In 1429, three kingdoms on Okinawa unified forming the Kingdom of Ryukyu. In the late 1400’s King Sho Shin banned the practice of martial arts Tote (Chinese hand) and kobudo (weaponry). The ban continued when the Japanes invaded Okinaw in the early 1600,s. These bans drove the practice of Tote and kobudo under ground. Kobudo survived by development of basic farm implements into functional weapons.
In the 1700s Te had developed in villages Shuri, Naha, and Tomari. Each Te was named after each village forming the arts of Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te. From these there arts came all forms of karate and eventually, Karate-do and traditional Taekwon Do.
Within this very short explanation of the formation of karate were several individuals who began and developed karate.
Chatan Yara (1668–1756), was responsible for the spread of te throughout Okinawa. He was the teacher of Takahara Peichin who developed the first explanation of Do meaning the way. Takahara was the first teacher of Kanga Sakugawa.
Sakukawa later studied under the Chinese monk, Kusanku. Kusanku’s teaching influenced Sakugawa who spread what he learned, Tode or “Chinese Hand,” through out Rukyu. His tode eventually would influence the arts Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te.
Sakuawa taught Matsumura Sokon. Born in Shuri Okinawa, Matsumura became an early karate master in Okinawa. Eventually, awarded the title of Bushi (warrior) by the Okinawan king. Sokon is known as an early founder of Shuri-te.
Ahano Itosu studied Tode eventually studied with Matsumura becoming Matsumura’s top student. Chosin Chibana was a student of Anko Itosu’s Shuri-te system.
Later, when teaching on his own, Chosin Chibana was dissatisfied with the changes being made to Anko Itosu’s Shuri-te teachings. He chose to develop of his own. He called it called “Shorin-ryu.”
Chosin Chibana called his art Shorin-ryu to distinguish his style from other styles modifying Anko Itosu’s Shuti-te. The characters 少林 meaning “small forest.” Ponounced “shōrin” in Japanese, the characters also translate into “Shaolin” in Chinese. Although -ryu, meaning school, is not always designed on the characters, it is understood in the context. Chosin Chibana’s development of Shorin-ryu lead many people to consider him to be the founder of modern karate.
Gichin Funakoshi was also a student of both Anko Isosu and Mastumaura Sokon. He is often referred to as the father of karate. He is the the founder of karate-do and popularize the name karate spreading karate throughout Japan, and the world.
Today there are many branches of Chosin Chibana‘s Shorin-ryu in Okinawa and the West.
