The actual origin of what would become karate is obscure. Karate is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand” and probably wouldn’t be used in Okinawa dialect. The methods were thought to have originated in India by a Buddhist monks named Daruma over a thousand years ago. From India, it was brought to China, eventually reaching the Ryukyu islands and the island of Okinawa.

In the late 1400’s the practice of the martial arts was prohibited until the late 1600’s. During this time, the martial arts were practiced in secret. This prohibition also caused the development of farm implements as weapons. It became what is now called kubodo.

By the 1800s, three Okinawan villages had developed three different systems. The village of Naha developed Naha-te. The village of Shuri developed Shuri-te, and the village of Tomari developed Tomari-te. The “te” ending refers to hand. Kara- was added later, meaning empty.  Karate became an art of the empty hand.

Chinese influence is believed to be brought to Okinawa by Shaolin monks. This is evident in the White Crane kata and techniques. The White Crane style is a smooth flowing circular art that blends well with the hard strikes in the “te” arts. With this addition also came the use vital points, joint locks and throws.

An interesting link between Shorin-ryu to the Chinese arts is visible in the kanji. The kanji, 少 林, means “small forest.” The characters 少林 are pronounced “shōrin” in Japanese, and “Shaolin” in Chinese referring to arts of the Shaolin monks.

It wasn’t until the 20th century that Gichin Funakoshi brought the martial art to Japan. The parent arts of Shorei-Ryu and Shorin-Ryu would be the basis of the art he termed “Karate-do.” His students would refer to his system as Shotokan. He succeeded in introducing karate-do into the school systems. Here is where we find the first use of the term karate. It isn’t a word used in the historical description of the formation of the Okinawan arts but today we refer to those arts as Okinawan karate.

Some arts claim a direct linage as descendants of an original style. They may be. There is substantial documentation in some cases. Other organizations have a more obscure linage. There might be a break in linage. This might be because someone didn’t think it important to record the linage. Who really knows? Nowadays, linage tends to be more obscure. Anyone can claim a direct linage to any art and no one would really know. It could be that a more obscure style is closer to the original teachings than a “documented” style.

The development of different styles had multiple causes. It was the way for students to leave their masters when the master ran out of material. The evolution of a new style might start at this separation.  When opening their own schools they kept what they had learned and possibly replacing others techniques more to their personal liking. Nothing was hard and fast. Techniques could also be changed through misunderstanding. They might be altered to be more effective.

Kata (forms) have the same issues. The kata went with the student. Variations began to form. It is entirely possible for the instructor to emphasize and exaggerate a technique when teaching a student. This emphasis and exaggeration carries to their students and their student’s students. The emphasis on certain techniques eventually changes the kata.

Kata also changes is teaching a technique wrong or its original function being misunderstood. All students from that point on carry the change throughout their performance of kata. Some instructors alter a kata slightly to make it their own. So goes the kata, so goes the original style. This explains why there are so many variations in the same kata or forms.

Here are some references that you might reference if you wish to learn more:

Okinawan Karate by Mark Bishop 

The Essence of Okinawan Karate by Shoshin Nagammine

Shihan-Te by Graig and Anderson