As you begin your study of karate, you might be confused by the many different styles and philosophies which you may have heard about. This short history should be helpful to you when your friends begin to ask questions like, "Are you studying a hard or soft style?" or "Is Shotokan full contact Karate?"

Karate, (which means "empty hand") is an Asian art of self defense based upon proper use of the body and mind. Its history is said to date back over 2,000 years and involve developments in India , China , Korea , and other countries.

Karate as we know it today was introduced to Japan from Okinawa in 1922 when Master Gichin Funakoshi presented a demonstration in Tokyo . Karate in Okinawa had two primary schools; the Shorei school, which was characterized by forceful breathing and short, hard movements, and the Shorin school, which was characterized by sharp, fast, long movements. Funakoshi put the techniques of both schools together to form what be considered a more all-around style.

Master Funakoshi never named his style of karate, but his students called it Shotokan . Funakoshi's calligraphy pen name was Shoto , and Kan means house, or building. Thus, we have the translation of Shotokan , or "House of Funakoshi" .

In the early 1950's, many of Master Funakoshi's students formed a large organization for the continued propagation of the art. Since Master Funakoshi had never officially named his style, the students, in respect to him, called the organization the Nihon Karate Kyokai, which translates to Japan Karate Association , or JKA .

Master Funakoshi passed away in 1957. However, he had taught many students in Japan , thus assuring the continued spread of karate not only throughout Japan , but throughout the world. As a result of Mr. Funakoshi's leadership, the JKA is now one of the largest karate organizations in the world. Its current leaders, students of Mr. Funakoshi, are some of the most respected karate practitioners in the world, renowned as brilliant technicians.

But the major purpose of the JKA has less to do with physical technique than with personal development, as reflected by its motto: "The ultimate aim of the Art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the individual." This idea is also represented by Mr. Funakoshi's well-known quote: "To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill; to subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill." It is the spirit of this philosophy which this program seeks to promote.

The Association for Shotokan Karate is affiliated with the JKA as well as the International Shotokan Karate Federation , or ISKF , an affiliate of the JKA. In the U.S. , the ISKF is comprised of thirteen regions. ASK is located in the ISKF Northwest Region.