Karate History

"True karate is this: that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice."
--Gichin Funakoshi, Okinawan founder of Shotokan Karate

Karate Do literally translates as "way of the empty hand." It developed on Okinawa, drawing heavily on different Chinese martial arts, including those developed over centuries by the Shao Lin. On Okinawa, a true melting pot, peasants were often denied weapons by law. Given this situation, Karate Do evolved over time and became known across mainland Japan, and then the rest of the world, starting in 1916.