Shugoro Nakazato Sensei presented the Okinawa Times 54th Memorial Award 2010 in Physical Training.
www.karateshorinkan.com

 History
Karate, as we know it today, originated on the Ryukyu Archipelago, more commonly
known as the Island  of Okinawa, (Birthplace of Karate), Japan. The major sites were the
villages of Naha, Shuri and Tomari.

 The traditional Kata (forms) have been handed down from instructor to student.
To quote Chibana Sensei,"Karate is teaching Kata (form) we have taken from forefathers
 without changing it at all." There are 15 traditional Katas and in Kobudo (Okinawan Art of Weaponry) there are
6 weapons with individual Katas for each weapon. 

         
             CHIBANA CHOSIN         SHUGORO NAKAZATO

OKINAWA KARATE HISTORY

Founding Eminent Okinawan Karate Masters of "Karatedo" Association in 1936.  

Okinawan Karate dates to the sixth century when Bodhidharma's (Daruma), born in India, travels took him to China where he settled at a Shao-lin (Shorin in Japanese) Monastery. The introduction of ch’uan-fa ("fist way") occurred in the late 1300’s with the expansion of trade and cultural exchanges between Okinawa and China. Evidence suggests that te ("hands"), in fact, was indigenous to Okinawa, (the birthplace of Karate), developing in the villages of Shuri, Naha and Tomari. Thus begins the lineage of Shorin-Ryu Kobayashi Karate from the Shuri-te system.

Okinawan Karate Evolution

Takahara              Kusanku
                    (1683-1760)                                                  
\             / 

Sakugawa Kanga "Tode"
(1733-1815) "father of Okinawan karate"

Matsumura Sokon "Bushi"
(1796-1893)

Itosu Yasutsune "Anko"
(1830-1915)

Chibana Chosin "Hanshi no Sogo"
(1886-1969)

Nakazato Shugoro "Hanshi JuDan"
(1921- Present)

Noujaim Nabil "Kyoshi-8dan"
(1950 - Present)

Planas José "Sensei"
(1981-Present)