Okinawa. Okinawa means, "Dew on the open sea" and is the name of the biggest island from the Ryukyu archipelago, in south of the Sunshine Country. Okinawa is also the place where was born what is named today KARATE DO.
The story of the people who lives on this island is an unsolved mystery, but it is said that they are get on the island from China and Japan. At the same time whit they bring whit them the first advanced struggle forms and methods who was the Quan-fa or Kempo (Chinese boxing) and who was proceeding from China of the age between Sui and Ming dynasty. This first advanced method was quickly assimilated by the local culture.
In this period, the self-defense style, which was exist in Okinawa, was named Te and it was very simple.
In the fourteen century, between China and Okinawa it was salted intense commercial relationships. As a result of this relationships whit the Chinese Empire, Okinawa saw a great prosperity and the Chinese culture has playing a very important roll in this prosperity. This development has being made trough Chinese diplomats from Kumemura district close by capital of Okinawa.
Among this people were Quan-fa masters too who had introduce the Chinese martial arts techniques into the self-defense system from Okinawa, thus resulting a new method that was named simply To-de (Tang techniques). Further this method has become Okinawa-te (which means technique from Okinawa).
The Japanese culture also has influenced the civilization from Okinawa, especially through the Japanese warriors (samurai). This influence has begun as early as daybreak of the seventeen century when Okinawa was conquered by the Japanese Satsuma clan, becoming a colony of the Japanese Empire. Under the Japanese domination peoples were submitted and they must pay hard tributes. The weapon possession was prohibited and insubordination punished whit death. They must face a powerful and feared enemy � the samurai � tried warriors in many wars. This fact makes them to aim toward the martial arts. In this cruelly conditions, the single self-defense method was remaining the utilization of empty hand and feet. In this way To-de becomes a lethal weapon.
Thus, through long and hard trainings, the hands and feet and all body have become strong weapons succeeding to put down an enemy whit one single strike (Iken-kissatsu � "death trough only one blow").
Over the time, this fighting method, whit "empty hand" has suffered many changes of the name and also the techniques and ideology. Thus, in time of the nineteen century, the fighting methods, which were a combination between the Chinese and south Asian techniques and the martial arts system from Okinawa, was shared in three branches, Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te. This names proceeding from the cities were this styles were born and practiced.
Shuri-te was developed in the capital, Shuri, Naha-te in Naha town and Tomari-te into the harbor area, Tomari. Shuri-te and Tomari-te were two similar styles, thus having born on the island two new directions: Shorin-ryu school or Shuri-te typical for Shuri and Shorei-ryu school or Naha-te characteristic style for Naha.Those two directions it was distinguished between each other trough the technical elements. For the Shorin-ryu school were the agility and speed, preponderance of kicks, the shrinks and distance combat, this style having been influenced by fighting styles from the north of China (Shorin is the Japanese translation for Shaolin). For Shorei-ryu the technical elements were the strong and stable position, kick blows that were executed at inferior level of body, closely combat. The arm techniques were inspired from Chinese style Tang Lang and Wing Chun. The movements were slowly and whit force concentration.
When Okinawa was annexed to Japan, To-de and Kobudo fighting system was introduced into the public education system.
One of the greatest man who promote art of To-de was master Gichin Funakoshi who has present his art, for the first time, at Kodokan Institute from Tokyo (1992). At that time the master Funakoshi's art was named Ryukyu Karate Jitsu. After this demonstration that was a great success, the master Funakoshi's art was named KARATE DO.
In this time more other masters uphold demonstration in different places from Japan marking in this way the beginning of one remarkable development of martial arts especially of KARATE DO.
Master Funakoshi is considered the "father" of modern Karate developing his own style naming it SHOTOKAN translated through "waving of the pins".
Quick development of martial arts, especially of KARATE DO, has lead to appearance of new Karate styles which round the master Funakoshi's style are: Wado-ryu or "way of peace". Creator of this style was master Hironori Otsuka, which also practiced Jiu Jitsu and Kempo. He becomes one close friend of master Funakoshi; Goju-ryu. The name comes from "goken" - powerful fist and (strong ness) "juken" � weak fist (suppleness). Master Chojun Miyagi founded this style. It got changed the least, in time; Master Kenwa Mabuni created Shito-ryu style. The style name come from his masters name Itosu and Higaona, who were his teachers.
More other styles were appended to this four. The new styles, which can be attributed to Shotokai school represented by master Egami, Obata, Kyokushinkay represented by master Masutatsu Oyama, Seishin Kai (master Kuniba), Shido Shinzen Ryu (master Kunishi), Itosu Kai (master Sagomi), Rembu Kai (master Tanabe), Shorin Ryu (master Asanobu and master Chotoku), Uechi Ryu (master Uechi) etc. This new styles represents the personality of people made them, but the base of this styles remaining the SHOTOKAN, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu.
Since 1922, when it was introduced in Japan, Karate has changed from martial arts into the competition discipline. But, in Okinawa, the style that is practiced is the initial Karate style. This original style contributed to born of the modern Karate, the Karate that was promoted by master Funakoshi, Miyagi, Mabuni, they having been considered "the parents" of art Karate that we practice today.
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