There are many types of Oriental fighting arts, some of which can be traced back 2000 years. For various historical and geographical reasons, the Japanese Island of Okinawa, halfway between Japan and Formosa, came into contact with many of these fighting arts, especially those of China. Many of the features from these arts were added to a native Okinawan fighting art.

 

In 1609 the Japanese invaded Okinawa and banned the use and carrying of weapons, so the warrior-class secretly trained themselves in unarmed self-defence, using and improving the ancient techiques. Preparing to engage in combat with armed warriors, the Okinawans developed techniques that could dispose of the aggressor with a single technique, even armoured Samurai. The secrecy of the un-armed self defence was imperative as even practicing a martial art would carry a punishment that was extreme. Training was done under the cover of darkness whilst the oppressors slept, and therefore the practioners trained in their sleeping garments (possibly the predecessor to the modern Karate "Gi") 

 

Thus modern Karate is the outcome of centuries of interchange between China, Tyukus and Japan. It only recently came to be openly taught to the public, first in Okinawa and later in Japan. Between 1917 and 1922 the late Gichin Funakoshi, who was at that time a professor at the Okinawa Teachers College, was invited to lecture at an exhibition. The demonstration was so successful that he stayed on in Tokyo to teach Karate at various universities and the Kodokan, Home of Judo. Gichin Funakoshi established a Shotokan Dojo in 1939 from which the name of the style originated. The name "Shotokan" is derived from Master Funakoshi's nickname or pen name, "Shoto" combined with "Kan", which is the Japanese word for school. Today the name "Shotokan" applies to the type of Karate as taught originally by Master Funakoshi. By 1949 karate clubs were established at most of the leading universities in Japan. The Japan Karate Association (JKA) was established in May 1949 with Funakoshi Sensei as honorary Chief Instructor