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Section TwoAn Abbreviated History of KarateThe origins of Karate are to be found in 12th Century China. There were a number of ancientChinese systems, collectively known as KEMPO or "Way of the Fist."In Okinawa, the possession of weapons and the practice of martial arts were forbidden duringthe 15th Century. From that time until the early 20th Century, the Okinawans practiced theirmartial arts in secrecy. This secrecy limited the amount of written material on the history ofmartial arts. World War II destroyed much of the little written history that existed.Early Okinawan weaponless martial arts were known as TE, a word meaning hand (a kind ofboxing style). During the 15th Century, Chinese visitors introduced KEMPO into Okinawa.As KEMPO was blended into TE, the resulting art became known as TODE, or Chinese Hand.Another meaning for the Chinese character that represents TO was KARA, meaning Open (itshould be noted that Kara also means China), with the result that the weaponless martial arts ofOkinawa finally became known as KARATE (open or Chinese hand).There were three main cities in Okinawa. Each developed its own version of Karate: Tomarideveloped TOMARI-TE; Naha, NAHA-TE; and Shuri, the capital city, SHURI-TE. TOMARI-TE wasquite similar to SHURI-TE and was gradually absorbed into SHURI-TE. There were other systems,to be sure, but by the 19th Century, only two main divisions remained: NAHA-TE andSHURI-TE.Matsumura, Sokan or Bushi (1797-1889) was responsible for organizing the SHURI-TE systemand carrying on its teachings. He was followed by Itosu, Anko (1830-1915). Itosu is generallycredited with the founding of SHORIN-RYU. (RYU means style.) Next followed Mabuni, Kenwa(1889-1957). Mabuni is the founder of shito-RYU, the style, or system followed by the KKBK.Higashionna (Higaonna), Kanryo (1845-1915) became the leading master of the NAHA-TEsystem. Mabuni also studied under Higashionna, and when he developed his shito-ryu system,he used elements of both NAHA-TE and SHURI-TE. The name shito-ryu comes from the firstsyllable of Itosu (ITO=SHI) and of Higashionna (HIGA=TO). Hence shito-ryu, a blending ofItosu's and Higashionna's styles and names.Many other masters contributed to Karate along the way. Each student should research thelineage or geneology of the system that they are studying. Physical study is not enough it is theresoponsibility of each student to learn and then to pass along the information of their style.The modern day masters of the shito-ryu system (early 1900’s) begin with Kosei Kuniba, his sonShogo Kuniba, and then Richard Baillargeon (NKJU), Joseph Ruiz (Founded Koto-Su ha shito-ryu),William Price (Chikubu), and Kozo Kuniba (Kuniba kai). Richard Kelley, a master of knife andcane, (Kita Kaze Bujutsu Kai) has trained with them all and studied their technique and wazadilligently. The North Wind Warrior Arts Association kata and training is based innovatively onthe teachings of Richard Baillargeon and Joseph Ruiz (his NKJU and IKKU years William Price thepresent Soke of Kuniba ryu has greatly influenced our art by emphasizing the study ofmovement application (bunkai) and grappling (newaza) and relating it to our Kata.It is important to distinguish the difference in styles formulated by Kuniba, Shogo Soke. In thebeginning Motobu ha shito-ryu Karate, a system comprising the fighting principles of Motobuand the kata and training principles of Mabuni’s system of shito-ryu was the style that wastaught in the Seishinkai dojo. Later, after Kuniba, Shogo Soke began training Americans and