KARATE STYLES
Goju-Ryu Karate
Shotokan Karate
Wado-Ryu Karate
Shito-Ryu Karate
Kempo KarateSECTION 2
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
SECTION 3
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
Title 5
SECTION 4
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
Title 5
Title 6
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Okinawa is an island south
of Japan, situated in near equal distance between China and Japan. A
secret indigenous weaponless martial art developed (called Te,
"Hands") that experienced strong chinese influences. Chinese sailors,
traders and businessmen brought their martial art to Okinawa during
their import/export business travels. In addition, many original
Okinawan masters travelled to China to learn Chinese boxing (Ch'uan Fa,
"The fist way") directly from Chinese masters.
Having aquired new skills, in particular what is nowadays referred to
as White Crane Kung Fu, these masters would return to Okinawa and
begin to teach an art that had both original Okinawan and also Chinese
heritage. This new way of fighting was called
To-De,
"Chinese Hands", to indicate the Chinese origin of many of the
techniques. |
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In Okinawa, there were three villages that, although only few miles
apart, each developed their own style of To-De. In the port town of
Naha,Naha-Te
developed. In the more aristocratic Shuri, the ancient capital of
Okinawa, Shuri-Te
developed, and further north in Tomari, Tomari-Te developed.
This seemingly unlikely isolation has its foundation partly in the
geographical location of these villages, with a river separating Naha in
the south from Shuri and Tomari in the North, but also by its very
different social classes, with business and commercial trade enterprises
in Naha, the King and aristocracy in Shuri, and farmers and country
people in Tomari.
Okinawa has a long history of both chinese and japanese suppression that
outlawed the possession of conventional weapons (such as swords). Thus,
Okinawan martial arts developed a unique range of substitute weapons
that in many cases were derived from farming tools. The use of these
weapons is still practiced today in many Karate styles of Okinawan
origin.
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