History

Karate started in Japan - at least, that is the perception most people have. The origins of Karate probably date back more than a thousand years. Some say as far back as the Ancient Greeks. What is known is that Dharma, a monk from India, was staying at a Shao Lin monastery in China where he taught his students a physical training discipline in order to build strength, endurance and self-defence. This was required to carry out the rigid discipline that was part of their religion and also to protect them from the bandits that lived in their locality. Over the years, this physical training was adapted and became what is known as Shao Lin fighting. This martial art was ‘imported’ into Okinawa and was blended with the local fighting techniques of the islands. During the Tsatsuma reign of Okinawa, the overlords banned the use of weapons and the art of empty hand fighting techniques was secretly evolved.

As these fighting methods were passed on, in secret, from generation to generation, each new master added or refined certain techniques to achieve the ultimate unarmed self-defence method. This became known as Okinawan-Te (Okinawan hand). The Okinawan symbol for kara (Chinese) was used to identify it. Hence it eventually became known as kara-te - meaning Chinese Hand.
Reknowned as the "Father of modern day Karate" Funakoshi Gichin, (186- 1957 aged 88) was taught Chinese-hand by Masters Itosu and Azatso. He took the Chinese character (kara) that was used to signify Chinese and adapted it to mean, empty (Kara). He chose the symbol to signify the Zen Buddhist philosophy meaning to render oneself empty.  To Funakoshi, karate was not only a martial art, but also a means of building character.  He wrote “the student of karate must render his mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in an effort to react appropriately toward anything he might encounter.”  This is the meaning of Kara or empty and te meaning hand, therefore the Art became known as Karate - empty hand.

As a Martial Art, Karate was first introduced to the Japanese public in 1917.  In 1922, Funakoshi (then professor at the Okinawa Teachers College) was invited to lecture and demonstrate at an exhibition of traditional martial arts sponsored by the Ministry of Education. The demonstration was so successful that he stayed on in Tokyo to teach Karate at various universities and also in the Kodokan - the Mecca of Judo  In 1936, he  establish the Shotokan Dojo, from which the name of the style originated. The Japan Karate Association was established in May 1949 with Funakoshi appointed as honorary chief instructor.
The Art of Karate flourished leading some of Funakoshi Sensei's students to create their own styles, such as Wado-Ryu and Kyokushinkai. However, Shotokan has continues to dominate the world of Karate in Japan to the present day. Much of Shotokan's success in Japan and across the world was due to Masatoshi Nakayama, (1913-1987). Sensei Nakayama began training in Karate under the great master Funakoshi Gichin in 1931.  After graduating from Takushoku University in 1937, he went to Peking to study Chinese, whilst there he also studied various styles of Chinese fighting.  He became chief instructor of the JKA in 1955 and was instrumental in spreading the teaching of Karate to across the globe. Today Shotokan Karate is the most widely taught of all Karate styles.

One of the most famous instructors of the Japan Karate Association, Kanazawa Sensei, (3 times JKA champion) was invited to England in April 1965 to do Karate exhibitions.  A year later the first British Shotokan Association, the K.U.G.B., was formed.  Several years later in 1974, Kanazawa Sensei started Shotokan Karate International with the headquarters based in Japan. He has now reached the pinnacle of Karate, by being only one of a few, to achieve 10th Dan. 

In the UK alone Shotokan Karate is taught to over 50,000 students and remains the single largest style of Karate in the UK.

The Shotokan Karate Ryu has remained true to the Shotkan heritage and teaches the traditional syllabus of Kihon, Kata and Kumite taught by Kanazawa Sensei. 

 

Sensei Michael Ring and Shihan Hirokazu Kanazawa