The art of karate or karate do as it is commonly referred to is usually associated with Japan and often mistakenly believed to have been created and developed by the Japanese. It is true that Japan has greatly contributed to the evolution and organization of karate, however, its origins are found in Okinawa where it was developed and China whose fighting arts provided a basis of study. The first Asian fighting arts are believed to have been created during China's Warring States Period (403 - 221 B.C.). Chinese martial arts evolved further after 520 A.D. when the fighting applications of internal energy were discovered and added to the existing martial styles. These new methods were developed at the Shaolin temple in Honan province. The new Chinese boxing styles developed at Shaolin would later make the temple famous throughout the world.
In the East China Sea below Japan are the Ryukyu Islands of which Okinawa is the largest. Native Okinawan fighting methods date back to before 616 A.D. The first fighting methods and weapons in Okinawa were without a doubt primitive and lacking in the sophistication of Chinese arts. It was after 616 A.D. that Okinawa entered the Iron Age and began producing metal tools and weapons. It was also during this period that methods were first imported from China and combined with existing fighting methods to become the Okinawan art named Te. Te in Okinawa means "hand" and refers to boxing methods.
During Okinawa's Three Kingdoms Period 1187 - 1429 armed and unarmed techniques were tested and perfected in combat. In 1392, 36 families emigrated from China for cultural exchange and settled in Kume village. Among these families were experts in the Chinese art of Chuan Fa (pronounced Kempo in Okinawa). During the subsequent reign of King Sho Shin 1477-1526, to establish his control and insure peace the first restrictions on weapons began. First the wearing of swords was banned and a stockpiling of confiscated weapons followed. The private ownership of any weapon was banned outright in 1609 when the Satsuma clan from Japan invaded Okinawa. 3,000 samurai warriors occupied Okinawa and controlled all aspects of policy.
As a result of continued disarmament Okinawan commoners began converting farming implements into weapons and continued the serious practice of unarmed fighting arts from China. This covert activity was practiced in absolute secrecy due to the fact that possession of any weapon and the practice of Te was absolutely illegal. The Okinawan government and Japanese invaders knew skilled fighters were the only people who could challenge their authority. During the 1700's the study of fighting arts from China was heavy and Okinawan commoners trained with a severe determination knowing that their existence depended upon their ability to defeat a heavily armed and armored Japanese samurai with nothing but bare hands or improvised weapons.
Due to the heavy Chinese influence Te came to be known as Kara Te (usually rendered as To Di) meaning "China Hand". The use of improvised weapons developed into a martial art of its own known as Ko Bu Jutsu meaning "Ancient Martial Techniques". Although most Okinwan Karate arts contain weapon training and Ko Bu Jutsu contains many unarmed fighting methods Karate is generally an unarmed fighting style and Kobu Jutsu is usually associated with weapons. In 1879 the puppet King appointed by the occupying Japanese was deposed and Okinawa was assimilated by Japan in 1890. At this point each major village had its own version of Karate and prominent masters. Three villages had become famous for the practice of karate, they were Shuri, Tomari and Naha. The existing styles were known as Shuri Te, Tomari Te and Naha Te.
Famous Okinawan Karate masters include Higashionna Kanryo born March 10, 1853 in Naha village who traveled to China in 1873 and studied Chinese martial arts before returning to Okinawa in 1882. Itosu Anko was born in 1832 and practiced the arts of Shuri village. Uechi Kanbun born in 1877 went to China in 1897 to study and founded the style known today as Uechi Ryu. Considered "The grandfather of karate" Matsumura Sokon or "Bushi" Matsumura was the instructor of many famous Okinawan masters. He studied under Sakugawa who is considered "The Great Grandfather of Karate." One of Matsumura's students went on to become probably the most famous karate master to date Funakoshi Gichin. Funakoshi is considered "The father of karate" and is the Okinawan master responsible for introducing karate to Japan. Funakoshi was born in 1868 in the Okinawan capitol of Shuri. Funakoshi studied with karate masters Matsumura, Itosu, Azato, Kiyuna, Toonno & Niigaki.
In 1901 Funakoshi gave a demonstration of karate in Okinawa that led to karate being included into the physical education curriculum of Okinawan schools. By 1906 public karate demonstrations were common in Okinawa. In 1912 personnel from the Imperial Navy were sent to Okinawa to study karate. In 1917 Funakoshi traveled to Kyoto, Japan to demonstrate karate at the Grand Martial Art Hall. Funakoshi continued to demonstrate his art to the Japanese and in the 1920's many Okinawan masters traveled to Japan to bring awareness of their arts.
It was during the 1920's and 30's that efforts were made to organize and classify the various styles. Up to this point karate had been referred to as Kara Te Jutsu or To Te Jutsu. This name paid tribute to three countries that contributed to its development. Kara Te Jutsu meant "China Hand Techniques", Kara from China, Te from Okinawa and Jutsu from Japan. In the early 1930's many karate masters decided to formally change the spelling in Japanese, and the meaning, of Kara Te to a homonym pronounced Kara Te but meaning "Empty Hand". Many reasons were offered for this name change including the emphasis on defeating ego and perfecting character, this being the "empty" of empty hand. Other claim it was named empty hand due to its emphasis on unarmed combat. The more accurate reasons are unfortunately political. During the early 1930's Japan was conducting military conquests in Manchuria and China and did not want a popular activity such as karate to have Chinese overtones or undue influence. Many people even refused to believe that Japanese karate had its roots in ancient China. Due to this sense of ultra nationalism many masters endeavored to make karate more Japanese and a clear distinction can still be recognized between Okinawan and Japanese Karate. In addition to the removal of Chinese references, two other requirements were made before Karate could be accepted as a formal Japanese martial art. The first was the adoption of a standard uniform for practice and the other was the establishment of a formal ranking system similar to those that existed in the Japanese arts of Judo and Kendo.
While many variations and minor styles exist there are four main styles of Okinawan Karate. Shorin Ryu is the Japanese translation of Shaolin style and has its roots in styles of the Shuri and Tomari villages. Okinawan Goju Ryu means hard/soft style and is a combination of the styles of Naha and Tomari villages. Uechi Ryu is a Naha style named after its founder Uechi Kanbun. Isshin Ryu means "One Heart Style" and was based on all existing Okinawan styles especially Shorin Ryu.
There are four main styles of Japanese Karate. The original form brought to Japan by Funakoshi was simply referred to as kara te jutsu or to te jutsu and was a compilation of virtually every known Okinawan karate style unified into one. This form is often considered an encyclopedia of karate. Later Funakoshi's students named this style Shoto Kan Karate. Shoto was Funakoshi's pen name when he wrote and kan means house or home in Japanese. Shoto Kan Karate then translates as "karate practiced at Shoto's house". Japanese Goju Ryu is Okinawan Goju Ryu that was renovated and given a stronger Japanese emphasis. Shito Ryu is a blend of the karate taught by masters Higashionna and Itosu to Kenwa Mabuni who combined characters from his teachers names and ended up with Shi Ito Ryu. Wado Ryu meaning "Way of Peace Style" was the creation of one of Funakoshi's students.
Karate was primarily confined to Okinawa and Japan until the end of World War II. When the United States Occupational Forces arrived in Japan they banned the practice of Japanese martial arts such as kendo (Japanese fencing). Karate was exempt from this ban because the American forces perceived it as merely a form of boxing. The first Americans to learn karate were military forces stationed in Japan. Many karate masters discovered how lucrative it was to open a training hall on or near a military base. American servicemen quickly recognized the value of karate, some having been exposed to skilled practitioners during the Okinawan invasion. These servicemen were the first to bring karate back to the United States. The first karate school was opened by Robert Trias in Phoenix, Arizona in 1946. After the war and during the 1950's karate spread to Europe and the rest of the world.
The following is a list of the main traditional kata (forms) including the Japanese name, the style(s) associated and the meaning of the name. It should be remembered that the names of kata can have more than one meaning, especially those that have been given Japanese names. Any true practitioner of karate should be familiar with the kata of their style. It is however a sad fact that many contemporary yudansha (black belts) have never even heard of, let alone learned or mastered, any of the traditional kata. Most of the forms practiced by modern martial artists are only ten or twenty years old and created by men whose only understanding of karate is the "sport" applications. Of the true kata the last one created was Pinan in 1907 by Itosu Anko, the instructor of Funakoshi Gichin. The majority of traditional kata are hundreds of years old.
NAME OF KATA - ORIGIN -MEANING
1. ANANKO (ANANKU) - SHURI - LIGHT FROM THE SOUTH
2. CHINTO (GANKAKU) - SHURI - FIGHTING TO THE EAST
3. HAKUTSURA - NAHA - WHITE CRANE
4. JION JI (JION) - SHURI - TEMPLE SOUND
5. JITTE (JUTTE) - SHURI - TEMPLE HAND
6. KURURUMFA - NAHA - SEVENTEEN
7. KUSANKU (KANKU) - SHURI - TO VIEW THE SKY
8. NAIHANCHI (TEKKI) - SHURI - SIDEWAYS FIGHTING
9. NEISEISHI (NIJUSHIHO) - SHURI - TWENTY FOUR STEPS
10. PATSAI (BASSAI) - SHURI - TO THRUST ASUNDER
11. PECHURIN (SUPARINPI) - NAHA - FINAL 108 HANDS
12. PINAN (HEIAN) - SHURI - PEACEFUL MIND
13. ROHAI (MEIKYO) - TOMARI - VISION OF A WHITE HERON
14. SAIFA - NAHA - FINAL BREAKING POINT
15. SANCHIN - NAHA - THREE BATTLES
16. SANSERYU - NAHA - THIRTY SIX HANDS
17. SEIPAI - NAHA - EIGHTEEN HANDS
18. SEIUNCHIN (SEIENCHIN) - NAHA - LULL IN THE STORM
19. SESAN (HANGETSU) - SHURI / NAHA - THIRTEEN HANDS
20. SHISOOCHIN - NAHA - FIGHTING FOUR MONKS
21. SOCHIN - SHURI - GRAND PRIZE
22. TENSHO - NAHA - CHANGE OF GRIP
23. UNSU - SHURI - CLOUD HAND
24. USEISHI (GOJUSHIHO) - SHURI - THE PHOENIX
25. WANDUAN - TOMARI - NAME OF A OKINAWAN KING
26. WANKUAN (MATSUKAZE) - TOMARI - KING'S CROWN
27. WANSU (ENPI) - TOMARI - NAME OF A CHINESE ENVOY
