A GUIDE TO THE HISTORY OF KARATE

Karate is a martial art executed for the most part in an upright stance. It
originated on the Japanese island of Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu Islands
chain, as a mixture of local Okinawan and Chinese fighting styles.

History of Karate:
Early on, native Okinawans created a fighting
practice simply referred to as 'te".
In 1372, trade was established between the
Ryukyu Islands and the Fujian Territory of China,
which led to a substantial emigration of Chinese
to Okinawa. They brought Kenpo, a mixture of
Indian and Chinese fighting methods, with them,
resulting in a hybrid of the two disciplines.
At the same time, some individuals were creating
martial arts forms of their own in seclusion. Of
these, three dominant styles appeared, named
after the regions in which they developed:
Tomari-te,
Naha-te
and
Shuri-te.
The
dissimilarities between the three styles were
small, being more a source of civic pride than
anything elsethe towns of Naha, Tomari and
Shuri were within close proximity of each other.

As ties with China strengthened, this mixture of the conventional Okinawan

fighting style and Chinese Kenpo merged with the bare-handed Chinese styles of
Gangrou-quan, Five Ancestors and Fujian White Crane. Eventually, a Southeast
Asian influence seeped in.
Sakukawa Kanga was one of the first Okinawans to study in China. In 1806, he
started teaching a martial art, which he called "Tudi Sakukawa" ("Sakukawa of
Chinese Hand").
One of Sakukawa Kanga's apprentices, Matsumura Sokon, began teaching a mixture
of to & Shaolin styles, later known as Shorin-ryu. However, it's an apprentice of
Sokon's, Itosu Anko, who's often thought of as the "Grandfather of Karate." Itosu
Anko is well-known for developing easy kata, or forms, for less advanced
apprentices, helping Karate achieve more mainstream acceptance.

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or too early! Visit our web site, or contact uswe'd be happy to answer any
and all of your questions!D-Dojo Karate, Upper West Side offers
unsurpassed fitness training both for children and adults. We take a holistic
approach to Karate; for us, Karate is more than fitnessit's a lifestyle. It's
never too late to start learning Karate, or too early! Visit our web site, or
contact uswe'd be happy to answer any and all of your questions!
Learn expert karate techniques from author and master karate Instructor
Igor Dyachenko the true meaning of Karate and become proficient in the
martial arts at d-dojo.com.

1841 Broadway, Suite 205

New York, New York 10023
212.537.6441
info@ddojokarate.com