Karate is a martial art originating in the Japanese
territory known as the Ryukyu Islands. It includes a
variety of techniques includig punching, kicking, knee and
elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as
knife-hands and ridge-hands. Grappling, locks, throws, and
point strikes are also taught in some styles and in some
schools. Karate students are sometimes referred to as a
karateka.

Karate began as a fighting system referred to as "ti.After
trading contacts were established with the Ming dynasty of
China by King Satto of Chūzan in late 14th century,
various forms of Chinese martial arts were slowly
introduced to the Ryukyu Islands by the visitors from China.

A group of Chinese families moved to Okinawa near the end
of the 14th century where they established the Kumemura
community and shared their knowledge of a wide variety of
Chinese arts and sciences, including the Chinese martial
arts.

The centralization of governance and authority in Okinawa
by King Shō Hashi in the first half of the 15th century
and the banning of weapons enforced in Okinawa after the
invasion of the Shimazu clan, were also factors that
furthered the development of unarmed combat systems in
Okinawa.

Each teachers taught a particular kata as well as differing
techniques and principles that distinguished their local
version from that of others.

The adoption of empty-handed Chinese Wu Shu into Okinawan
fighting arts most likely transpired because of cultural
and political interchanges. Further influence came from
Southeast Asia from the regions of Sumatra, Java, and
Melaka. Many Okinawan weapons such as the sai, tonfa, and
nunchaku likely originated in and around Southeast Asia.

Sakukawa Kanga had studied bo staff fighting in China. In
1806 he started teaching a fighting art in Shuri that he
called "Tudi Sakukawa." This was the first known written
reference to the art of "Tudi." Around the 1820s Sakukawa's
most significant student Matsumura Sōkon who lived
till the end of the 19th century taught a synthesis of te
and Shaolin styles. Matsumura's style and techniques would
eventually develop into the Shōrin-ry& #363; karate
style.

The founder of Shotokan karate,Gichin Funakoshi, is
typically credited with having extended the reach and
popularity of karate on the Japanese home islandss though
the spread is more likely through many Okinawans who were
actively teaching, and are thus equally responsible for the
popularization of karate.

Funakoshi was a student of both Asato Ankō and Itosu
Ankō who had worked to introduce karate to the Okinawa
Prefectural School System. During this time period,
prominent teachers who also influenced the spread of karate
in Japan included Kenwa Mabuni, Chōjun Miyagi, Motobu
Chōki, Kanken Tōyama, and Kanbun Uechi.