Timeline of Okinawan Martial arts
Nowadays, many different styles of Karate like Goju ryu, Shorin ryu, Shito ryu, etc exist. But what are the origins of these styles? Where did they really come from? Did all of these styles come from one person?
To understand this, you would need to go back in time by a few hundred years. In this article, we will take a look at the history of Karate from an ancient indigenous martial art known as Ti to more modern full contact styles such as Kyokushin.
Ti 手 - No exact year
Martial arts on Okinawa began with Ti, the martial art of Okinawan kings and nobles. The origin of Ti does not have an exact date, so it's safe to say that it's been around for a long time (way before 1300's). Unlike Karate, Ti is an unrooted and "liberated" martial art. Ti consists of various stepping methods, joint locks, takedowns and also use of various weaponry. Contrary to popular belief, aspects like Muchimi (stickiness) did not originate from Ti. Unlike most martial arts today, Ti is not a set style but rather a collection of methods. Ti was one of the biggest influences on Karate, although hidden, Ti is still alive on Okinawa.
Okinawa had 2 weapon edicts, one that banned private stock piling weapons (some people could still have them) and the other which banned the use of firearms. After 1609 (when the Satsuma took over), Ti became more of a police / bodyguard martial art instead of being used by Okinawan samurai on the battlefield. On a similar note, Kobudo weapons such as the sai, nunchaku, tonfa, etc did not come from farming tools but were in fact brought directly from China (or from neighboring countries) as weapons.
An example of a sword technique from Ti
Motobu Udundi is the Ti of the Motobu Udun. Motobu Udundi was passed down through the Motobu family as a secret for generations. This was until Motobu Choyu (11th generation) taught it to an outsider named Uehara Seikichi. Uehara then later on taught many Bujin on Okinawa and returned the style to the Motobu family by teaching Motobu Chosei, who was Motobu Choki's son, making him Choyu's nephew.
Kojo ryu 湖城流 - 1700's
Kojo ryu came to Okinawa via the 36 Kume families in 1392. Kojo ryu however was not taught as a style until the 1700's when Kojo Peichin taught it to others. Kojo Isei (3rd generation) went to China to study Kung fu. Kojo Isei stayed in China and taught his style to his family. Kojo ryu consists of 6 forms (3 zodiac and 3 white animal) and various kamae (postures). Contrary to popular belief, Kojo ryu is not a form of Naha te, but instead a form of Chinese boxing.
Seishin Kamae performed by Hayashi Shinjo
Kusanku クーサンクー and the Oshima Hikki 琉球武芸 - 1756
Kusanku's story begins in 1756, when he shipwrecked onto an island west of Shuri (Ryukyu capital). Kusanku was leading a mission going to Okinawa but his ship blew off course because of a storm and shipwrecked to Kumejima. On the island, the Shuri and Chinese merchants got heated and resulted in a Shuri guard being called in. During this encounter, Kusanku would also use his art. (This is a very oversimplified version of Kusanku's story.)
Kusanku then taught Sakugawa Kangi . Kusanku's techniques are said to be passed down as a kata by the same name. Perhaps the most distinct technique is the sword hand strike (followed by kick) and the one legged drop.
Sword hand strike
Kusanku's story was recorded in the 1762 document called the Oshima Hikki.
Chinese hand 唐手, a new type of martial arts - late 1700's
The first mention of Toudi 唐手 (Chinese hand) was also in the Oshima Hikki (1762)
According to oral history, Kusanku then later taught Kung fu to Sakugawa Kangi (who had learned Ti from Peichin Takahara). Sakugawa Kangi and his son Sakugawa Kanga were both nicknamed "Toudi" Sakugawa, so oral history likely mixes the two. According to oral history, Sakugawa Kanga (son) then later on taught Matsumura Sokon and Bushi Tachimura. Matsumura would later teach many masters such as Hanashiro Chomo, Yabu Kentsu , Yoshimura Chogi, Ishimine Peichin, Funakoshi Gichin, etc whereas Bushi Tachimura would only teach Kishimoto Soko.
Sakugawa Kanga
When styles would later on be classified, these lineages would be called Shuri te 首里手, which differs significantly from the more younger Naha te. Later on, Toudi would also be renamed.
Toudi was a new style of martial arts which consisted of Ti combined with Chinese boxing (and maybe Okinawan wrestling). The introduction of Kung fu likely introduced many kata (all kata likely aren't from China), the Okinawan's likely took the lessons from other martial arts of neighboring countries and put them into kata. Older forms of Toudi have more hints of Ti.
Matsumura Sokon (1809-1899)
Contrary to popular belief, the concept of high kicks did not come from Savate as some of the oldest kata in Karate have them. An example of an old high kick is Bo geri (lit stick kick), this kick is in a number of old styles (not exclusive to Shuri te lineages). The name for this kick likely originates from Motobu Udundi.
Chinese influences after Kusanku
According to oral history, the kata Chinto originated from a shipwrecked Chinese sailor (or pirate) named Chinto who lived in a cave and began stealing food from locals. Matsumura was sent to deal with him and Chinto ended up teaching Matsumura his techniques which would later be compiled into a kata named after him.
Kafu Kojo (6th generation) said that Tomari te 泊手 was a hotchpotch of various Shaolin katas'. According to Seikichi Hokama (student of Kotsu and Konin Oyadomari), Oyadomari Kokan learnt Chinese boxing from a Chinese person living in Tomari who used very light techniques (could have also been Chinto or Anan).
Matsumora Kosaku (not to be confused with Matsumura Sokon ) also learnt Chinese boxing from a man living in a cave. Matsumora would often see the man practicing a form from Chinese boxing and asked him for tuition. Before leaving Okinawa, the Chinese man presented Matsumora with a scroll painting of a woman holding a willow twig which supposedly represented the secret principles of that style of Chinese boxing. Whether Matsumora actually learnt those principles or not, he didn't anyone them.
It might be possible that the Chinese who taught Matsumura was the same one who taught Matsumora Kosaku and Oyadomari Kokan .
The kata Wanshu (or Wansu) was apparently taught to Oyadomari Kokan and Matsumora Kosaku by a Chinese military attaché by the name of Ason. Oyadomari's Tomari te is preserved today in Okinawa.
Matsumora Kosaku also taught Motobu Choki. Motobu Choki was not anyone's fixed student nor did he learn one fixed style, but rather he would learn whatever he could. His style is preserved as Motobu Kenpo. Motobu's Naihanchi is a mix of Tomari te, Shuri te and Itosu's Karate.
Introduction of Naha te 那覇手 - late 1800's to early 1900's
Naha te was brought to Okinawa by a few people. One of these people was a man named Higaonna Kanryo. Higaonna travelled to Fujian, China in 1870 and trained with various masters like Kojo Tatei (cousin of Kojo Isei). Higaonna also trained under a local master named Ru Ru Ko (being a title and not a name).
Oral history recounts Higaonna Kanryo saving Ru Ru Ko's child or grandchild from a flood and begging the master to teach him Kung fu. Under Ru Ru Ko, Higaonna learned Sanchin, Seisan, Sanseru and Bechurin (3 of those being passed on in Touon ryu). Higaonna was said to have very powerful and fast kicking techniques. Kanryo was also said to be very good at Sanseru. Kanryo Higaonna passed away around 1915. Contrary to popular belief, Higaonna likely did not learn Fujian White Crane, but instead another style. However that was already discussed in a previous article.
Higaonna taught a few people, his most popular students were Kyoda Juhatsu , Miyagi Chojun and Mabuni Kenwa. Kyoda went on to pass on Higaonna's teachings in Touon ryu whereas Miyagi Chojun used some of the material he learnt from Higaonna to be the base for his new style, Goju ryu. Kenwa Mabuni studied under Higaonna for a short amount of time and then later continued his training with Miyagi Chojun. Kenwa also learned from Anko Itosu and combined the two (and some add ons) to create Shito Ryu.
Higaonna's Naha te brought in many new things to Okinawa such as; new techniques, kata, training methods (weighted tools), especially a new way of thinking and a new Chinese influence. Higaonna Kanryo undoubtably played an important role in the history of Karate.
Higaonna Kanryo
Another person who brought Naha te to Okinawa was a man named Nakaima Norisato (1850-1927). Nakaima went to Fujian, China around 1870-1880, during his stay, he learned Chinese boxing and weaponry. Nakaima was introduced to Ru Ru Ko and trained with him for 5-6 years, after that he went off to other areas to study weaponry. Norisato Nakaima passed on his style to his son Kenchu, who then taught it to his son, Kenko (who also named it Ryuei ryu).
For a long time, Ryuei ryu would remain a family style until 1970, when at the age of 60, Nakaima Kenko decided to finally teach his style to outsiders. He took on 20 school teachers and a few others. Ryuei ryu has 11 empty hand kata; Sanchin, Seisan, Niseshi, Sanseru, Seyonchin, Ohan, Pachu, Anan, Paiku, Heiku and Paiho. Strangely, Bechurin is absent in Ryuei ryu, which could suggest that Higaonna and Nakaima learnt a similar but not exact curriculum under Ru Ru Ko. Ryuei ryu would later on be popularized (and sportified) by Tsuguo Sakumoto who was a student of Nakaima Kenko .
Nakaima Norisato
Back then, these styles were not named, so it was all Toudi. But for the clarity of this article, I have chosen to refer to Chinese boxing (aside from Kojo ryu) brought from Fujian to Okinawa as Naha te. Naha te and Shuri te are not only from different times but they also differ significantly in techniques. Below is an example of a technique from Naha te and from Shuri te.
A joint lock from Touon Ryu demonstrated by Mario Mckenna
A demonstration of Motobu Udundi
Karate 空手 and the Okinawan school system - early 1900's
During the 1900's, Toudi 唐手 (Chinese hand) was renamed to Karate 空手 (empty hand). This was due to politics and growing tensions with China. Hanashiro Chomo (one of Matsumura's senior students) started the trend by writing Toudi as Karate (空手) in his book: Karate Kumite 1905, he was soon followed by Funakoshi Gichin (who was also the first person to go to mainland Japan and spread Karate).
Karate was brought into the school PE program by a man named Anko Itosu, he studied under Matsumura for a bit but then decided to study under Bushi Nagahama (practitioner of Naha te). Anko Anko decided to learn Naha te over Matsumura's Shuri te because Shuri te had a focus on speed which Itosu struggled at. Itosu Anko later on made the Pinan kata, a set of 5 kata modelled after other advanced kata. Pinan Kata are not a set of "children's kata". The Pinan kata were an efficient method of teaching useful skills to people who needed it most, especially during WW1.
The Pinan kata were used as a way of learning specific skills quickly. Back then you would only learn a few kata based on personal traits. But this personalized way of teaching has mostly been dropped after WW2.
Hanashiro Chomo performing Jion
Hanashiro Chomo passed on his Karate system to Nakandakari Kanzo who then taught Higa Kiyohiko. Hanashiro's Karate is a pre Taisho era style that influenced Shorin ryu (as many people also studied under him). Hanashiro passed on a total of 19 kata.
Itosu took certain kata and changed them from their original Shuri te roots. If you were to take a look at a Naihanchi that stems from Itosu and compare it to one that doesn't, you would immediately notice a few differences. Mainly; lighter stepping, no kime, no use of hip power, extending punch rather than Kagi zuki, fluid techniques, etc. Those are all characteristics from Naihanchi(s) that don't come from Itosu. Matsumura's Naihanchi was likely done in a Shiko dachi (square stance) similar to the Tachimura version, however his students like Hanashiro and Yabu decided to adopt Naihanchi Dachi instead (Naihanchi stance). They likely knew a few versions of Naihanchi.
Itosu taught many people, who later on added on things to their Karate. Yabu Kentsu (one of Matsumura's senior students) also is said that Itosu's karate was 60% Naha and 40% Shuri.
Emergence of styles - 1915 onwards
After (and during) WW2, many styles began to emerge. Itosu Anko's students began to learn from other people and create (or influence) branches of Shorin ryu, Chojun Miyagi began to form Goju ryu (from some of Kanryo's content, stuff from other Okinawan masters and some Kung fu he learnt in China).
Miyagi would then teach many people, most notably; Yagi Meitoku (Meibukan), Higa Seiko (who also learnt some stuff from Kanryo), Shinzato Jinan , Miyazato Eiichi (Jundokan), Toguchi Seikichi (Shorei kan). Those people would later be Miyagi Chojun's senior students. Miyagi would teach them all slightly differently, most likely because he continued to develop Goju ryu as he got older. Miyagi also taught Yamaguchi Gogen from mainland Japan who would then form Goju Kai. Yamaguchi would also teach Mas Oyama (founder of Kyokushin).
Funakoshi Gichin (sometimes called father of modern Karate) was the first to go to mainland Japan and spread Karate, his style would later on be known as Shotokan. Funakoshi learnt Karate (and maybe Ti) on Okinawa from various people like Matsumura, Anko Itosu, (maybe Anko Asato too) and likely many others. Funakoshi also changed up his style as he got older (and then his students also further altered his style). For example, Funakoshi took Itosu's Pinan kata and changed it up (also renaming it to Heian).
Motobu Choki also had an exchange with Funakoshi where Motobu challenged him to a fight in front of his students. Funakoshi would teach many people, one of these people would be Otsuka Hironori , later on, he would also study under Motobu Choki. Otsuka went on to create Wado ryu which is a mix of Japanese Jujutsu, Motobu kenpo and Shotokan.
A new type of karate - 1960's
The 1960's brought a new type of Karate, one that had more western influence. This new type of Karate started off with Kyokushin.
Kyokushin was founded by Mas Oyama, who was born as Choi Yeong-eui who later changed his name to Masutatsu Oyama. Mas learn Shotokan from Gigo Funakoshi and Japanese Goju from Gogen Yamaguchi. Kyokushin (meaning ultimate truth) consists of 2 main styles, one which has a focus on Goju ryu and the other Shotokan.
The Shotokan version consists of Taikyokou Sono 1-3, Pinan Sono 1-5, Yansu, Tsuki no Kata, Kanku Dai and Sushiho. The Goju ryu version consists of Sanchin no kata, Gekisai dai and sho, Tensho, Saiha, Seiechin, Garyu, Seipai.
Some of those kata are borrowed from either Goju ryu or Shotokan or either inspired from them. Kyokushin was famous for its tough conditioning (likely derived from Goju ryu), its long stances (likely derived from Shotokan) and its full contact sparring.
Are the old ways gone?
The old ways, are not yet extinct. They are still preserved in Japan and Okinawa, hidden but still alive today. These people prefer to be hidden but they are extremely dedicated to their craft. Many of these people are happy to share their art as long as you ask nicely!
Kishimoto Soko's style was later on preserved as Tachimura-ha Shuri te, which is still taught at Bugeikan today.
Matsumura's style in it's purity has most likely gone extinct, however the styles of Hanashiro Chomo, Yabu Kentsu and possibly Ishimine ryu likely have more Matsumura than other styles. Hanashiro Chomo's Karate is preserved as Hanashiro-ha Shuri te and also taught at Bugeikan in Okinawa and Portugal. Yabu's Karate is likely gone too aside from one kata in Touon ryu. However, Ishimine ryu is likely a dead style on Okinawa.
Tomari te is also likely still alive and can be found on Okinawa. Kata from Oyadomari's Tomari te are still preserved in Okinawa.
Touon Ryu is also still preserved by a few people in Japan and North America. Touon ryu preserves 3 of Higaonna Kanryo's kata (Sanchin, Sanseru, Bechurin), 1 kata from Kanryo's cousin (Kanyu Higaonna's Seisan), Nepai from Gokenki and Jion from Yabu Kentsu. In total Touon ryu has 6 empty hand kata and 3 weapon kata. Ikeda sensei (4th Soke of Touon ryu) still teaches Touon ryu on mainland Japan.
Kojo ryu, consisting of 6 empty hand kata and Jo (4ft stick) is also preserved on mainland Japan by Sumitani sensei.
Various lineages of older kata are still preserved on Okinawa. If you look hard enough, you can find a few old Naihanchi's that do not come from Itosu Anko (so far, I count 5!).
Shoutout to Joel Reeves sensei (SippingTi on ig and yt) for the information on Ti, Toudi, Shuri te, Kusanku, Hanashiro Chomo and Ikeda sensei for information on Touon ryu!
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Bibliography:
Bishop, Mark D. Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques. Tuttle Publishing, 1999. Accessed 10 March 2025.
“Kojo ryu.” OkinawaBBtv, https://www.okinawabbtv.com/desc/10-湖城流/.
Reeves, Joel. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJEC95OlSb1/.
Mckenna, Mario. “Nahate: The Old-School Okinawan Martial Art and Its Original Four-Kata Curriculum - Part I.” Journal of Asian Martial Arts, vol. 20, no. 2, 2011.
Naoki, Motobu. “Bushi Nagahama.” Medium, Motobu ryu blog, 26 July 2023, https://medium.com/motobu-ryu-blog/bushi-nagahama-ff8950aa727b.
Nagamine, Shōshin. Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters. Tuttle Pub., 2000.
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