Shotokan

Gichin Funakoshi was the founder of the Shotokan style of Karate.  He was born in 1868 was and began his karate training around 1879 in Shuri-te and Naha-te with Yatasune Azato and Yatasune Itosu. Funakoshi combined the aspects of each art into a new style that would later become known as Shotokan . he eventually standardized karate throughout Japan, by the introduction of the belt system and standard kata although he wasn't the only one to know them, he formally introduced Bassai, Chinto, Sanchin, Jion, through his books, such as Ryuku Kempo Karate and Karate Do Kyohan.

The Japanese began to notice the benefits of karate and in 1922 Funakoshi was invited by the Japanese to go to Tokyo to demonstrate karate. After the demonstration Funakoshi was asked to stay and teach karate at the Kodokan and also instructed at Keio University, Tokyo and the Butokukai Military Arts College in Kyoto. In 1936 Funakoshi established his own dojo, called the Shotokan by his students. The name shotokan came from a combination of Funakoshi pen name (Shoto) and the Japanese word for hall (kan). Later the term shotokan, became known has Funakoshi style of karate.

The name Shotokan translates to "Shoto's Place", Shoto being Funakoshi's pen name at the time, and the tiger symbol comes from the fact that Master Funakoshi regularly trained and meditated near a pine lake, which was shaped like a tiger.

Web links for Sotokan: http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm, http://www.karate-shotokan-kata.com/, http://www.zee.com/skmn/index.php, http://www.iskf.com/, http://www.ska.org/,

The empty hand forms of Shotokan are:

Heian Shodan

Heian Nidan

Heian Sandan

Heian Yondan

Heian Godan

Tekki Shodan

Tekki Nidan

Tekki Sandan

Jitte

Ji´in

Jion

Kanku Dai

Kanku Sho

Meikyo

Nijushiho

Sochin

Bassai Dai

Bassai Sho

Chinte

Gangaku

Hangetsu

Empi

Unsu