| Although the basic forms of self defense are | | | | The man most responsible for the |
| probably as old as the human race, the art of | | | | systemization of karate as we know it today |
| karate as it is practiced today can be traced | | | | was Funakoshi Gichin. He was born in Shuri, |
| directly to the Okinawan technique called, in | | | | Okinawa, in 1869, and when only a boy of |
| Japanese, Okinawate-te (Okinawa Hands). This | | | | eleven began to study karate under the two |
| system of defense in turn is a descendant of | | | | top masters of the art at the time. In time |
| the ancient Chinese art of chuan-fa | | | | he became a karate expert in his own right. |
| (kung-fu). | | | | He is credited to be the first man to |
| | | | introduce karate to Japan proper, when he |
| Little is known about the historical | | | | gave exhibitions in 1917 and again in 1922 at |
| development of karate in Okinawa, but there | | | | physical-education expositions. The art soon |
| is an interesting story to be told about it. | | | | caught on in Japan, and Funakoshi traveled |
| About five hundred years ago, the famous King | | | | throughout the country giving lectures and |
| Hashi of the Okinawan Sho dynasty succeeded | | | | demonstrations. The main universities invited |
| in uniting the Ryukya islands into one | | | | him to set up karate teams, and hundreds of |
| kingdom. To ensure rule by law and to | | | | people studied the art under his guidance. |
| discourage and potential military rivals, he | | | | |
| seized all weapons in the kingdom and made | | | | As the study of karate in Japan became |
| the possession of weapons a crime against the | | | | increasingly popular, many other experts from |
| state. About two hundred years later, Okinawa | | | | Okinawa came to give instruction. At the same |
| became part ot the domain of the Satsuma clan | | | | time the ancient native Japanese hand-to-hand |
| of Kyushu, and for a second time all weapons | | | | fighting techniques of jujitsu and kendo |
| were seized and banned. As a direct result of | | | | (sword fighting) were being widely practiced, |
| these successive bans against weapons, it is | | | | and modern sports imported from the West were |
| said that the art of empty-handed self | | | | becoming popular. Karate soon took over many |
| defense call Okinawa-te underwent tremendous | | | | elements from these, and the basis was laid |
| development. | | | | for the modern Japanese-style karate. |
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