History of Karate

The true beginnings of Karate are shrouded in mystery. Many books on the subject as well as many sites on the web attribute Bodhidharma (Japanese:Daruma) as the originator of what finally became the karate we know today. Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who is credited with the establishment of the Ch'an (Japanese:Zen) sect of Buddhism. In 520 A.D. he traveled from India to Kuang (Canton), China and received an audience with the emperor. After this he went to a monastery in Lo-yang (Honan) China. Here he taught meditation as a return to Buddha's spiritual precepts and his school became known as the Dhyana (meditation) school. This word was converted in Chinese to Ch'an and in Japanese to Zen. In order to help the monks withstand the rigors of the ascetic practices required in his teachings, he taught them a systemized set of exercises designed to strengthen the body and mind. These exercises are believed to be the basis of most Chinese martial arts and the martial arts of other areas that developed out of them. The problem is that the accounts of Bodhidharma's life are mostly legendary and we therefore cannot be sure of what Bodhidharma's contribution to the martial arts truly was.

What is known however is that the Karate styles we practice today evolved and were systematically developed in Okinawa. Okinawa is the largest island of the Ryukyu Islands archipelago, being about 70 miles (112 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide (see map). This island group is located southwest of mainland Japan, at 24 degrees to 27 degrees north latitude and 122 degrees to 128 degrees 30' east longitude. It consists of 161 islands (44 inhabited and 117 uninhabited islands), and those islands span 1,000 kilometers from east to west and 400 kilometers from north to south. Okinawa is situated east of mainland China, south of mainland Japan, and north of Taiwan.

Due to this strategic geographic location (see map) at the crossroads of major trading routes, Okinawa gained importance as a trading center for southeastern Asia. Along with this exchange of goods came a cultural exchange which included the exchange of knowledge. It can be assumed that this knowledge exchange also encompassed knowledge of Chinese fighting techniques which surely influenced the development of the Okinawan's own indigenous form of closed fist fighting known as "Te".

During the 12th century, an agrarian society began to form in Okinawa. Regional chieftains known as Aji started building castles, called Gusuku, and gathering political power. This era, known as the Gusuku period, was marked by struggles between these chieftains for overall political power. By the 14h century three kingdoms emerged from these struggles, Nanzan in the South, Hokuzan in the central area, and Chuzan in the North. This era, known as the Three Kingdoms period, saw an intensification in trade with China. The Three Kingdoms Period ended after Sho Hashi, a southern ruler, succeeded in unifying Okinawa and establishing the first Sho Dynasty in 1429. After Sho Hashi's reign, the power of the Sho Dynasty began to wear off. The end of the Sho Dynasty came about under its 7th king Sho Toku. His tyrannical reign and absolute disregard for the resulting civil strife and unrest, caused his vassals to depose him in 1470. This led to the establishment of the second Sho Dynasty, with Sho Toku's chief vassal Kanemura Uchima taking the throne and assuming the name Sho En. In 1477 he was succeeded by Sho Shin who placed a ban on the ownership of weapons in order to avoid further strife and conflict.

This is important for the continued development of "Te" since the people, looking for a means to protect themselves, turned more and more to this unarmed style of fighting. In 1609 the Satsuma Clan invaded Okinawa in retaliation for its refusal to supply food and money in support of the attempted Japanese invasion of Korea. The Satsuma Clan reinforced the ban on weapons as well as prohibiting any form of martial training in order to prevent any chance of local uprisings. Training of course continued and it is plausible that this happened with renewed vigor since the Okinawans were now subjugated by a foreign power. The ban however forced the Okinawans to train in secret and for a long period after this, little was recorded about the development of the Okinawan martial arts. Instead the techniques were passed down from generation to generation through Kata which can be viewed as the "textbook" of the Okinawan martial arts.

In the main three different styles of Okinawan Te developed in the three Okinawan cities Shuri, Naha, and Tomari. These styles were known respectively as Shuri-Te, Naha-Te, and Tomari-Te. These three styles differ more in emphasis than technique, with their aims and methods being essentially the same. They were collectively known as Okinawa-Te or Tode (Chinese Hand). Gradually karate was divided into two groups Shorin-Ryu, which developed out of Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te, and Shorei-Ryu, which developed out of Naha-Te. These two styles differ from each other in the fact that Shorin-Ryu is quick and linear with natural breathing while Shorei-Ryu emphasizes steady, rooted movements with breathing that is synchronized with each movement.

In mainland Japan karate first began to take root after Gichin Funakoshi held the first public demonstration of the art in 1917 at the Butoku-den in Kyoto. This and further demonstrations greatly impressed many Japanese, including Crown-Pince Hirohito. In 1922, Dr. Jano Kano, the founder of the art of Judo, invited Funakoshi to demonstrate karate at the famous Kodokan Dojo and, after this, to remain in Japan to teach karate. This backing helped karate to become accepted and established in Japan.

Today there are four main styles of karate-do in Japan: Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-ryu:

Shito-Ryu (the name Shito is a combination of the Japanese characters of Mabuni's teachers' names - Ankoh Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna) founded in 1928 by Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952). This style was directly influenced by both the Naha-Te and Shuri-Te styles. Shito-Ryu uses a large number of kata (ca. 50) and is characterized by an emphasis on power in the execution of techniques.

Goju-Ryu (Hard Soft Way) founded in 1930 by Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953). Miyagi was a student of Hiagonna who opened a dojo in Naha based on eight forms he brought from China. Goju-Ryu emphasizes a combination of soft circular blocking techniques with quick strong counter attacks.

Shotokan founded in 1938 by Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957). Funakoshi is considered to be the founder of modern karate. Born in Okinawa, he began to study karate with Yasutsune Azato, one of Okinawa's greatest experts in the art. After being instrumental in introducing Okinawan Karate to Japan, he opened his own dojo in Tokyo in 1936. The dojo was called Shotokan after the pen name used by Funakoshi to sign poems written in his youth. Shotokan Karate is characterized by powerful linear techniques and deep strong stances.

Wado-ryu (way of harmony) founded in 1939 by Hienori Otsukain. Wado-Ryu was developed from jujitsu and karate as taught by one of Otsukain's instructors, Gichin Funakoshi. This style of karate combines basic movements of jujitsu with techniques of evasion, putting a strong emphasis on softness and the way of harmony or spiritual discipline.