Karate Do History

A brief history of the Shoto-kan Karate-do
Five hundred years ago, the use of weapons in Ryukyu Islands, now Okinawa Prefecture, was prohibited. As a result of this decree, forms of self-defense emerged and were performed with the body as a weapon.
Those self-defense forms were originated and developed by the citizens who lived in those regions and with the influence of nearby cultures such as China.
Weapons in Okinawa were prohibited by its government two times in its history. The second time when they were banned was two centuries ago by Shimazu, the leader of the Satsuma clan. When he reissued the decree of banning weapons in Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyuans continued secretly to practice forms of self-defense as their ancestors had done.
Because there was influence from China on the Ryukyu Islands, it is believed that some forms of self-defense like kempo (``boxing'') were exported into the islands, and also philosophical teachings produced in the ancient culture of China were introduced to the Ryukyu Islands.
The self -defense methods were transmitted through generations not only in the Ryukyu Islands but also in China, Korea, Japan, etc. One of the most important self-defense methods until now is karate. Even though its origin is lost in the darkness of time since there is no written evidence of the early history of it, some Okinawans practiced karate religiously and became masters of this art.
Although karate was prohibited by the government in the nineteenth century, a small part of the Okinawan population practiced it and they developed a sort of karate which is called karate-do. Since do means ``Way'', karate-do may be traduced as ``the Way of enty hands ''

``I entered for the first time the new dojo and saw over the door a signboard bearing the dojo's new name: Shoto-kan.''