The origins of Karate are not well understood. It is believed that the initiator could have been Daruma, who was the founder of Zen Buddhism. He started a type of training which contained both spiritual and physical methods when he introduced Buddhism into China. However whether this could be called karate or not is subject to debate. When Sho Shin the governor of Okinawa outlawed the carrying of weapons in the 16th Century the villagers looked to the Chinese fighting systems which they combined with their local methods in order to protect themselves and their families. This combination of the simple but effective Okinawan methods and the elaborate and philosophical Chinese methods could also be said to be the beginning of Karate.

However most people regard Master Funakoshi (picture on left) as being the developer of modern karate. Funakoshi was a physical education instructor in his native Okinawa when he was invited to demonstrate karate at the first National Athletic Exhibition held in Tokyo during the spring of 1922. Funakoshi was to remain in Japan teaching and developing his style of karate. The word karate is formed from the Japanese words Kara (empty) and Te (Hand), symbolizing that its practitioners - Karateka - are unarmed, but use their hands and feet as weapons.

1947 saw the founding of the Japanese Karate Association (JKA) which remains the largest karate association in the world with Shotokan being the most widely practiced style in the world.