Martial History
A Brief History of Okinawan Karate
MMS Editorial · July 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Before karate became a global sport, it was a local art shaped by Okinawa's trade with China and its own traditions.
Okinawan karate grew out of the island's indigenous fighting methods and its long contact with Chinese martial arts through trade. In the early twentieth century, teachers such as Chojun Miyagi (Goju-Ryu) and Kenwa Mabuni (Shito-Ryu) formalised the systems that are still practised today.
Kata as an archive
Kata preserved techniques and principles in a form that could be passed down. Interpreting them correctly remains an active area of study.