The meaning and spirit of TRADITIONAL KARATE
comes from the history of the Island of Okinawa, Japan - the birthplace
of Karate. The roots of Karate were brought to Okinawa by Masters that
traveled to China to learn the Martial Arts.
It is believed that a
Buddhist Priest, Bodhidharma, developed the first self-defense
techniques within the walls of the monastery in China. In this quiet,
meditative atmosphere, Karate became a way of life, a spiritual
discipline, with a code of honor. Fundamental to this code of honor,
non-violence and respect are central to the teaching found at the
Authentic Ancient Arts Karate and Kobudo classes in Enso Dojo.
THE ART OF KARATE was developed from a
combination of southern Chinese martial arts and the native Okinawan
art of Te. The word karate is derived from two characters which mean
empty and hand; therefore, karate can be translated as the art of the
empty hand. The style of karate taught at the Authentic Ancient Arts
dojo is Okinawan Shorin-ryu.
SHORIN-RYU is one of the two original karate
styles formally systematized in Okinawa and considered by some to have
had the most influential impact on the development of all modern karate
systems.
|