| Japan annexed the nominally independent | | | | In 1806, Tode Sakukawa (1782-1838), who had |
| Ryukyu island group in 1874 after centuries | | | | studied pugilism and staff (bo) fighting in |
| of strong Japanese influence over the | | | | China (according to one legend, under the |
| kingdom's affairs following the invasion by | | | | guidance of Koshokun, originator of kusanku |
| the Japanese Satsuma clan in 1609. The | | | | kata), started teaching a fighting art in the |
| relationship between Okinawa and Japan is | | | | city of Shuri that he called |
| complicated. For purposes of discussing | | | | "Karate-no-Sakukawa" (at that time meaning |
| karate, it is convenient to speak of Okinawa | | | | "China hand of Sakakawa"). This was the first |
| and Japan as separate entities. The question | | | | known recorded reference to the art of karate |
| of whether karate is Japanese or Okinawan is | | | | |
| somewhat akin to asking whether the luau or | | | | |
| the hula dance are American traditions or | | | | Around the 1820's, Sakukawa's most |
| Hawaiian ones: They developed in Hawaii prior | | | | significant student, Sokon |
| to when Hawaii became one of the United | | | | Matsumura(1809-1899) taught a synthesis of te |
| States, and so are usually described as | | | | (Shuri-te and Tomari-te) and Shaolin |
| Hawaiian, not American. The case is similar | | | | (Chinese) styles. It would become the style |
| for karate, which is originally of Okinawan | | | | Shorin-ryu. |
| origin. | | | | |
| | | | Anko ItosuMatsumura taught his karate to Anko |
| The Okinawan martial art "ti" was practiced | | | | Itosu(1831-1915), among others. Itosu adapted |
| by Okinawa royalty and their retainers for | | | | two forms he learned from Matsumara, namely |
| centuries before, and alongside, later | | | | kusanku and chiang nan, to create the ping'an |
| Chinese influences. For the most part there | | | | forms ("heian" or "pinan" in Japanese, as the |
| were no particular styles of "ti", but rather | | | | symbols can be read differently) as |
| a network of practitioners with their own | | | | simplified kata for beginning students. In |
| individual methods and eclectic traditions. | | | | 1901 he was instrumental in getting karate |
| Early styles of karate are often generalized | | | | introduced into Okinawa's public schools. |
| as Shuri-te, Naha-Te and Tomari-te, named | | | | These forms were taught to children at the |
| after the three cities in which they emerged, | | | | elementary-school level. Itosu is also |
| although these are not concrete distinctions. | | | | credited with taking the large naihanchi form |
| Each area (and the teachers who lived there) | | | | ("tekki" in Japan) and breaking it into the |
| had particular kata, techniques, and | | | | three well-known modern forms naihanchi |
| principles that distinguished their local | | | | shodan, naihanchi nidan and naihanchi sandan. |
| version of "ti" from the others. | | | | |
| | | | Itosu's influence in karate is very broad. |
| Members of the Okinawan upper classes were | | | | The forms he created for beginners are common |
| sent to China regularly to learn and study a | | | | across nearly all forms of karate. His |
| variety of disciplines, political and | | | | students included some of the most well-known |
| practical; this exchange was not too | | | | karate practitioners, including Gichin |
| different from the practice of exchange | | | | Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Motobu Choki. He |
| students today. The incorporation of | | | | is sometimes known as the "Grandfather of |
| empty-handed Chinese kung fu occurred partly | | | | Modern Karate."[citation needed] In addition |
| because of these exchanges. Estimates of the | | | | to the three early "ti" styles of karate, a |
| Chinese influence in modern karate styles (or | | | | fourth Okinawan influence is that of Kanbun |
| schools) vary considerably, and there are no | | | | Uechi (1877-1948), who, at the age of 20, |
| clean divisions among 'styles'. To this day | | | | went to Fuzhou in Fujian Province, China, to |
| karate styles from some areas bear a striking | | | | escape Japanese military conscription. While |
| resemblance to Fujian martial arts such as | | | | there, he studied under Shushiwa, the leading |
| Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, and | | | | figure of Chinese Nanpa Shorin-ken at that |
| Gangrou-quan (Hard Soft Fist, pronounced | | | | time.[1] He later developed his own style of |
| "Gojuken" in Japanese), while some karate | | | | karate and brought it to Japan, though the |
| looks distinctly Okinawan.[citation needed] | | | | style itself was neither taught in Okinawa |
| | | | nor rooted in Okinawan "ti". |