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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.

The History of Karate

The History of Karate in America

Kung-fu arrived in the U.S. with the first Chinese immigrants in the mid-19th century, but the growth of karate is largely owed to contact...
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...

Shobayashi Shorin-ryu

Shobayashi Shorin-ryu is a style of Okinawan Shorin-ryu karate founded by Chotoku Kyan and passed to Eizo Shimabukuro. Eizo Shimabukuro dropped the Chatan Yara...
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...
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...
Chosin Chibana

Kobayashi Shorin-ryu

Kobayashi Shorin-ryu is called kobayashi style aby the Japanese. "... now the Japanese call it 'kobayashi style' but that is incorrect - but that is...
Styles of Karate

4 Main Styles of Karate

History of Karate Bodhidharma also known as "Daruma" in Japan and as often as not, this Indian Buddhist monk is cited as the prime source...
Wado-Ryu Karate

Wado-Ryu Karate

The Wado-Ryu (Way of Peace) school of karate, was founded in 1931 by the late Grand Master Hironori Otsuka (1892-1982). Otsuka Sensei was already an...
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"...
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...
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...
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...
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,...

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...

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...
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...