Karate is a fighting system which uses the hands and feet to deliver blows, kicks and strikes with great power. The art of Shotokan has been practised for many years. The name Karate means empty hand, a phrase which tries to express the idea that karate needs neither external weapons nor thoughts of violence. The name Karate-Do means the way of Karate and is a method of teaching which develops the mind as well as the body. Modern Karate has its origins in Okinawa, an island in the East China Sea 500 miles south of Japan. In 1477, following a period of political turbulance, the king of Okinawa, Sho Shin, banned the carrying of weapons by anyone on the island. As a result of this ban the islanders developed a secret system of unarmed combat known as Okinawan-Te, the word Te meaning hands.
