Karate was developed in Okinawa prior to its 19th century annexation by Japan. Shotokan is a style of karate, developed and modernised by Gichin Funakoshi, he is credited with popularising karate through a series of demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs in mainland Japan. Today Karate is studied all over the world! The name karate-do was formed from the Japane
se word Kara (空) , which literally translates as empty, while te(手) is the word for hand, do (道:どう) meaning the way of. This concept is the main teaching of karate, the way of the empty hand! Shotokan meanwhile translates as: Shoto (松濤, Shōtō), meaning "pine-waves", which was Funakoshi's pen-name. He used this in his poetic and philosophical writings. The Japanese kan (館, kan) means "house" or "hall". Funakoshi's students created a sign reading shōtō-kan which was placed above the entrance of the hall where Funakoshi taught.
“The ultimate aim of the art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants.”
