| Following the fall of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and its [[Ryukyu shobun|annexation]] into Japan, former [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] scholar-aristocrat [[Itosu Anko|Itosu Ankô]], considered by many today to be the father of modern karate, then introduced this form into the Okinawan public schools in [[1901]]. He coined the term "karate" around this time, using the same characters as ''Tô-te'', but a different reading.<ref>Tô-te, or karate, meaning "China hand," is written as 唐手. The character 唐, referring to the [[Tang Dynasty]], or to Chinese culture & civilization more broadly, can be read in Japanese as either ''tô'' or ''kara''.</ref> | | Following the fall of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and its [[Ryukyu shobun|annexation]] into Japan, former [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] scholar-aristocrat [[Itosu Anko|Itosu Ankô]], considered by many today to be the father of modern karate, then introduced this form into the Okinawan public schools in [[1901]]. He coined the term "karate" around this time, using the same characters as ''Tô-te'', but a different reading.<ref>Tô-te, or karate, meaning "China hand," is written as 唐手. The character 唐, referring to the [[Tang Dynasty]], or to Chinese culture & civilization more broadly, can be read in Japanese as either ''tô'' or ''kara''.</ref> |
− | Karate then came to be divided into three styles, based in different areas of the Okinawan capital, namely, [[Shuri-te]], [[Naha-te]], and [[Tomari-te]]. [[Gichin Funakoshi]] introduced these forms into mainland Japan in 1922, altering the characters used to write "karate" to their current form, meaning "empty hand," in 1929. | + | Karate then came to be divided into three styles, based in different areas of the Okinawan capital, namely, [[Shuri-te]], [[Naha-te]], and [[Tomari-te]]. [[Funakoshi Gichin]] introduced these forms into mainland Japan in 1922, altering the characters used to write "karate" to their current form, meaning "empty hand," in 1929. |