Gallery
Check out the latest photos and videos from the dojo
Gallery
Check out the latest photos and videos from the dojo
Latest news
Latest news
Shop
Shop
FAQs
Glossary
Check out the latest photos and videos from the dojo
Free trial
Register today and get your first month absolutely free
Beginnings' Legend
The following information is intended to explore the rich history of the development of Karate and Kobudo. The information is presented in good faith, drawn from many different sources and authors.
According to ancient Okinawan legend, Karate had its beginnings in India.
​
The birthplace of Buddhism was in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains in northern India. Its founder was Siddhartha Gautama, born around 566 BC, who became known as the Buddha (the enlightened one).
​
Buddhism spread quickly throughout India and later imported into China by Indian merchants and monks who travelled the silk routes.
Tradition says that in 527 A.D, a Buddhist monk Bodhidharma (known by Daruma in Japanese) travelled across the Himalayan Mountains from India to China’s Honan Province to impart the teachings of Buddhism to the monks of the Shaolin Temple.
​
There he began teaching the other monks his philosophies of physical and mental conditioning.
Legend has it that his teachings included exercises for maintaining physical strength and an ancient form of Indian martial arts known as “Vajramushti", which dates back to around 1000 BC. This art grew and developed into what we now know as kung fu and spread right throughout China.
​
This same monk known as “Ta Mo” in China, is credited with founding the school of Buddhist philosophy known as "Chu´an" in China and as "Zen" in Japan.
​
When the first exchange of martial arts techniques and ideas occurred is not known. However, in 1372, Okinawa's “King Satto” exchanged diplomatic delegations with the Ming Emperor. Part of this exchange included knowledge of the martial ways of their respective countries. This exchange, in less formal ways was continued through the 15th century. Thus, the Okinawans refined their own fighting methods further by incorporating ideas from foreign sources and adapting them to their own styles and needs.
​
The Okinawans believe that the art known as Karate today came from those original teachings of Daruma through an Okinawan who visited or lived for some time in China at the Shaolin Temple. Whether or not this is true, it is obvious that there are similarities in the Okinawan art of Karate and the language and martial arts of China.
____________________________________________________
Okinawan Legend
Okinawa, meaning “rope in the offering” is an appropriate name for the island, which is a thin, knotted, linked chain of volcanic land that looks somewhat like a rope that has been cast away into the sea, part of the Ryukyu islands was strategically placed as a key trading post because of its proximity to Japan, China and Taiwan, and as such has had to suffer a succession of invasions and periods of oppression.
​
In 1477, following a period of political turbulence, the King of Okinawa, “Sho Shin”, banned the carrying of weapons by any of the island’s inhabitants.
In 1609 the island was invaded by the Japanese who continued to enforce this ban by barring the carrying of weapons by anyone other than Samurai.
​
As a result of the prohibition on weapons, Chinese combat methods were studied and practiced clandestinely. Gradually, these empty-hand styles (probably forms of Chinese Kempo) took on distinct Okinawan influences after mingling with the indigenous martial forms previously developed on the island. These styles became known as “Okinawan Te” or simply Te, meaning, "hand." This innocuous name helped to maintain the secrecy of instruction, which, according to the difference in regions and teachers, developed into several main styles.
​
From three Okinawan cities (Shuri, Naha, Tomari), each closely spaced but with very different societal demands, three separate styles emerged:
​
Shuri-te
Naha-te
Tomari-te
​
The differences between Shuri-Te and Naha-Te lie in the basic movements and method of breathing. Shuri-Te systems emphasize natural movement, the movements of the feet are in a straight line when a step is taken forward or backward. Speed and proper timing are essential in the training for kicking, punching, and striking. Breathing is controlled naturally during training.
​
In contrast, steady rooted movements characterize Naha-Te. Unlike Shuri-Te, the feet travel on a crescent-shaped line. In Naha-Te kata, there is a rhythmic, but artificial way of breathing in accordance with each movement. Beneath these surface differences, both the methods and aims of all Okinawan karate are one and the same.
____________________________________________________
Okinawa
Okinawa-Te continued to be practiced in secret up until the time when Okinawa was officially recognized under the sovereignty of Japan following the end of the Satsuma rule in 1875. The open practice and eventual popularity of karate blossomed in 1901 when Commissioner of Education Shintaro Ogawa recommended that it be included in the physical education of school in Okinawa. Once included into the school systems, its use and popularity became widespread.
While the need for a true jitsu had somewhat declined by the advent of the 20th century, karate's value as a character-building and health-promoting martial art was recognized, and it was soon being taught in many of Okinawa's schools.
​
The first karate master to teach in Okinawa's schools was Anko Itosu. He was soon followed by a number of others, including Chojun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Gichin Funakoshi. Over the past 100 years the names of the three styles have changed. Naha-te (Shorei-Ryu) has been divided into several popular styles.
Two of the most popular are Gojo-ryu (the hard & soft school) and Uechi-ryu (originating from the Chinese art Pangai-Noon).
Whilst Shuri-te and Tomari-te merged, in the late nineteenth century, under one name Shorin-ryu (flexible pine school). It is from Shorin-ryu that Shotokan Karate, one of the most widely practised styles today, has developed.
A further style, Shito-ryu, a combination of the three arts of Naha-te, Shuri-te and Tomari-te was also developed and is widely practised in Okinawa.
Because of increasing Japanese influence, the label of te was eventually lengthened to karate-jutsu (Chinese hand art). It then changed to karate-do after an Okinawan master altered the meaning of the word kara to mean “empty” rather than “Chinese hand.” karate-do translates into “the way of the empty hand".
____________________________________________________
Kanga "Toshu" Sakugawa
Kanga Sakugawa (1733–1815) (otherwise known as Tode Sakugawa) was born on March 5th of 1733 in Shuri and was considered a pioneer in the development of Karate and made significant contributions to the Karate we study today. Known as the "father of Okinawan karate," Sakugawa travelled to China to study the fighting art.
​
During his lifetime he was known for combining the Chinese art of ch’uan fa and the Okinawan art of tode ("Chinese hand"), forming Okinawa-Te ("Okinawa hand") which would become the foundation for Shuri-Te
In 1750 Sakugawa began six years of training as a student of a Ryukyuan monk, Peichin Takahara. He then spent a further six years training with Chinese master Kusanku, studying pugilism and Bo staff fighting in China.
​
In 1806 he started teaching a fighting art in the city of Shuri that he called "Tudi Sakukawa," which meant "Sakukawa of China Hand."
​
His most famous student, Matsumura Sokon, went on to develop the Shuri-te which later develop into Shorin-ryu style of karate.
​
Sakugawa is credited with inventing the dojo training system, he did not make the leap into the raw power of linear karate, instead he relied heavily on more circular (or soft) techniques and grappling.
____________________________________________________
Sokon 'Bushi' Matsumura
Sokon Matsumura (1797-1889) was one of the original karate masters of Shorin Ryu in Okinawa.
​
Born in Shuri, he started studying karate for five years under the guidance of Sakugawa Kanga, who was an old man at the time and reluctant to teach the young Matsumura, who was regarded as something of a troublemaker. However, Sakugawa had promised Matsumura's father, that he would teach the boy, and thus he did.
​
Matsumura was recruited by the royal family and in 1836 and he eventually became the chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard of the Okinawan King "Sho Ko", and subsequent kings.
His travels took him to China where he studied Chuan Fa and brought what he learned back to Okinawa.Matsumura was given the title of “bushi” (warrior) by the King in recognition of his abilities and accomplishments in the martial arts.
​
Described by Funakoshi as a sensei with a terrifying presence, Matsumura is said to have never been defeated in a duel. Tall and thin, Matsumura was described by his student Anko Itosu as blindingly fast and deceptively strong.
​
Ultimately all modern styles of karate that evolved from the Shuri-Te lineage can be traced back to the teachings of Bushi Matsumura. This includes Taekwon Do (Korean Karate).
____________________________________________________
Yasutsune 'Anko' Itosu
Yasutsune 'Anko' Itosu (1830-1915) nicknamed Anko (iron horse) was born in Shuri and became one of the most respected martial artists in Okinawa during the 19th century, he began his karate study under Nagahama Chikudun Pechin before joining Matsumura Sokon.
​
He was instrumental in introducing karate into Okinawa’s schools at the beginning of the 20th century and developed a method to teach karate techniques to children, still in practice today.
Until then the Okinawan masters trained in secret, spending three years on each kata and training extensively on a makiwara board; sparring as we know it today was not practiced though karateka would often challenge each other to fights to test their skills.
​
Itosu introduced the five Pinan (Heian) kata as learning steps for students, because he felt the older forms were too difficult for schoolchildren to learn.
​
In 1908, Itosu wrote the influential “Ten Precepts of Karate” to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of War in Japan which was influential in the spread of karate. Thus, Master Itosu is considered by many to be the true "father of modern karate", although this title is also often given to his student, Master Gichin Funakoshi who spread karate throughout Japan.
​
In circa. 1901, master Itosu was the first person to introduce Karate do into the Okinawa schools system. This was a critical step in the expansion of the martial arts since prior to this it was considered a secret art. This introduction into the mainstream quite possibly may have paved the way for the availability for ALL styles of the martial arts to reach the general public.
____________________________________________________
Kanryo Higoanna
Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1916) also known as 'Higashionna West' was a Ryukyuan martial artist who founded a fighting style known at the time as Naha-te. At age fourteen Kanryo Higaonna began to learn Chinese Kempo. His well developed and strong body enabled him to master Chinese Kempo and he quickly built a reputation as a martial artist master in Naha.
​
Unsatisfied with his level of skill, Kanryo Higaonna went to study martial arts in China Fuzhou from 1876 to 1888. He returned with those skills to Okinawa where his fame spread rapidly throughout Naha, attracting the attention of the King of the Ryukyu Dynasty. Thus for many years, he taught the martial arts to the members of the royal family.
However, many people in the town came to Higaonna and asked to be taken on as personal disciples. But due to the harshness of the training, only a few remained with him for long. Amongst his disciples, a young Chojun Miyagi was one of the few that remained.
​
Higaonna had opened his house in Nishimachi as a dojo and was teaching his art to his disciples without charging any tuition. In addition to his private instruction, Higaonna began teaching at a public high school in Naha at the request of the principal in 1905. He introduced to the students both the physical and spiritual value of his martial art.
​
Several of Kanryo's students went on to become influential masters of what came to be called karate, He is the greatest influences on Naha-te include Chojun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni.
​
Early in 1916, Higaonna fell ill and finally passed away in October 1916.
____________________________________________________
Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) founder of Shotokan was born in Shuri, Okinawa. He trained under Yasatsune Azato learning Shuri-te and Yasatsune ‘Anko’ Itosu, learning Naha-te. These two styles would later merge to become Shotokan karate.
​
Funakoshi introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1922 with a demonstration for the Japanese Ministry of Education. He went on to teach karate at various Japanese universities, promoting the art around the country.
​
As the popularity of Karate began to spread, Funakoshi produced the first ever “Dan Ranking Certification” in April 1924.
​
In 1936, Funakoshi built the first Shotokan dojo (training hall) in Tokyo.
He changed the symbol of karate to mean “empty hand” instead of “China hand” as it was referred to in Okinawa. By this time, he had long been teaching karate to high-school and university students. As a result, karate clubs had sprung up all over Japan—which is another reason why karate has become as respected as it is today.
​
During World War II, the Shotokan dojo was destroyed, and the growth of karate came to a halt, but after the war, his followers formed the Japan Karate Association in 1949, with Funakoshi as Supreme Master.
​
He lived out his eighty-eight years of life and left this world on April 26 1957.
____________________________________________________
Kenwa Mabuni
Kenwa Mabuni (1887-1952) founder of Shito-ryu.
​
Mabuni learned Shuri-Te from Ankoh Itosu and Naha-Te from Kanryo Higashionna who mainly studied Kempo in China's Fukien province under Liu Liu Kung.
​
Mabuni Also learned several empty hand katas and Kobudo(weapon) katas from Arakaki and white crane Kung Fu forms from Woo Yin Gue, a Chinese tea merchant in Okinawa.
​
After Gichin Funakoshi introduced "Karate" in Japan in 1922, Mabuni, as a police officer, traveled several times in Japan and tried to spread his knowledge of Okinawa-Te in Japan.
Finally, he moved to Osaka in Japan in 1928 and started to teach Karate in Japan when the Butokukai (then the governing body for martial arts in Japan) started registration for all Karate schools.
​
Mabuni named his style as Hanko-ryu (half-hard style) which he later changed to "Shito-ryu" in honour of his two foremost teachers Anko Itosu and Kanryo Higashionna.
​
Master Mabuni, died in Osaka, Japan in May, 1952 at age 64 leaving his name and art in every heart of each Shito-ryu Karate-ka.
____________________________________________________
Hironori Otsuka
Hironori Otsuka (1892-1982) founder of Wado-Ryu was born on June 1st 1892. He began his martial arts training at the age of 6, practicing ju-jutsu under the instruction of his father. In 1906 he enrolled in the Shinto-Yoshin school of ju-jutsu under Nakayama Tatsusaburo, a kendo instructor, until 1911. He studied in various other ju-jutsu schools while he was a student at Waseda University in Tokyo.
​
He studied under Kanaya Motoo and in 1922 started training karate under Gichin Funakoshi the founder of Shotokan Karate. He also studied with Mabuni, the founder of Shito-Ryu Karate, who stayed in Tokyo during 1928-1929.
In 1934 Master Otsuka started his own school called the Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Club. It was the chairman of the Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Club, Eriguchi Eiichi who gave the style of karate taught the name Wado-Ryu (Way of Peace, or Way of Harmony).In 1940 Wado-ryu Karate-jutsu was registered at the Butokukai, Kyoto, along with Shotokan-Ryu, Shito-Ryu and Goju-Ryu. This occasion is generally considered to be the first official naming of the Karate styles.
​
On the 29th of January 1982 Hironori Ohtsuka died shortly before his 90th birthday, he had practiced martial-arts for 85 years.
____________________________________________________
Chojun Miagi
Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953) founder of Goju-Ryu. In the late 1800s, this enthusiastic youngster, the son of a wealthy shop owner in Naha in Okinawa, began to study karate under Kanryo Higoanna. Higoanna would inspire Miyagi to venture to mainland China to further explore various martial arts methods in a quest for advanced studies.
​
In 1915 Miyagi and a friend went to Fuchou in search of Higoanna’s teacher. They stayed for a year and studied under several masters, but the old school was gone. Shortly after their return, Higoanna died. Many of Higoanna's students continued to train with Miyagi.
In 1929 delegates from around Japan were meeting in Kyoto for the All Japan Martial Arts Demonstration. Miyagi was unable to attend, and so he in turn asked his top student Jin’an Shinsato to go. While Shinsato was there, one of the other demonstrators asked him the name of the martial art he practiced. At this time, Miyagi had not yet named his style, not wanting to be embarrassed, Shinsato improvised the name Hanko-ryu (“half-hard style”). On his return to Okinawa he reported this incident to Miyagi, who decided on the name Goju-ryu as a name for his style. Go means hard and Ju means soft. Since his style was a combination of these ideals it became known as Goju-Ryu 'hard soft way'. In Goju-ryu much emphasis is placed on combining soft circular blocking techniques with quick strong counter attacks delivered in rapid succession.
​
Goju-ryu was officially recognized as a practice of Karate by Japan Butoku Kai in 1933. In 1931 Miyagi Sensei ventured into Japan with his Goju-Ryu. He disseminated the Karate of Okinawa through universities, in the process claiming national popularity.
​
Miyagi Sensei is said to have been the first karate teacher to propagate the art to the western world.
Chojun Miyagi died on October 8th, 1953, of either a heart attack or a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 65.
____________________________________________________
In 1892 Takashima Shidachi gave a Jujutsu demonstration in London for the Jujutsu society.
​
In 1897, Manchester newspaper sub editor Ernest J Harrison arrived in Yokohama and was accepted into the Tenjin Shinyo Ryu school of Jujutsu, one of the principal styles that influenced the development of Judo.
​
EJ Harrison subsequently became the first western Judo blackbelt.
In 1898, Edward William Barton-Wright, a British engineer who had spent the previous three years living in Japan and studying the Shinden Fudo Ryu in Kobe, returned to England and announced the formation of a “New Art of Self-defence”.
​
This art, he claimed, combined the best elements of a range of fighting styles into a unified whole, which he had named Bartitsu (Barton-Jujutsu). He combined Jujutsu with English boxing, French Savate and cane fighting and more to create an Edwardian self-defence method.
Bartitsu was immortalized by Sherlocks Holmes who practiced “Bartitsu”.
​
Barton-Wright arranged for Japanese master Yukio Tani to come to England where he traveled the music hall shows (the equivalent of “Britain’s Got Talent”). The public would be treated to shows with strongmen, Jujutsu man like Tani, wrestlers or some combination, the Jujutsu and wrestlers would challenge members of the audience and put on a show.
____________________________________________________
In 1900 Sanda Uyenishi arrived in England from the Tenjin Shinyo Ryu and by 1904 joined with Tani in establishing a Jujutsu school.
In 1906 Gunji Koizumi sailed to Liverpool from Japan. There he saw advertised the post of chief instructor to Kara Ashikaga’s school of Jujutsu.
Koizumi took the position, and this was the north of England’s first known martial arts school.
​
In these early days a few books were written on the subject. William Garrud wrote “The Complete Jujitsuan” in 1914. Bruce Sutherland wrote “Jujitsu Self Defence” in 1916, and Harry Hunter, a Lancashire police unarmed combat instructor stationed in Yokohama in 1904 also wrote “Super Jujitsu”.
In 1918 Koizumi created the Budokwai as a society to teach Jujutsu, Kendo and other Japanese arts to members of the public. He founded a dojo at 15 Lower Grosvenor Place, Victoria, London SW1 and the club officially opened on Saturday, January 26 1918 with 12 members, making it the oldest judo club in Europe.
In 1955, Vernon Bell, a 3rd Dan Judo instructor was the founder of the Karate movement in Britain, he began corresponding with Henri Plee who had established Karate in Europe and started attending his Karate classes in Paris France.
Bell then started training with friends at the tennis courts of his parents’ back garden in Hornchurch Essex. This was around eight years before Japanese masters like Kanazawa, Enoeda and Suzuki ever came to the UK.
​
Bell was awarded 1st Dan after 18 months of study on 13 March 1957. He was awarded his 2nd Dan on 19 July 1959 under Tetsuji Murikami.
Bell formed the "British Karate Federation", which was initially affiliated to the "Federation Francaise de Karate". The first newspaper reports and demonstrations of British karate appeared that year, as did the first television broadcast, when ITN showed a two-minute film on the evening of 22 July 1957 of Bell and his students training in the garden of his parents' house in Hornchurch.
On 30 April 1957, at Maybush Road, Vernon Bell awarded the grade of 6th Kyu to Trevor Guilfoyle and Gerald Tucker, this was the first British Karate grading.
On 19 July 1957, Vietnamese Hoang Nam 3rd Dan (presumed to have studied some Kung Fu-like art prior to Karate and was billed as “Karate champion of Indo China”) taught his first class at Maybush Road. Nam was the first “oriental Karate master” to come to England.
​
​
On 20 July 1957, Hoang Nam, Vernon Bell and his senior students gave the first public display of Karate at a village fete in Ilford.
____________________________________________________
​
Global expansion of Karate:
​
In May 1948, the Japan Karate Association (Nihon Karate Kyokai) was established. In October 1957, Funakoshi’s student Masatoshi Nakayama Sensei, held the first Karate-do tournament in Tokyo. This tested the new rules of competition and laid the foundation for the development of Karate as a sport.
The JKA also established an instructor program and sent young teachers to every continent. By the mid-late 1960’s many other Japanese Karate groups had emerged and they too started to expand abroad.
​
In 1970 the World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO) formed to unify the art internationally. In 1990 the name changed to World Karate Federation (WKF).
​
Okinawan Karate and Japanese Karate had opened their doors to the world and soon the west would make its mark. Karate is now a global phenomenon practiced by millions of people across all cultures. Well into the 21st century it remains true to Budo ideals while giving the world a fantastic sporting discipline.
​
____________________________________________________
​
Note:
​
It may be noted that Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu and Kanryu Higo'shi'anna are the two most important name in the history of modern Karate-do.
​
The four major style of Modern Japanese Karate:- Shito-Ryu, Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, and Wado-Ryu, can be traced to them .
​
Kenwa Mabuni (1887-1952), the Shito-Ryu founder, was a student of both Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu & Kanryu Higashionna.
​
Gichin Funakoshi (1886-1957), the Shotokan founder, was a student of Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu (also of Azato).
​
Chojun Miagi (1888-1953), the Goju-Ryu founder, was a student of Kanryu Higoanna.
​
Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982), the Wado-Ryu founder, was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, Shotokan.
​
​
​
​
It is also the oldest Japanese martial arts club in Europe. The first 36 members were Japanese, the first English man didn’t join until March 1918. Koizumi became the first president of the Budokwai and Yukio Tani the first chief judo instructor.
____________________________________________________