American Kenpo
Ed Parker’s American Kenpo or Kenpo Karate is a system of martial arts characterized by the use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent. It is largely marketed as a self-defense system, and is derived from traditional Southern Chinese kung fu and other martial arts found in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. Parker introduced significant modifications in...
Read MoreChito Ryu
Chito Ryu (千唐流) is a style of Karate founded by Dr. Chitose Tsuyoshi. As a young man born and raised in Okinawa, Dr. Chitose grew up studying the pre-karate art of Tode (or “To-te”) from many of the top masters of the period. He later moved to mainland Japan to practice medicine, where Chito-ryu evolved as he utilized his modern medical knowledge of anatomy and physiology...
Read MoreIsshin Ryu
Isshin-Ryu (一心流) is a style of Okinawan karate founded by Shimabuku Tatsuo and named by him on 15 January 1956. Isshin-Ryū karate is largely a synthesis of Shorin-ryu karate, Goju-ryu karate, and Kobudo. The name means, literally, “one heart method.” The style, while not very popular in Okinawa, spread to the United States via the Marines stationed on the island when they...
Read MoreKarate and Gichin Funakoshi
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate The great karate master Gichin Funakoshi was a key...
Read MoreKarate and Tatsuo Shimabuku
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate On January 15, 1956, Tatsuo Shimabuku founded...
Read MoreKarate Goju Ryu
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate The literal translation of the Japanese term Goju is...
Read MoreKarate History
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Okinawa: The relationship between Okinawa and Japan...
Read MoreKarate in America
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate The history of karate in America is very unique....
Read MoreKarate Influence
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Korea: Due to past conflict between Korea and Japan,...
Read MoreKarate Origins
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Okinawa is an island south of Japan, situated in near...
Read MoreKarate Practice
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Modern karate training is commonly divided into...
Read MoreKarate Shito Ryu
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Shito-Ryu Karate was developed by Kenwa Mabuni...
Read MoreKarate Shotokan Ryu
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Shotokan Karate is one of the four main schools of...
Read MoreKarate Stances
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate PRESSURE (VITAL) POINTS: A pressure point can be...
Read MoreKarate The Return to Our Roots
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate A true understanding of karate is to found by...
Read MoreKarate Wado Ryu
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Wado-Ryu Karate is a Japanese martial art founded by...
Read MoreKenpo Kai
Kenpo Kai is a traditional form of Japanese karate. The name essentially translates to “way of the gathered fists”. Though it takes its inspiration from the martial arts of the Shaolin, Kenpo Kai was developed within the Ishizaka family in Japan. A Shaolin monk, in order to avoid the constant burglaries his family was suffering, taught the “Shaolin Kung Fu” to his...
Read MoreKyokushin Kaikan
Kyokushin Karate, it’s a contest and everything that implies, a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest. Kyokushin kaikan (極真会館) is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama (大山倍達, Oyama Masutatsu) who was born under the name Choi Yong-I (최영의). Kyokushinkai is Japanese for “the society of the ultimate truth.”...
Read MoreNaha Te
Naha-te (那覇手) is a pre-World War II term for a type of martial art indigenous to the area around Naha, the old commercial city of the Ryukyu Kingdom and now the capital city of the island of Okinawa. Well into the 20th century, the martial arts of Okinawa were generally referred to as te, which is Japanese for “hand”. Naha Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan...
Read MoreRyuei Ryu
Ryuei-ryu (劉衛流) is an Okinawan style of karate. It was originally a closely-guarded family style of the Nakaima family of Naha and is now one of the internationally recognized Okinawan karate styles. It is practiced in the United States, Argentina, Venezuela, Europe, and Okinawa. This style of karate was first introduced to Okinawa around 1875 by Norisato Nakaima. Born of wealthy...
Read MoreShidokan
Shidokan (士道館, Shidokan) karate is sometimes described as the triathlon of martial arts, as it encompasses knockdown (otherwise known as bare knuckle) karate, Muay Thai, and grappling. Tournaments are full contact and are normally held in a boxing ring. Shidokan Karate was created by Yoshiji Soeno and originated in his training in Kyokushin karate. Shidokan should not be confused with...
Read MoreShorin Ryu
Shorin-ryu (小林流) is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. Said to have been founded by Sokon Matsumura during the 1800s, Shorin-ryu combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles Shuri-te and Tomari-te. Shorin-ryu is widely considered to be one of the two major modern styles of Okinawan karate, along with Goju-ryu, which is rooted in the other traditional Okinawan...
Read MoreShotokai
Shotokai (松濤會) is the organisation formed in 1936 by Gichin Funakoshi to teach karate. The organisation still exists and promotes a form of martial art that strictly adheres to O’Sensei’s teachings, in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate. Nowadays, the name also designates a style and technique. Historically, neither Shotokai nor...
Read MoreShuri Te
Shuri-te (首里手) is a pre-World War II term for a type of martial art indigenous to the area around Shuri, the old capital city of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Shuri-Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan martial art that developed in the Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa. One of the early Okinawan masters, To-De Sakugawa (1733-1815) is credited as being one of the initial importers of...
Read MoreThe Karate
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Karate or karatedo, is a martial art developed from...
Read MoreThe Karate Styles
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate When people hear the term “martial art”...
Read MoreToon Ryu
Toon Ryu (東恩流), is a style of Okinawan Karate taught and named by Kyoda Juhatsu. Kyoda Juhatsu ( Juhatsu Kyoda December 5, 1887 – August 31, 1968 )) entered the dojo of Higaonna Kanryo in 1902 and continued studying with Higaonna until his death in 1915. One month after Kyoda started, Miyagi Chojun (founder of Goju-ryu) entered the dojo. In 1908, Kenwa Mabuni ( founder of Shito-ryu )...
Read MoreUechi Ryu Karate
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Uechi-ryu is one of the most popular styles of...
Read MoreWhat’s in Karate Name
The Karate | Karate History | Karate Origins | The Karate Styles | Karate Goju Ryu | Karate Practice | What’s in Karate Name | Karate in America | Gichin Funakoshi | Tatsuo Shimabuku | Karate Influence | Karate Stances | Return to Our Roots | Karate Shito Ryu | Karate Shotokan Ryu | Karate Wado Ryu | Uechi Ryu Karate Many people are aware that karate was formerly known...
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