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Karate

The Japanese martial arts styles of Karate are focused on punching, striking with hands, knees and elbows and kicks. There are many styles of karate.

Renbukai Karate

Renbukai Karate is renowned as a full-contact martial arts style. It was the first style to make extensive use of Bogu (protective equipment) in...
Iain Abernethy

Karate Grappling: Did It Really Exist?

Karate grappling, does it really exist? In this article I’d like to ask does karate grappling really exist? This is a potentially controversial subject as...
Dan Anderson

American Freestyle Karate

"Karate" is a term made up of two Japanese words, "kara" and "te" meaning "empty hand". It is one kind of self defense system...
Robert Trias

The Origins and Development of Shuri-Ryu By Robert Trias

One of the brightest stars in the firmament of Oriental thought and culture was the Indian Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. Twenty-eighth in a direct succession...
History of British Karate and Jujutsu

History of British Karate and Jujutsu

The first Englishman to be made a Samurai was William Adams (read his Wikipedia page) in the 1600s. But Adams was a one-off. He...
Karate Styles

About Karate Styles

When people hear the term “martial art” they generally think of Karate. One of the most popular martial arts, Karate had its roots in...
Patrick McCarthy Thinking Outside the Box

Think Outside the Box

Sometimes you don't know how to fit in until you break out.  Breaking out is necessary to penetrate deeper within. Introduction At 54 years old, Patrick...

The History of Isshin-Ryu Karate

Isshin-Ryu karate was founded by one of the great karate masters, Tatsuo Shimabuku, and is derived from several of the other, older classical styles. Master...
Goju-Ryu Karate

Goju-ryu Karate

Goju-ryu is well known as a hard/soft style of karate. Founded in the 1920s by Chojun Miyagi, the system blends the hard linear Okinawan...
Chito-ryu Karate

Chito-ryu Karate

The history of Chito-ryu karate begins with our founder, Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984). He was born in the Kumochi area of Naha City on the island of...
Kobudo Okinawan Weapons

Kobudo: Traditional Okinawan Weapons

Kobudo literally means "ancient martial ways". In the karate world, it generally refers to those traditional Okinawan weapons whose history and practice has been...
Kosho Ryu

Kosho Ryu

Kosho Ryu is an ancient art form founded in about 1245 AD by a monk named Bosatsu. Legend has it that Bosatsu meditated under...
Shotokan Style of Martial Arts

Shotokan

The term Shotokan was derived from Gichin Funakoshi's first official dojo built in 1936 at Mejiro. The dojo was destroyed in 1945 by allied...

Shito-Ryu Karate

Karate has been taught outside of Japan for almost 40 years, and was exported to the rest of the world along both stylistic and...
Karate Do

The Evolution of Karate-do

Today there are four main styles of karate-do in Japan and they include Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-ryu. Bodhidharma also known as known as "Daruma"...
Kanken Toyama

Shudokan Karate

With the advent of Gichin Funakoshi's introduction of Okinawan Karate to Japan in the early 1920's, the popularity of karate began to grow. Soon,...