History of Kara-te
Actual documented history pertaining to the original fighting arts of the Ryukyu Islands is very limited. First, the fighting arts were kept in strict secrecy during the centuries when its perfection was attained. Second, any documents providing clues to its early stages were most likely destroyed when the archives of the Ryukyuan Kingdom burned in 1945. This lack of documentation resulted in much confusion among kara-te practitioners, and created major credibility gaps between pure fact, speculation, and legend. Therefore, the following information is for reference purposes only, as there would be no way to prove real validity.
The inhabitants of Okinawa had developed a native fighting art simply referred to as "Te" (meaning "hand"), which was characterized by brutal offensive techniques, not common to Chinese chu’an-fa (way of the fist) which capitalized on it’s sophisticated defense. Through a tributary relationship in 1372 between China's Ming Emperor and Okinawa's King Sho-en, many Okinawan residents migrated to China, and many Chinese migrated to Okinawa. This began trade relationships between the surrounding territories, allowing the Okinawan culture to be influenced by China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. With Okinawa being a Chinese satellite, many Chinese martial artists immigrated to Okinawa for trade through the seaports of Naha and Shuri.
The development of Te was greatly influenced by chu’an-fa through the exposure of the Chinese immigrants. Prior to being influenced by the Chinese, Te consisted of mostly closed-fist techniques. Open-hand techniques were later incorporated from the Chinese arts along with Chi'n-na, which later was referred to as Tuite.
In 1393, a group of Chinese craftsmen and administrators known as the “Thirty-six Families” settled in Okinawa as part of King Sho-en's regime. This settlement became the window of Chinese culture for Okinawa. The Chinese were assigned to teach many aspects of their culture including literary arts, various crafts, shipbuilding, building architecture, music, and Confucian morals. This led to the establishment of major shipping ports in Naha and Shuri. The Okinawans also learned Chinese chu'an-fa from the settlers and integrated it with their methods of "Te". With the integration of Chinese origins, the fighting art of Okinawa became known at "To-te Jitsu" (meaning "China-Hand"). Trade became more widespread, allowing the Okinawans to gain more knowledge of the fighting arts of Southeast Asia.
In 1609, Japan was torn by a civil war between the Tokugawa clan and Satsuma clan to gain control of the Ryukyuan Kingdom. To vent their frustrations, the defeated Satsuma samurai clan of the southern Japanese Island of Kyushu, invaded and occupied Okinawa. The Okinawans were able to harass the invading troops by means of guerrilla warfare. The distance between Japan and Okinawa was so great that the invaders could not replace their materials or replenish their forces. In an effort to strengthen their position against the Okinawans, the Japanese ordered the confiscation of all weapons. As conflicts arose, the Okinawans, resentful of the Japanese, began secretly training at night in hand-to-hand combat. The pressure from the Japanese invasion forced the diverse systems of To-te to ban together and improve weaponless fighting methods. The influence of Chinese chu'an-fa had further impact on Okinawa's native fighting art. By 1629, three major systems (styles) were developed. They were Naha-Te, Shuri-Te, and Tomari-Te, named after the city or village where they originated.
It wasn't until end of the Satsuma control in 1879 where Okinawa officially became part of the Japanese empire. By 1887, the Okinawan fighting art of Te became known as Kara-te Jitsu (with kara-te meaning "China Hand"). The forces of nationalism became more demanding, leading to an anti-Chinese sentiment. This transition forced the name of Kara-te Jitsu to be replaced by one that abandoned any Chinese references. Kara-te Jitsu now was to be referenced to as "Karate-do". Chomo Hanashiro is credited for changing the characters of Kara-te to translate "empty hand".
The Japanese felt that young men were more productive in society by maintaining strong health and moral character. This urged the art of Karate-do to be introduced in Okinawa's school system. By 1902, a group of practitioners, led by Itosu Anko, incorporated the art of karate-do into the school's physical education curriculum. The emphasis of self-defense was removed due to its dangerous nature. Karate-do consisted of purely physical fitness, therefore neglecting all forms of martial application and self-defense. As this new tradition developed, the original intensions of Kara-te Jitsu (disable, maim, and kill) became vague and tarnished.
As this new revolution became more developed, Karate-do was introduced to the mainland of Japan. In 1917, Gichin Funakoshi (student of Itosu) was credited as being one of the first practitioners to demonstrate the new Karate-do to the Japanese Butokuden. Funakoshi later resided in Japan and developed his own style of Shotokan Karate-do.