Before Karate existed, the local martial arts in Okinawa were called "Te" (hand). Over time different styles of Te developed. The styles were often named after the town or city where they were practiced so
the Naha-Te style was based in the Naha district and focused on strong, heavy techniques, while the Shuri-Te style - from Shuri - specialised in light, fast techniques.
Two renowned Okinawan experts were Ankoh Azato (1827-1906) and Ankoh Itosu (1832-1915) who practiced Naha-Te and Shuri-te respectively. These two had a student in common named Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) who would become
known as the father of Shotokan Karate. He combined the principles of both styles in an attempt to create a system that could be practiced by all.
 Gichin Funakoshi was a school teacher
who was known for his skill at calligraphy and poetry. He would sign his work using his pen name Shoto ("waving pines" - these grew near his home and inspired his writing) and his style of Karate became known as Shoto
Kan - Shoto's Club or School.
In 1921 he lead a demonstration of "Te" for the Crown Prince Hirohito whose approval led to invitations from various groups in Tokyo to demonstrate his art - including the Ministry of Education and the Kodokan
(The Headquarters of Judo). These demonstrations lead to the establishment of many clubs in Japan’s universities, and Karate as we know it today was born!
During the next twenty years what was to become known as “Shotokan” continued to be developed by Funakoshi and his senior students, especially his son, Yoshitaka. In order for Karate to be accepted as a Japanese
art (and not an Okinawan import) the characters used to spell Karate were changed so that the meaning became “Empty Hand” rather than “Chinese Hand” and a standardised grading system and training uniform were
adopted.
Many Karate experts were "lost" in World War II, so in 1948 a meeting was held between some of the top karate practitioners in Japan to pool their knowledge and standardise what was being taught. This meeting
resulted in the formation of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1949, with Gichin Funakoshi as Chief Instructor.
From the 1950’s on, Karate began to receive increasing international attention, mainly through exposure to American servicemen stationed in Japan after World War II, and also through Japanese students traveling
abroad to study. Karate has been practiced formally in Britain since the early 1960s, though it was Bruce Lee's film "Fist of Fury" (1972) that brought the oriental martial arts to prominence and today there are martial arts
schools the length and breadth of the UK.
Master Gichin Funakoshi died in 1957 at the age of 88, but his legacy of Shotokan Karate is still practiced today. |
