History of Karate

Pre history
Although karate is an ancient art of weaponless combat is by no means the first form developed by man. There were five other fighting techniques which may have contributed to modern-day karate they were: Egyptian Bare handed fighting as depicted in Pyramid wall murals, Greek Pancration and Roman gladiatorial combat, Japanese sumo wrestling, Jujitsu and bare handed samurai fighting arts, Indian and Persian foot fighting, and a genus of weaponless writing found in Thailand Malaysia Cambodia Laos and Vietnam. Even though there is no apparent link between the five techniques karate contained moments of them all. The implication is of course are the karate must developed in the country that carried on an active and extensive intercourse with the West as well as with all of Asia. The finger of logic points inevitably to China although India appears to have been the birthplace for some archaic forms of weaponless combat.

India
It is generally accepted the karate had its beginnings in India around 450 A.D. Oral tradition tells us of a wealthy Indian Prince who experimented with slaves by jabbing them with needles to find the weak parts of the body. He also watched animals as they fought. He noticed how, for instance, the Tiger tensed its body before spinning into action and how it used its claws to tear its opponent. He also watched the movements of other animals and adapted them to the human body. Having done this he experimented on the slaves, this time using actual punches and kicks instead of needles discover where and how to strike to achieve the desired effect. According to the legend over 100 slaves were killed in this bizarre experiment.
Unarmed combat was an integral part of early Indian culture. The warrior class named the Kshatriya were the dominant strata in the early Indian society. This group antedates Buddhism and has a direct relationship to at least one early fighting style. The first written evidence of a weaponless fighting art is in the Buddhist stricture called the Lotus Sutra, translated by Fa Hua San Ch'ing in Chinese. It mentions a "pugilistic art" called Hsiang Ch'aHsiang Pu in Chinese which means, "mutual striking". The Lotus Sutra also mentions a fighting art called Nata, which apparently had dance like movements similar to chu'an fa katas. A bare handed martial art called VaJramushti, which was practiced by the Ksha'triya warrior class, seems to be the first real karate-like technique. Many early Buddhist statues of Deities such as the Nio Bodhisattvas seem to be executing karate like strikes and are usually in exact karate stance.

China
China had many fighting techniques some closely associated with Taoist philosophy. However, the Bodhidharma legend stresses the Buddhist philosophy of non-violence and the development of both mind and body. According to legend Indian monk named Bodhidharma (sometimes called Daruma), who was also a member of the Kshatriya class, travel to China about 500 A.D. taken within two books the I Chin Ching and the Hseiu Seu Ching, both dealing with self defense. Bodhidharma taught the monks at the Shaolin monastery not only the mental discipline of Buddhism, but also the physical exercise to strengthen their bodies because he felt both were important. These exercises, which could also be used for self-defense, were called Shih Pa Lo Han Sho, or "The 18 hands of Lo Han".
The Shaolin monks continued develop these fighting techniques. One Ch'ueh Yuan shang-jen (or Kiao Yuan chang-jen) increased these 18 fighting positions to 72. Later on monk named Li added further positions bringing the total about 170. The monks based their movements on the movements of various animals, especially the tiger, the leopard, the snake, the crane, and the dragon.
The Tiger movements were developed to strengthen bone, tendons, and muscles. Emphasis was on strength and dynamic pension. Movements for short, hard and snappy.
The snake movements developed endurance. Breathing was slow, deep, and soft and movements for flowing and rippling, with emphasis on the fingers.
The leopard movements were used to develop speed and strength. Techniques for fast and crafty, with narrow stances and clenched fists.
The crane movements were to develop control and spirit, and movements were often done on one-legged stances, and executed with considerable meditation.
The dragon movements developed alertness and concentration. They were done without strength and were long flowing and continuous, with emphasis on lower abdominal reading.
These Shaolin techniques developed into Ch'uan fa. Their style of fighting was sometimes called Shaolin szu Kempo.
The Shaolin monks were trained in Buddhism with emphasis on developing control over mind and body through meditation. Passive meditations were performed in a stationary posture, while active meditation was practiced while performing the moves of Shaolinszu Kempo.
After completing their training, the monks frequently traveled to other provinces to teach what the had learned. Because of personal preferences different styles began to develop and as the dialects varied, so did the names given to the fighting style. For example Ch'uan fa came to be called, Kung Ku, which means, "work art" in one area.
Two main divisions of Ch'uan fa developed over the centuries. Eight main "external schools", or Wai Chia, all sed to have been founded by Taoist demigods developed during the Sung, Ming, and Ching dynasties. Six "internal schools" or Nei Chia includeing Tai Chi Chuan were developed in post-sung dynasties.
The practice of Chuan fa by secret societies became prevalent under foreign Manchu dynasties, beginning in the 17th century. Some of the secret societies called "Boxers" by the British were involved in 1900 "boxer about in" against Western domination. Only recently, in the 1960s were foreigners allowed to study Kung fu.

Southeast Asia
(Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaya)
Empty handed self-defense techniques have existed in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. Some of these techniques are indigenous and some were imported from outside areas.
Present-day Cambodia is the site of the ancient Khmer Empire (802 - 1432 A.D.). The Khmer were people of Indian stock and in the ruins of their cities are found statues and reliefs depicting weaponless combat and many fighting stances which are unmistakably those of Ch'uan Fa, showing considerable Chinese influence as well as Indian influence in the area.
Vietnam was under Chinese influence for over 2000 years and while a form of Ch'uan fa is practiced in modern Vietnam, the date of its origin is unknown. Judo, which they call nhu dao, is also practiced in present-day Vietnam.
Thailand's weaponless fighting arts show influence of both China and India, and perhaps acquired from the Khmer when Thailand conquered the Khmer Empire in 1432. They also developed Thai boxing which is similar to boxing except lightning kicks to the head and torso are allowed and the matches begin with the typically Indian rights or indvocation. Chinese communities living in Thailand have also brought with them the influence of Ch'uan fa
Indonesia was exposed to both Asian and Western influence and developed for main types of unarmed combat. The first of these is Pukulan which is strictly Indonesian and is particularly common in West Java. There are seven types of Pukulan which have developed. In East Java a form called Pentjak is practiced, as well as a style called Kun-tow. Kun-Tow is really a style of Ch'uan fa and there are five types of Kun-tow practiced. The fourth type of Indonesian fighting art is called Silat.
Malaya was influenced culturally by India and is likely that Indian methods influenced the development of Malayan weaponless fighting art called Bersilat. Bersilat means "self-defense", but according to legend its origin came from a woman named Bersilat who, through a series of dreams acquired a knowledge of the fundamentals of empty handed fighting. Bersilat originated in Sumatra, according to experts and exists today into forms: Silat puat which is mainly for display, and silatbuah, which is used in actual combat. Kun-tow is also practiced in some of the larger cities.

Okinawa
Okinawa, the principal island of the Ryukyu chain, has always been influenced heavily by both China and Japan. In 1609 the Satsuma clan, led by the Shimazu family marched against and conquered the Ryukyu Islands, in spite of the continued normal possession of Okinawa by China, which continued to have a strong cultural influence on the island.
The Satsuma clan had lost a Civil War in Japan in 1600 to the Tokugawa clan, but, as was customary, Satsuma retained its feudal territories. In 1609, the Satsuma samurai were "permitted" to March against the Ryukyus, both to punish Okinawa for refusing to supply Japan with materials necessary for her harbor attack on China in 1592, and because the Tokugawa Shogun feared for the strength of the Satsuma samurai and felt that oversees adventure would help sooth the frustrations of Shimazu's warriors. After completely contrary Okinawa, Iehisa Shimazu banned all weapons and any Okinawa possessing them was severely punished. The Islanders found it difficult to bear this subjugation, and continued to clash with authorities, using mainly their bare hands and feet as weapons in order to get revenge for Japanese "wrongs". Farming tools such as the bo, sai, tonfa, nunchakus, naginata, and kama were also eventually developed as weapons.
Two different fighting styles were already present in Okinawa at this time. Ch'uan fa had become popular under Chinese influence after the annexation of Okinawa by China in 1372. The Okinawans also developed their own indigenous weaponless fighting art, which was known as tode (or to-te).
The various Ch'uan fa and tode societies united in 1629 to present a unified front to the enemy. The result was a new fighting style called te, meaning hand, which developed from this combination of Ch'uan fa and tode. This is the first recorded instance of an art that closely resembles modern karate.
During the school years, the practice of te was strictly secret, due to Satsuma edicts designed to eradicate all traces of Okinawan martial arts. Because of this, te took on two major characteristics: first, it became known as an esoteric art because of it's secrecy, second, it became extremely streamlined and effective since the sole purpose of it's practitioners was to maim or kill. This also halted the written history of the art for the next century or so, and we must rely on oral tradition. The best verified of these traditions comes to us in the form of legends.
One such legend is that a man named Sakugawa from Shuri went to China in 1724 to learn Chu'an Fa. He was gone for so many years that his family thought him lost, but he finally returned and demonstrated the complex Ch'uan Fa katas, bringing him many students. This was the beginning of the now famous Sakugawa School of karate. Another legend states that Kusanku, and expert in Chinese Ch'uan Fa gave a demonstration in 1761. His movements fored the basis for kusanku kata.
According to another legend, a Chinese sailor named Chinto was shipwrecked on Okinawa. Chinto hid during the day and stole from the villages at night. The villagers complained to the Shogun, who sent his best samurai Matsumura to kill the thief. Matsumura attacked Chinto with his weapons, but could not defeat him. Chinto blocked all techniques but never attacked. At length,Matsumura returned to the Shogun, to and told him the theif was taken care of. He then returned to Chinto and befriended him, and Chinto taught Matsumura his techniques and that is how Chinto kata originated.
Eventually the Okinawan's came to feel more and more part of Japan, especially during the latter part of the 1800's, when Japan moved from the feudal system to the modern era.
Different styles of karate developed, centered around the cities of Shuri, Naha, and Tomari. Shuri-te emphasized natural stances, natural breathing, an essentially straight, quick movements. The main styles of Shuri-te are Shorin-ryu (Shorin = Shaolin) and its variations of Kobayashi-ryu and Matsubayashi-ryu. Naha-te emphasized natural stances, steady, rooted movement with the feet moving along the cresent path, and deep, harsh, artificial breathing. The two main styles of Naha-Te are Goju-ryu and Shorei-ryu. Some Chinese influenced styles, such as Uechi-ryu and Ruykyu Kempo developed also.
By 1904, the term karate, meaning "empty hand" had begun to be used in place of te ortode. In this year, karate was first introduced into the school system Okinawa by Anko Itsuo. Itsuo trained many prominent Karateka, including Chomo Hanashiro, Kenwa Manubi, Gitchin Funakoshi, Yabiku Moden and Chotoku Kiyan.
In 1936, a group including Chojun Miagi, Chomo Hamashiro, Choki Motobu, and Chotu Kiyan met and officially designed to the ideograph for "empty hand", karate to represent the martial art.

Japan
Japan developed many martial art forms of its own, including sumo wrestling, yawara, judo, ju-jitsu, ken-jitsu, ashikeri, and torite. The Japanese Budokai was a martial arts organization, supported by the government, which promoted these traditional martial arts.
Around a turn-of-the-century, young Okinawans crafted for the Japanese army were found been excellent physical condition, no doubt due to the introduction of karate into the high school curriculum. The japanese army became very interested in karate for its fighting techniques and physical fitness benefits. The Japanese Budokai extended an invitation to the Okinawans to demonstrate the art in Japan. Gitchin Funakoshi, a diplomat and scholar as well as karate master, was selected represent the art, and he traveled the Japan in 1915, accompanied by Kenwas Mabuni. After repeated invitations from the impressed Japanese, Funakoshi returned to Japan in 1922 and spent his remaining years teaching there, founding the Shotokan School. Mabuni also established his own school of Shito-ryu, and eventually Choki Motabu, another prominent karateka went to Japan and also founded the Sorin-ryu school there.
One of the most important developments in Japan was karate's introduction to the university system by such eminent karateka as Gitchen Funakoshi, Shigeru Egami of Shotokai, Hinori Ohtshka, the founder of Wado Ryu, and Masotoshi Nakayama of Shotokan. It was also in buildingJapan that the practice of kumite, free form sparing developed in the 1930s. The theory, techniques, and principles of the art of the sword and ju-jitsu were also applied to karate by the Japanese. Judo's emphasis on the martial art as a sport also influence karate in Japan, and karate as a sport became popular in the 1950s. Japan's growing dominance in Asia during the '20s, the 30s and '40s spread karate to Korea, throughout Southeast Asia, and into the Philippines and North China.
Americas victory over Japan and the station of U.S. troops in the area went to the introduction of karate through servicemen who had studied the article stationed in Japan, Okinawa or Korea.

Korea
Tae Kwon Do is the Korean term for a system of unarmed combat that is virtually identical to Japanese karate, and indeed was influenced in recent times by Japanese karate. The origins of Tae Kwon Do, however, can be traced to ancient Korean history.
Chuan Fa was introduced into northern Korea by Buddhist monks during the 4th century, and evolved into a form called Tae Kyon. The skills eventually spread beyond the temples and were passed on as a system of self-protection. Religeous statues from the Silla period (A.D. 668-935) depict karate-like techniques, suggesting a close association between Tae Kyon and religeon at the time.
Another group was important to the development of Tae Kwon Do in Korea. They were the Hua-Rang-Do, and their purpose was to cultivate moral and patriotic ideals among Korean youth. Tae Kyon became part of the official training of the Hwa-Rang-Do, and the melding of these two groups produced a martial art, which stressed magnanimity, sympathy and respect for one's opponent.
In 935 A.D., the Silla kingdom was over thrown by the warlord Kyoghum, who established the kingdom of Koryo, which remained strongly martial in spirit. Many of the soldiers of the period were also students of Tae kyon and art florished.
In the 15th century, the era of warrior Princes ended and was replaced by the Yi dynasty. Confusionism replaced Buddhism as the state religion, and Tae Kyon virtually vanished.
When the Japanese overran Korea in 1915, outlawing the practice of Tae Kyon, many students left to live and work in China and Japan. There they were exposed to other forms of karate, and after World War II many Koreans returned to Korea and opened dojangs (karate schools), blending techniques learned in China, Okinawa, and Japan with what was remembered of the old Tae Kyon to form a new system. Eventually in 1955 the name of Tae Kwon Do, suggested by Choi Hong Chi, was adopted by leading masters of the art.

This document was written by Sensei Tim Steinwachs, 5th dan, reproduced and released into public domain with kind permission of the author. Please include author's name with any form of reproduction of this document.

This document is partially based upon spoken tradition, and the accuracy of this document depends upon the accuracy of those traditions.