Shotokan Karate is one of the oldest and most popular styles of Karate. It was developed at the beginning of the last century by Master Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) from the island of Okinawa.
Funakoshi trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan Karate of the time Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu Shorei was designed for well built people, placed emphasis on developing physical strength and was impressive in its shear power, it utilized the heavy strikes of Okinawa-Te and some of the Sumo grappling moves. Shorin was light and quick, with fast strikes and counterattacks, designed for people who were small in size and very agile. Shorin was utilized Dim-Mak and grappling moves from Ju-jutsu.
After years of intense study of both styles, Master Funakoshi arrived at a new understanding of martial arts, and a simplistic style was created, that combined the ideals of Shorei and Shorin.
As in all Karate styles it is Katas, formal sequences of basic techniques, that form the backbone of the tradition. The traditional Japanese martial arts, Sumo, JuJutsu and KenJutsu were heavily centered around combat. Master Funakoshi instead, sought a path to physical health and stamina through individual technique. Thus, Modern Karate focused on breathing, releasing energy and outstanding mind and body control.
