History of Karate-Do

The Early History From China

Early in China, as many of you know, Shaolin monasteries trained monks in Kung Fu. In the 6th century,
this style of Shaolin Kung Fu quickly spread throughout Asia. Neighboring countries incorporated these
new techniques into their indigenous fighting systems.

Okinawa, a chain of islands between China and Japan, was strongly influenced by this introduction of
Kung Fu early in the country's history, thought to have taken place as early as the late 6th century. This
early form of Okinawan art became known as Tode. "To" referred to the T'ang Dynasty, which flourished
between 618-906 A.D. 'To" was later used as an adjective, referring to being connected with China. "To"
was also read as "Kara" in Kanji, which becomes important later in the history. Tode thus became the
indigenous form of weaponless fighting in the Okinawan Islands. Very little was known about this form
of fighting outside of Okinawa until the 14th century, some 8 centuries later.

In 1372, Okinawa began an official relationship with China. This agreement allowed China to expand its
trade with other countries, as well as to spread Kung Fu throughout the region. As an Imperial gift to
Okinawa, a group of Chinese artisans and merchants were sent to Okinawa to establish a permanent
settlement. This group of people became known as "the thirty six families." Not only did these
immigrants bring their professions and culture to Okinawa, but they also introduced a more modern
form of Chinese Kung Fu. So by the 1400's, two forms of weaponless fighting systems, Tode and Kung
Fu, both originating as Chinese Kung Fu, were coexisting in Okinawa.

The History in Okinawa

Okinawa was originally divided into three kingdoms, the kingdoms of Chuzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan. In
1429, these three kingdoms were united under one king, which formed the beginning of the Sho
Dynasty. The Sho Dynasty lasted until 1477, when a new Sho Dynasty started, the Sho Shin Dynasty. The
new ruler of the Sho Shin Dynasty was fearful of an uprising against him, so he placed a ban on all
weapons. The act of banning weapons drove the Tode and Kung Fu organizations underground, in fear
that they would be persecuted for practicing their fighting methods. However, Tode and Kung Fu
continued to evolve and be practiced secretly, and this secrecy is why so little is known about these
ancient forms.

About 140 years later, in 1609, the Satsuma Clan of Japan invaded the Okinawan Islands and ended
Okinawan independence forever. The invading Satsuma wanted to destroy all evidence of Okinawan
fighting forms, in addition to continuing to ban weapons from Okinawa's inhabitants. The Samurai was
now the law of the land, and their skills with the Samurai sword allowed them to maintain their rule.

The inhabitants of Okinawa were at a great disadvantage, without weapons to defend themselves
against the powerful sword and jujutsu techniques of the Samurai. The effort to survive under these
circumstances was the direct cause of the development of the Okinawan weapons we know of today.
The Tonfa, Kama, Sai, Nunchuku, Bo, and Eku-Bo were all created by people struggling to deal with being
denied the mean to defend themselves. These new weapons have origins as farm implements and other
tools, but in the hands of the Okinawans they became deadly weapons. The benefit of using farming
tools was that the Samurai would not become alarmed when they saw people using them. However, if
the Okinawans were under attack, they could quickly convert there simple farming tools into useful and
effective weapons against the samurai warriors. Twenty years after the Satsuma invasion, in 1629, the
Tode and Kung Fu societies continued their own evolution, by deciding to combine their fighting styles.
This new blend of styles was called Te, which means "hand" in translation. This union was an effort to
take the benefits of both the styles and create a stronger more effective style that could be used against
the Samurai.

The Satsuma Clan lost control of the Okinawan Islands in 1875, when Japan officially made Okinawa part
of Japan, and lifted the fear and subjugation that had oppressed the Okinawans for so long. In the years
to follow, Okinawan Te would begin to reveal itself to the world. There evolved three slightly different
styles of Okinawan Tej, and these styles were named after the cities that Te was practiced in: Shuri,
Tomari, and Naha. With the elimination of the oppression, Shuri Te, Tomari Te, and Naha Te would soon
proliferate.

By 1887 the word "Te" was replaced, and the name "Karate" began to be used. "Kara" means China, as
mentioned earlier. "Karate" was thus translated as "China Hand." In a way, this constituted the birth of
Karate, and with it a new era of openness and sharing came into being. By the early part of the 1900's,
karate was being demonstrated and taught openly, and soon found great acceptance among the
Okinawan people. Soon, karate began to be taught in the public schools. Karate became more and more
widely accepted by the people of Okinawa, as many more students began to practice the art.

By 1905, an Okinawan karate master decided to start referring to karate as "Empty Hand" instead of
"China Hand", thus finally eliminating any references to karate's Chinese origins. With this bold move,
practitioners of karate began to present karate to the world as a truly Okinawan Art. The growing
interest in karate soon caught the eye of the Japanese people. In 1917, the Japanese government
requested a personal demonstration of this still generally unknown Okinawan fighting art. A gathering of
Okinawan masters took place and they decided that one person would represent all of Okinawan Karate.
It was decided that Gichin Funakoshi would travel to Japan to demonstrate karate to the Japanese.

The History in Japan and Movement to the United States and the Rest of the World

Gichin Funakoshi was a small and rather weak looking individual. However, despite his appearance, he
was very skilled in Okinawan karate. A demonstration of a sparring match between this Okinawan
master and a Japanese martial artist was arranged. Gichin Funakoshi was able to overpower the
Japanese opponent with his superior karate techniques. The Japanese people were very impressed and
Gichin Funakoshi stayed in Japan and began to teach karate to the Japanese people.

By the 1920's and 30's many Okinawan masters began to travel to Japan an establish dojos. Most of the
Japanese styles we have today began to be created in those first schools in the 1920's and 30's. In 1927
the style of Gojo-Ryu was created, and this was the first time the name of a style didn't come from the
name of the city it was practiced in. Shortly, other styles began to emerge, including our own, Shito Ryu.
There are a number traditional Japanese karate systems, including Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Wado-Ryu,
Shorin-Ryu, Kyokushin, and Shito-Ryu.
Karate quickly found its way from Japan to the Hawaiian Islands. This was mainly due to the fact that
there was a large group of Okinawans living on in Hawaii at the time. However, it wasn't until World
Wars II that karate began to reach the United States. After the war, many United States servicemen
were exposed to Japanese judo and karate. During the 40's and 50's, judo actually gained greater
acceptance than karate, which lead to karate not being as widely accepted until the 1960's.

Beginning in the 1960's, substantially through the hard work of our Chief Instructor, Shihan Fumio
Demura, karate was introduced to the United States, and further on to the rest of the world. Shihan
Demura brought karate to the public's eye with powerful demonstrations, in widely popular movies like
"The Karate Kid" series, and through his own tireless efforts and charismatic teaching style. There are
now hundreds of different styles of Karate around the world. Of course, some styles die out as new ones
are created. This is the ongoing evolution of karate, just as an ancient form of Chinese Kung Fu evolved
into Okinawan Te and eventually into Japanese Karate.

JUDO
Judo lit. "gentle way") is generally categorized as a modern martial art, which has since evolved
into a combat and Olympic sport. The sport was created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano as a physical,
mental, and moral pedagogy in Japan. With its origins coming from jujutsu, judo's most
prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or take
down an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or
force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet
as well as weapons defences are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata and are
not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori,). It was also referred to as Kanō Jiu-
Jitsu until the introduction to the Olympic Games. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka", and
the judo uniform is called "judogi".

The philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for other
modern Japanese martial arts that developed from koryū traditional schools). Judo also
spawned a number of derivative martial arts across the world, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Krav
Maga, Sambo and ARB.
ARNIS
Eskrima and Arnis are utilized in the Philippines' as weapon-based martial art. Kali, as a term of such
reference, is used by other practitioners in other countries as well. “Arnis de Mano” is a particularly
tricky name.

The word “Arnis” which was derived a form of the term “Arnes” refers to the attractive harnesses
utilized by the actors of the moro-moro stage displays. “De mano” just means “hands.” Arnis de Mano is,
therefore, a literal translation of the phrase ‘harness of hand.'

The handling of such harnesses during stage plays made a lasting impression on the Spanish settlers
such that they called it ‘Arnes de Mano.' The style Arnis, which is a Spanish word in itself, uses many
Spanish words to express its techniques. A good example of this is ‘Espada y daga' or “sword and
dagger” (in English).

“Eskrima” is another inclusive term. The word originated from the term ‘Escrima,' which, again,
originated from the Spanish word ‘Esgrima'; a term used for fencing. It is also believed to be interpreted
as ‘to skirmish' although there is no evidence for such claim.

The term “Kali” is usually the most divisive. Loads of martial arts instructors and schools believe that the
term “Kali” is a combo of the terms Kamut (hand) and Lihok (movement). It's also assumed to be the
mother art of Arnis history or Escrima, but such assumptions lack evidence.

arnis history

Arnis History: The different forms of Eskrima.

Kali or Kahli, as it's written at times, is a kind of stick in Visayan and mustn't be utilized to refer to the art
of fighting. Also, Kali is the Hindu Goddess of Destruction. Furthermore, the Moros who reside in the
Sulu islands would frequently go into combat clothed like the Kali; the Goddess of Destruction.

The more plausible fact is the Tagalog term for a large, bladed weapon called Kalis.

This was simply shortened to “Kali” referring to every one of the bladed weapons. Dan Inosanto
popularized the term. Antonio Illustrisimo, interviewed in 1993, stated that he simply utilized the word
due to convenience since international students are familiar with it; however, he preferred the word
Escrima since it was what the art was called when his uncles were teaching him.

Whatever term is utilized to express the fighting arts of the Filipinos these days, it's apparent that they
provide excellent training and skill to those who want to learn them.