Known as the melting pot of the Orient,
Okinawa is the birthplace of modern day karate

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     The birth of karate is often attributed to the combination of "Te" (Okinawa’s native martial art) and "Kempo", which was introduced to the island sometime in the 14th century. Okinawans refer to Kempo as "tote" (Chinese hand.) Two more occurrences facilitated the creation of karate: In the 1400s Japan enacted a ban against the Okinawans, prohibiting them from carring weapons; Then in 1609, Japan prohibited Okinawans from practicing martial arts. Because of these bans, martial arts was practiced in secrecy and over the next three centuries and became Okinawan "Te." Okinawa consists of three main styles; Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te. The styles take their names from the main villages in the areas where they were developed. Shuri-te was influenced by Kempo’s hard techniques and is characterized by its offensive nature. Naha-te is influenced by the softer techniques of Kempo and is more defensive in nature. Tomari-te is influenced by both the hard and soft Kempo techniques.

Shorin Ryu, Goju Ryu and Isshin Ryu

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     Near the end of the 19th century Shuri-te and Tomari-te styles blended to make Shorin ryu and Naha-te became Goju ryu. During World War II, Tatsao Shimabuku created Isshin Ryu by combining Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu techniques.
     As with all karate styles, Isshin Ryu and Shorin Ryu have been influenced by many other styles including Ju-Jitsu, Kung-Fu, Kick boxing, etc. All these styles are considered karate ... which means "empty hands."



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