The Meikai Karate Dojo

History of Karate

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A brief history of Shotokan Karate-Do

Karate traces its origins from China, through Okinawa and Japan, to the west. The style the Meikai Karate Dojo is based on - Shotokan - was founded by Gichin Funakoshi.

In essence, there are effectively three forms of Karate:

  1. Karate - unarmed combat, originating in Okinawa. Many of the Okinawan techniques were 'hidden' in Kata, and are only now beginning to re-surface.
  2. Karate-do - the 'way' of Karate. Around the begining of the last(!) century, the Japanese took Okinawan Karate (which had considerable elements in common with the Japanese Ju-Jutsu), combined it with Bushido (the 'way' of the Sammuri) and facets of Zen Buddism, and transformed it into Karate-do, using it to further additional objectives, such as the development of character.
  3. Sports Karate - essentially a western development.

Background to the Karate Dojo

The Meikai Karate Dojo was formed in 1989. Our Dojo practices Karate for self defense and Karate-do, but not sports Karate.

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