Okinawan Karate Club

Karate-do originated in China during the 5th century A.D. with an Indian man's visit to the Shaolin Monastery. The visitor, known as Bodhidarma (Chinese) or Dharuma (Japanese), taught the Shaolin monks a combination of ch'an meditation (Zen in Japanese), breathing, and fighting techniques. This fighting system was further developed by the monks and called Shaolin Temple Boxing. A clear connection between this ancient form and our own style, Shobayashi Shorin Ryu, is revealed through a simple linguistic analysis.