MCARTOR ACADEMY OF MARTIAL ARTS

Okinawan Karate-do  Okinawan Karate-do is a traditional martial art that originated on the Ryukyu Islands (modern-day Okinawa, Japan). It developed as a synthesis of indigenous fighting methods called Te (hand) and Chinese martial arts introduced through centuries of trade and cultural exchange with China, especially with the Fujian province.

Key Characteristics of Okinawan Karate:

  • Practicality and Simplicity: Techniques emphasize effectiveness and efficiency, focusing on powerful strikes, joint locks, and throws.
  • Kata (Forms): Central to training, kata preserves techniques and principles, often with bunkai (application) to understand practical usage.
  • Body Conditioning: Practitioners develop resilience through hojo undo (supplementary training), using tools like the makiwara (striking post) and chi ishi (stone weights).
  • Stance Work: Deep, rooted stances like shiko dachi (sumo stance) and zenkutsu dachi (front stance) are common, promoting stability and power.


Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art, emerged in the mid-20th century, heavily influenced by Okinawan Karate, particularly Shotokan (a Japanese Karate style that also traces its roots to Okinawan practices). This influence is evident in several aspects:While Tang Soo Do also incorporates native Korean martial elements and influences from Chinese martial arts, its foundation and structure strongly reflect the legacy of Okinawan Karate. This connection showcases how cultural and martial exchanges shaped modern martial arts practices.

国際武術文化連盟

Kokusai Bujutsu Bunka Renmei

Shōtōkan (松濤館, Shōtōkan) is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.

Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements (in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate) led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Motonobu Hironishi and Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single "Shotokan school", although they all bear Funakoshi's influence.

As the most widely practiced style, Shotokan is considered a traditional and influential form of karate do.