoting it as a physical art among
their students.
As a sport, Karate has a relatively short
history. Contest rules have been devised,
however, and it is now possible to hold
actual matches as in other competitive
sports. because of the speed, the variety
of techniques, and the split-second
timing it calls for, many athletic-minded
people have come to show an interest in
competitive Karate and there is every
indication that it will continue to grow in
popularity.
Western (non-Japanese) students may
be interested to know that the Japan
Karate Association emphasizes Karate's
character-building aspects, in which
respect for one's opponent
(sportsmanship) is the cardinal principle.
The maxims which are taught to the
students can be summarized in the
following five words:
CHARACTER
SINCERITY
EFFORT
ETIQUETTE
SELF-CONTROL
How The Word "Karate" Developed
"TE"
Prior to the 20th Century, many terms
were used to describe certain forms
existing in Okinawa. These forms were
not found in Japan nor in China but
many similarities were found in these
countries.
"Chan Fa and Ken Fat"
The meaning of "Kempo" in Japanese is
"The Law Of The Fist" or "The Way Of
Fist". "Kempo" is read as "Chan Fa" in
Mandarin and "Ken Fat" in Cantonese in
China.
"Tode"
The great mighty Tang Dynasty
influenced Japan in many ways.
Government representatives had been
exchanged during the Sui period but it
was during the Tang period that the
Japanese learned Chinese culture very
deeply. There were many buildings built
imitating Chinese design. So great was
the influence by T'ang that the character
"To" (also known as "Kara") was used as
an adjective meaning "T'ang=China." For
example, Kara Ningyo=China doll and To
Jin=Chinese people. It is understandable
that either Japanese or Okinawans
named the fighting forms developed in
Okinawa as "Tode" (then also read as
"Karate"), not because these forms came
from China but because of unknown
factors. As a custom, when there was
something unknown to Japanese people,
they were pleased to believe that it must
have come from China.
1905
In 1905 Karate was included in the
physical education curriculum of
Okinawa's intermediate schools (junior
high). The ideographs (Tode) were
standard in Okinawa at this time. In
1905 the Okinawa Master Chomo Hanagi
first used the other (Karate) ideograph
for his book Karate Soshu Hen.
Meeting in 1936
In 1936 Ryukyu Shimpo, an Okinawan
newspaper, sponsored a meeting of
Okinawan Karate masters to discuss the
status of Karate in Okinawa. Yabu,
Kiyamu, Motobu, Miyagi, and Hanagi
were invited to Naha, the capital city of
Okinawa and also the "Mecca" of the
Karate world. In this meeting, the
unification of writing was discussed and
it was decided to change the name of the
art to "Karate" meaning "empty hand".
Reasons For This Change
1. They would establish the new origin.
They believed Okinawan fighting arts
could be independent from China even
though they recognized that great
influence by China that existed.
2. The new ideograph also represented
the meaning of "Mu" "Ku" which has a
stronger association with Zen philosophy
than the old.
3. This was the art of fighting methods
using no weapons but only the "empty
hand".
Standardization
After the meeting, the letter was
standardized and has remained
unchanged to the present day. The
ideograph was used occasionally by
people who were reluctant to use
changes even in the early 1960's.
The Beginnings In India
According to legend, in the sixth century
A.D., the Indian monk Daruma
journeyed from India to China to teach
the Liang dynasty monarch the tenets of
Zen Buddhism. To endure this arduous
journey, Daruma developed the physical
and mental powers for which he was
later renowned. After delivering the
tenets of Buddhism, Daruma remained in
China, staying in Shaolin Sze where he
taught Buddhism to the Chinese monks.
Here he became famous for teaching
standards of Buddhism that were very
strict physically as well as spiritually.
Although there are many stylistic
similarities in the fighting arts of India
and China, there is no solid evidence
that the Chinese fighting arts came from
India as is told in legends. There are
Chinese texts documenting the existence
of several Chinese martial art forms prior
to Daruma's journey in the 6th century.
I merely wish to affirm that the
organized origins of Karate came into
being during this time period, and that
no known record either verifies or denies
this contention.
The Chinese Influence
"Although the goal of Buddhism is the
salvation of the soul, the body and soul
cannot be separated. In weak physical
condition one will never be able to
perform the rigorous training necessary
to attain true enlightenment." So
Daruma taught student monks Icchin
which is regarded as the tool through
which is necessary rigorous physical and
mental training may be endured.
As a corollary of Daruma's training, the
monks at the Shaolin Temple won the
reputation of being the best fighters in
China.
Ch'Uen Yuan
Most Chan Fa systems are descendants
of the one hundred-seventy hand and
foot positions of Ch' Uen Yuan and they
can be traced back to Bodhidharma's
influence.
Branching Out
The Shaolin Chan Fa is listed as one of
nine Wai Cha (external schools) of
fighting systems and is regarded to be
the first established system in China.
1. Shaolin Chan Fa.....Sui period or
before
2. Hung Chuan..........Sung period
(1127-1279)
3. Tau Tei Yu Tan Tui..Sung period
4. Hon Chaun...........Ming period (1368-
1644)
5. Erh-Lang Men........Ming period
6. Fan Chuan...........Ming period
7. Cha Chuan...........Ming period
8. Mi Tsung Yum........Ching
period(1699-1911)
9. Pa Chuan............Ching period
In comparison there were the Nei Cha
(internal schools), all from the Sung or
post Sung Dynasties.
1. Wu Tang Pai
2. Tai Chi Chuan
3. Pa Kua Chaun
4. Hsin Yi Chua
5. Tzu Fan Men
6. Liu He Pa Fa
Japan
Sumo is perhaps the oldest known form
or system of weaponless fighting in
Japan and dates back beyond the
mythological era (before 500 A.D.). The
earliest legends tell of two god figures,
Takeminakata No Kami and
Takemikazuchi No Kami, who engaged in
power contests. Another story relates the
wrestling contests between Nomino
Sikune No Mikoto and Taima NoKehaya.
These contests are known to be the first
between demi-gods and similar
mythological beings.
In 607, during the Sui Dynasty, the first
official Japanese ambassador was sent to
China, and this exchange was
maintained through the T'ang Dynasty.
During this time Chinese influence
flourished in Japan, and it is believed
that Chan Fa was introduced along with
many other things of Chinese origin.
Many forms of martial arts already
existed in Japan during this time period
which might carry the influence of Chan
Fa in their fighting styles. However,
these Chan Fa systems were never
developed by the Japanese martial
artists of the day. This lack of
development was due to the structure of
Japanese society. At that time, there was
a very strong status system in Japan
much like the caste system in India, and
only the members of the samurai class
were allowed to use weapons for fighting
or train in the martial arts.
The samurai were respected because
they protected the commoners. They
were expected to behave in a respectful
and courageous manner.. Through
strong government control, the role of
the samurai became a sacred trust,
carrying "this burden of pride." Being a
member of the samurai class meant
lifelong employment unless a samurai
was found guilty of wrong doing. In that
case, he and his family would lose their
jobs permanently.
Samurai constantly practiced weaponry
to better themselves and had time for
little else. It is easy to see how
weaponless fighting systems developed
at that time would never gain enough
popularity to be properly recognized.
Even so, some forms of martial arts were
developed like Torite and Ashikeri, and
later Yawara and Jujitsu did exist among
the lower class police forces. An
interesting note is the similarities in the
weapons (kobudo) developed in Japan
and in Okinawa during this time period.
Early Stages
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties,
many Japanese and Chinese
representatives traveled with relative
freedom between the two countries. This
is also when Buddhism came to Japan
and gained popularity. Interestingly,
during the Heian period between 794-
1184, many Buddhist monks were well
trained in fighting methods and were
used to maintain local law and order.
Many became security guards for
wealthy individuals in Kyoto. The
popularity of Buddism made some
temples so powerful that they became
involved in many political upheavals. And
because of the popularity of Buddism,
the monks were untouchable by either
the samurai or the government. Many
temples became independent and
secretive in their administration of
religious matters due to the political
intrigues.
This is believed to be the time when
many martial arts developed in Japan.
Wars and battles were still decided by
the samurai, but the art of fighting
systems was practiced and developed by
the Buddhist monks.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
In 1592, this great general decided to
fulfill his dream of conquering the world.
He had conquered Japan and sought to
continue his quest by marching on to
China. Many of his generals were against
this plan, and it soon proved to be a
disaster as the Japanese faced too many
disadvantages. Ships were not powerful
enough, the climate was against them,
the generals in Korea were not familiar
enough with the terrain to plan strategic
advances, and resistance was much
stronger than expected. The dream was
ended with the death of Hideyoshi in
1598 without a single Japanese soldier
ever setting foot on Chinese soil.
The failure of this conquest cost
Toyotomi not only his life and his
fortune, but also his dynasty. Once again
the peace of the entire nation was in
shambles. The conflict between the
remainder of the Toyotomi clan and the
rival clan of Tokugawa Dynasty began
and was to last for the next three
hundred years.
It is oral history that many warriors
came back from the failed conquest of
China with some kind of hand-to-hand
combat system. But as history has
revealed, the warriors reached only
Korea and not China.
Okinawa
The basic form of self-defense are
perhaps as old as mankind. The art of
Karate as it is widely practiced today can
be traced back to Okinawan martial arts
systems called "Te", meaning "hand". Te
later was renamed Tode, the name it
held before it became known as Karate.
the Japanese used the name "kempo",
which means "fist way", and the similar
term in Chinese is Chan Fa.
Okinawa is the main island of the Ryukyu
Islands, located in the East China Sea
between Kyushu, Japan and Taiwan.
Okinawa has maintained cultural contact
for centuries with both China and Japan.
Through a constant influence of Chinese
sailors and merchants, the indigenous
Okinawan fighting forms were heavily
influenced by Chan Fa. Because of its
strategic location, Okinawa was invaded
several times by both China and Japan.
Each country sought to use okinawa as a
military and diplomatic base. With these
two powerful countries vying for control,
it is not surprising that the Okinawan
people developed high levels of
proficiency in self-defense.
Okinawans have long been known as
fierce fighters, and the tragic battles of
World War II proved to the world that
the Okinawans would rather die than live
in disgrace. The spirit of the samurai was
well developed in the hearts of these
people.
The Legendary Sakugawa
In 1724, a man named Sakugawa
journeyed to China from his home in
Shuri, Okinawa. He was gone for many
years, and his friends and relatives
thought him lost or dead. One day to
everyone's surprise, Sakugawa returned
home a much changed man. He
possessed a mysterious physical
strength and a complex form of Chan
Fa.Soon many people wanted to become
his students. This was the start of the
Sakugawa style of Karate.
Thirty Six Families
The emperor of China sent Okinawa an
imperial gift of skilled artisans and
merchants. These people soon formed
into a community known as the Thirty-
Six Families. This community was
responsible for the rapid spread of Chan
Fa throughout Okinawa. It should be
noted that "thirty-six" often means "a
great many" and may not mean thirty-
six numerically.
Chinese Numbering
One Whole, absolute, first
Two Pair, comparison, front and back,
top and bottom, etc.
Three Sanchin, top-middle-bottom, fate,
Mother Nature
Four Directions, square, objects
Eight Multiple directions, many, plenty
Thirty-Six Great many
Sho Hassi
In 1429, Sho Hassi united the kingdom
of Okinawa under his rule and renamed
North and South. During the era of his
grandson Sho Shin, the policy of "Bunji-
Kokka", or government by culture not
military force, was put into effect. At this
time all weapons were banned except for
those used by military forces. The
objective was to restore peace and to
disarm rival clans.
Civil War In Japan And The Satsuma
After Toyotomi died, Japan was split into
two massive forces. One force was the
remainder of the Toyotomi clan from the
West and the other was controlled by the
new leader Tokugawa from the East. In
1600, these two powers met head-to-
head at Sekigahara Field to decide the
control of Japan. Although most of the
Western generals and the Satsuma clan
controlled most of Kyushu joined the
Toyotomi, the Tokugawa forces won.
Tokugawa allowed the Satsuma-Shimazu
family to retain their territories under the
edict of unconditional loyalty to
Tokugawa. The reason he allowed the
Shimazu family to keep their lands was
that they were so powerful that trying to
destroy them might have proven self-
defeating and was not in the best
interest of Tokugawa. So instead
Tokugawa took the Shimazu family as
his allies and sent them to punish
Okinawa for refusing to send supplies
during the Japan-China war of 1592. It
was also a useful way to smooth the
honor of the frustrated Satsuma warriors
by giving them a new target while
keeping them too busy to make any
further plays against Tokugawa.
A Ban On All Weapons
Upon seizing control of Okinawa, the
Shimazu clan instituted numerous rules
of martial law, one of which was a ban
on all weapons. This time, however, the
ban was on a much larger scale than
that instituted by Sho-Shin. Only the
Satsuma samurai, who were the
invaders and conquerors of Okinawa,
were allowed to have weapons.
The methods used by the Satsuma for
enforcing the weapons ban were
ruthless. Any weapons found in an
Okinawan's possession were immediately
confiscated and the owner was severely
punished. As part of the ban, the
Shimazu also prohibited the Okinawans
from participating in the study or
practice of the martial arts.
This ban had a number of serious effects
on the Okinawan martial arts. All study
and participation was forced
underground, and all teaching was done
by word of mouth only.No written
records exist which would allow us to
trace the development of the Okinawan
arts during this time period. This has led
to the creation of many false legends
due to the inability to document facts.
Secrecy became such an obsession that
instructors hid true techniques from rival
schools, as in the changing or hiding of
moves in kata. this eventually led to the
development of new and unique fighting
techniques and systems including the
modification of farming and work tools
into weapons for combat use. The
fighting attitudes in the martial arts
schools became very violent due to the
suppression of civil liberties and the
general sentiment of the times.
And above all, the ban made Karate one
of the most practical and effective hand-
to-hand combat systems ever developed.
The need for practical application kept
Karate from degenerating to a mostly
theoretical art or a simple or obscure
form of exercise.
The Secret Revealed
It is impossible to pinpoint when the
secrets of Karate began to be revealed
long after rules were changed. However,
there was a gradual but steady unveiling
and interaction of this magnificent art.
Luckily, some schools were not as
attached to secrecy as others, and slowly
the major schools of Karate became less
suspicious and more open. Officially, the
Satsuma's control ended in 1875, but
Karate did not become popular or even
well known as being an Okinawan art
until around 1903.
Intense rivalry within Karate schools did
not help to promote the discovery of the
art. Karate, primarily developed to maim
or kill opponents, was no longer needed
 in actual combat as conquering Satsuma
samurai had departed for Japan.

•
•
Karate developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom prior to its 19th century annexation by
Japan. It was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century during
a time of cultural exchanges between the Japanese and the Ryukyuans. In 1922
the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a
karate demonstration.

Karate developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom prior to its 19th century annexation by Japan. It
was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century during a time of cultural
exchanges between the Japanese and the Ryukyuans. In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of
Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio
University established the first university karate club in Japan and by 1932, major Japanese
universities had karate clubs.[6] In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,[7] the name was
changed from 唐手 ("Chinese hand") to 空手 ("empty hand") – both of which are
pronounced karate – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in
Japanese style.[8] After the Second World War, Okinawa became an important United States
military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.[9]
The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase its popularity and
the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental
martial arts.[10] Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual
interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.
The World Karate Federation (WKF) is the largest sport karate organization, and
it is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as being
responsible for karate competition in the Olympic games. The WKF has
developed common rules governing all styles. The national WKF organisations
coordinate with their respective National Olympic Committees.

Karate Imp History

Karate is an ancient Oriental martial art, with millions of participants organized into clubs
around the world. Karate, meaning "the empty hand," is a fighting system that was
influenced by both the practices of the Zen Buddhist religion as well as a variety of older
Chinese forms of combat that were present in the Okinawa Island culture in the period after
AD 1500. After Japan captured Okinawa from China in 1895, karate was exported to Japan,
where it evolved through a variety of distinct forms of practice, or schools. The Shokotan
form of karate, as popularized by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957), became the best known
and the most influential form of karate in the world.
The first rule was: "Be deadly serious in training. Your opponent must always be present in
your mind." The second rule provided that "train with both heart and soul without worrying
about theory; karate cannot be learned without theory alone." The third rule provided that to
be true to karate, the practicioner "must avoid deceit and dogmatism." The fourth rule
specified that one must "see yourself as you truly are; each of us as good qualities and bad."
The final Funakoshi rule stated that "the ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat,
but in the perfection of the character of its participants." These five rules underscore the
relationship between mind, body and spirit that exists at the heart of karate in all of its
forms.