Prior to Karate making its way to Japan, Karate traces back to Daruma or Bodhidharma, who established Zen Buddhism in Western India. Bodhidharma was an Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China in around 527 CE. History shares, that he stayed at the Shaolin temple of northern China and shared the philosophies and training methods of the Zen Buddhists. The monks of the Shaolin temple then adopted the new shared knowledge and combined them with their Kung fu. Eventually, the combination of the Zen Buddist, Shaolin Kung fu, the Shokei style of southern China, and the Ryukyuan martial arts left us with the early stages of Karate.
The earliest recorded history of Karate reported in Japan was from the late 17th century, when the Samurai rulers of Japan imposed a ban on weapons. Due to the prohibition having strict rules, there is little to no recorded evidence.
A visitor from China, by the name of Kushanku, taught a form of kung fu that blended with the already existing arts ‘te’ (hand) on the Ryukyuan Islands. The early masters in Okinawa, like Kanga Tode Sakugawa and Sokon ‘Bushi’ Matsumura, taught ‘te’ using empty-handed (no weapons) techniques. Since no weapons were allowed on the island and training for martial arts was against the rules, all teaching and training had to be done in and kept secret.
In the late 1800s, after trade relationships between China and the islands were established, Chinese families began to settle in Okinawa. Along with the settlers came the introduction of Chinese Kenpō, which later influenced the further development of the already popular and widely used fighting style by the natives of the Ryukyu Islands, ‘te’.
‘Te’ was popular in three cities on the Ryukyu Islands; Shuri, Naha, and Tamara. Each city had its own way of doing ‘te’, and today’s modern styles reflect this.
Shuri-te is the result of incorporating fighting techniques from China, mainly from Shaolin Kung-Fu, combined with original local techniques.
It was primarily solely taught to “nobility” at the royal palace in Shuri. Shuri-te was a fast and dynamic style with an equal emphasis on leg and hand techniques. Shuri-te is where modern styles like Shorin-Ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-Ryu come from.
Naha-te was primarily based on Fujian White Crane Kung-Fu, a Chinese Southern style, and was taught in the old commercial city of the Ryukyu Kingdom, what is now the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture.
Naha-te was a close-range style that used leg techniques rarely aimed above mid-level. It also placed heavy importance on breathing techniques and is the source of modern styles like Goju-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu.
Tomari-te originated in the village of Tomari, Okinawa. It contained internal and external elements of Shuri-te and Naha-te, however, Tomari-te resembles more Shuri-te.
In 1922, under the leadership of Gichin Funakoshi, a significant initiative to promote Karate-do across mainland Japan took place. Gichin Funakoshi, along with notable figures like Yoshitaka Funakoshi (his son, also known as Gigo), Shigeru Egami, and Takeshi Shimoda, embarked on a tour staging karate exhibitions. These exhibitions were crucial in showcasing karate as a refined Japanese martial art, distinct from its Okinawan roots, to a broader audience. This period marked the beginning of karate’s formal introduction and acceptance in Japanese martial arts circles.
The promotional tours led to increased interest in karate, culminating in the establishment of the first formal dojo. Master Funakoshi’s senior students played a significant role in this development. They chose to associate the dojo with Master Funakoshi’s pen name “Shoto” (松濤), reflecting the poetic image of pine waves, which symbolized the essence and spirit of their training philosophy. This dojo was named “Shotokan,” combining “Shoto” with “Kan” (館), meaning a house or hall of training.
By 1928, Shotokan began to gain recognition as a distinct style, and this culminated in 1939 when Gichin Funakoshi formally established it as a school based on Okinawan karate principles. This formalization was a critical step in defining the technical and philosophical aspects of Shotokan Karate, distinguishing it from other martial arts forms and facilitating its structured dissemination.
The foundational efforts of Gichin Funakoshi and his contemporaries in the early 20th century laid the groundwork for Shotokan Karate’s global spread in the subsequent decades. After World War II, as Japan opened up more to the international community, Shotokan Karate spread worldwide. Masters and practitioners of Shotokan established dojos globally, sharing the art and adapting it to various cultural contexts.
Today, Shotokan is one of the most practiced karate styles worldwide, with many schools and variations developing over the years. Each school upholds the core principles instilled by Gichin Funakoshi while also integrating contemporary techniques and training methods. The style’s emphasis on discipline, technique, and philosophical depth continues to attract practitioners seeking both physical and moral development.
