Karate - Revision history

YellowHatGuy at 03:35, 31 October 2025

2025-10-31T03:35:40Z

YellowHatGuy at 03:34, 31 October 2025

2025-10-31T03:34:03Z

YellowHatGuy at 18:17, 29 April 2022

2022-04-29T18:17:40Z

YellowHatGuy at 19:41, 6 July 2021

2021-07-06T19:41:15Z

YellowHatGuy at 23:20, 4 February 2021

2021-02-04T23:20:30Z

YellowHatGuy at 19:41, 19 April 2020

2020-04-19T19:41:48Z

YellowHatGuy at 07:06, 18 April 2020

2020-04-18T07:06:20Z

YellowHatGuy at 03:18, 6 February 2020

2020-02-06T03:18:22Z

YellowHatGuy at 23:15, 15 June 2019

2019-06-15T23:15:07Z

YellowHatGuy at 23:21, 31 May 2019

2019-05-31T23:21:09Z

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in order to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], forbade martial arts altogether after they conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE. Karate then persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.
-Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to promote karate by adding it into Japanese schools and colleges as a means of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_culture physical culture]] and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association"), the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
+Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to promote karate by adding it into Japanese schools and colleges as a means of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_culture physical culture] and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association"), the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
 *Had no [[Ranking|ranking system]].
 *Had no [[Gi|uniforms]]. Karateka previously trained and fought in their underpants to avoid gi-grabs.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:34, 31 October 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''Karate''' is a popular martial art which emphasizes ~~using~~ striking in unarmed mêlée combat.	+	'''Karate''' is a popular martial art which emphasizes the use of striking techniques within unarmed mêlée combat.

	Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:		Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 *Martial artists tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.
-No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c.800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, and the Okinawans blended these arts into their own indigenous fighting techniques. A person with these skills was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”
+No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c.800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, which the Okinawans blended into their own indigenous fighting techniques. Someone with these skills was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”
 The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in order to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], forbade martial arts altogether after they conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE. Karate then persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.
-Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to introduce karate to Japanese schools and colleges as a means of physical and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association") which was the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
+Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to promote karate by adding it into Japanese schools and colleges as a means of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_culture physical culture]] and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association"), the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
 *Had no [[Ranking|ranking system]].
 *Had no [[Gi|uniforms]]. Karateka previously trained and fought in their underpants to avoid gi-grabs.
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was able to design curricula because he was a public school literature teacher. Funakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.
-Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who learned the art while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magic; these false perceptions made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
+Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who learned the art while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magick; these false perceptions made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
-*In the 1950’s, “judo” was the preferred generic term for all Asian fighting arts, because it was easier to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
+*In the 1950’s, “judo” was used as a generic blanket-term for all Asian fighting arts, since it was easy to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
-*Their was a low number of American black belts in that era, which skewed the public's perceptions. Earning a black belt was seen as a near-impossible feat, which was reserved only for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.
+*The low number of American black belts in that era skewed the public's perception into thinking that earning a black belt was a near-impossible feat, which was reserved only for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.
 While karate’s popularity was eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''
-Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly because of disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen; or how West Coast Swing dancing differs from East Coast Swing dancing. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly one of the less-popular karate styles, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
+Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly due to disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen; or how West Coast Swing dancing differs from East Coast Swing dancing. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly one of the less-popular karate styles, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
 ----
 {{Navigation}}

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:
 *The Chinese and Japanese have historically had a strained relationship. As such, the Chinese influences on karate have been downplayed for marketing purposes.
-*Events which occurred in the timeframe of 10 to 10,000 years ago are all mukashi (“once upon a time…”).
+*Events which occurred between 10 and 10,000 years ago are all mukashi (“once upon a time…”).
 *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism Confucianism] prohibits any derogatory remarks about social superiors or the dead.
-*It is consider rude ''not'' to answer a question. So rather than honestly saying “I don't know,” a cromulent-sounding speculation must be provided instead.
+*It is consider rude ''not'' to answer a question. So rather than honestly saying “I don't know,” cromulent-sounding speculations are provided instead.
 *Martial artists tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Karate''' is a popular martial art primarily based on using striking in unarmed mêlée combat.
+'''Karate''' is a popular martial art which emphasizes using striking in unarmed mêlée combat.
-Many of the details about karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford a basic education (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:
+Many of the details of karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford basic educations (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:
 *The Chinese and Japanese have historically had a strained relationship. As such, the Chinese influences on karate have been downplayed for marketing purposes.
 *Events which occurred in the timeframe of 10 to 10,000 years ago are all mukashi (“once upon a time…”).
 *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism Confucianism] prohibits any derogatory remarks about social superiors or the dead.
 *It is consider rude ''not'' to answer a question. So rather than honestly saying “I don't know,” a cromulent-sounding speculation must be provided instead.
-*Martial artists in general tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.
+*Martial artists tend to over-focus on their own particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.
-No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c. 800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, and the Okinawans began to blend these arts into their own indigenous fighting techniques. A person with such a skill was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”
+No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c.800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, and the Okinawans blended these arts into their own indigenous fighting techniques. A person with these skills was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but this character can also be pronounced “kara.”
 The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in order to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], forbade martial arts altogether after they conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE. Karate then persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.
-Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to introduce karate to Japanese schools and colleges as a means of physical and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association") which served as the central governing body of all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
+Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to introduce karate to Japanese schools and colleges as a means of physical and spiritual self-cultivation. However,  the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Nippon_Butoku_Kai Dai Nippon Butoku Kai] ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association") which was the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, rejected karate because it:
 *Had no [[Ranking|ranking system]].
 *Had no [[Gi|uniforms]]. Karateka previously trained and fought in their underpants to avoid gi-grabs.
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 *Emphasized fighting techniques over spiritual development; it promoted "-[[Jutsu|jutsu]]", instead of "-[[Dō|dō]]".
-Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was able to design curricula because he was a public school literature teacher. Funakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which helped highlight its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.
+Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was able to design curricula because he was a public school literature teacher. Funakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.
 Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who learned the art while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magic; these false perceptions made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
-*In the 1950’s, all Asian martial arts were called “judo,” which was easier to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
+*In the 1950’s, “judo” was the preferred generic term for all Asian fighting arts, because it was easier to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
 *Their was a low number of American black belts in that era, which skewed the public's perceptions. Earning a black belt was seen as a near-impossible feat, which was reserved only for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.
-While karate’s popularity has been eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''
+While karate’s popularity was eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''
-Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly because of disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly, one of the less-popular styles of karate, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
+Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate has no central governing or oversight body because these organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly because of disagreements over curriculum design or technique minutia, and from karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some familiarity to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen; or how West Coast Swing dancing differs from East Coast Swing dancing. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly one of the less-popular karate styles, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
 ----
 {{Navigation}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 19 April 2020
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''Karate''' is a popular martial art ~~which places a great emphasis~~ on unarmed ~~striking techniques~~.	+	'''Karate''' is a popular martial art primarily based on using striking in unarmed mêlée combat.

	Many of the details about karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford a basic education (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:		Many of the details about karate’s origins have been lost to time. Illiteracy was once a cultural norm, so martial arts were transmitted through apprenticeships. While a few of the old masters were aristocrats who could afford a basic education (or scribes), few of these masters were also good authors. These problems are compounded because most of the records from that period were destroyed during the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa Battle of Okinawa], and the surviving information is obfuscated by several Asian cultural nuances:

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 *Martial artists tend to over-focus on their particular system, and ignore the other systems around them. As such, there are few cross-references to work with or from.
-No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c. 800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE], as a blend of the Okinawan’s indigenous fighting techniques with kung-fu introduced by Chinese traders and diplomats (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) . A person with such a skill was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”). “To” is the symbol for the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] of China (618-906 CE), but that character can also be pronounced as “kara.”
+No one person founded karate; it has been a continuous evolutionary process which apparently started c. 800 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era CE]. Chinese traders and diplomats introduced kung-fu (in particular, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane Fujian White Crane]) to Okinawa, and the Okinawans began to blend these arts into their own indigenous fighting techniques. A person with such a skill was said to have “to-te” (figuratively: “Chinese hands”); “to” is the kanji for China's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty Tang dynasty] (618-906 CE), but that character can also be pronounced as “kara.”
-The Okinawan people were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in move to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE, and forbade martial arts altogether. Karate persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.
+The Okinawans were forbidden to own weapons following a 1497 CE edict from their king, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Shin Shō Shin], in move to consolidate his power. Lacking other options, the Okinawans were forced to rely on unarmed fighting skills to protect themselves and their property from bandits, thieves, and their ruler's overreach. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimazu_clan#History Shimazu Clan], which oversaw Japan's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma province], conquered Okinawa in 1609 CE, and forbade martial arts altogether. Karate persisted as series of personal fighting styles, which were taught in secret to handfuls of trusted students.
 Karate was brought to mainstream popularity by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gichin_Funakoshi Gichin Funakoshi], who traveled to Tokyo in 1922 to introduce karate to Japanese schools and colleges as a means of physical and spiritual self-cultivation. However, the central governing body for all martial arts in that era, the Dainippon Butokukai ("Great Japan Martial Virtue Association") rejected karate because it:
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 *Emphasized fighting techniques over spiritual development; it promoted "-[[Jutsu|jutsu]]", instead of "-[[Dō|dō]]".
-Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was a public school literature teacher, so he wrote a curriculum, and took the liberty to rename all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences to cater to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Chief among these, was renaming the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate them became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.
+Funkakoshi quickly rectified the first two items by copying the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo jūdōka], who were extremely popular at the time. Funakoshi was a public school literature teacher, so he wrote a curriculum. FUnakoshi took the liberty of renaming all of the [[Kata|forms]] to downplay Chinese influences, which catered to the then-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism#Japan imperialistic Japanese]. Funakoshi went as far as to re-brand the art itself through a clever use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone homophones]; in Japanese the kanji character for “empty” is also pronounced “kara.” Karate then became “empty hands,” which highlighted its emphasis on unarmed striking. Finally, Funakoshi imposed a spiritual component onto karate by linking it to existing Buddhist teachings.
-Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who trained while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be gymnastics combined with black magic; these false perception made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
+Karate was gradually brought to America after World War II by returning servicemen who trained while stationed in Japan or Okinawa. Prior to World War II, martial arts were thought to be a combination of gymnastics and black magic; these false perception made karate extremely popular in the 1960’s. While this fabricated aura of mystery has worn thin from increased familiarity, a few misconceptions sadly persist:
-*In the 1950’s, all Asian martial arts were labeled as “judo,” since it was easier to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more or less the same.
+*In the 1950’s, all Asian martial arts were called “judo,” since it was easier to pronounce and remember. Because of this, most Americans believe that all fighting arts are more-or-less the same.
-*The low US black belt population in that era skewed people's perceptions. Earning a black belt was seen as a near-impossible feat, reserved for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years at a gym can earn one.
+*The low US black belt population in that era skewed people's perceptions. Earning a black belt was seen as a near-impossible feat, which was reserved for the world's most elite fighters. In reality, a black belt denotes minimum competence, like a high school diploma. Anyone willing to invest 5 ± 2 years in a dōjō can earn one.
 While karate’s popularity has been eclipsed by other martial arts fads (e.g., [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruceploitation Bruceploitation], the [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5982187/why-americans-became-obsessed-with-ninjas 80’s Ninja Craze]), it continues to thrive because '''the classics are classics for a reason.'''
-Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate organizations are prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics, mostly because of disagreement over curriculum design, technique minutia, and karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to centralized governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some indoctrination to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly, one of the less-popular styles of karate, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
+Within karate, there exist many [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%AB_(school) schools of thought]. Karate organizations are extremely prone to factionalism and tumultuous internal politics. This is mostly because of disagreements over curriculum design, technique minutia, and karate's tendency to attract rugged individualists who respond poorly to central governing committees. The differences between karate styles requires some indoctrination to notice, much like how the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_school_of_swordsmanship Italian] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_school_of_fencing French] schools of fencing appear the same to non-swordsmen. [[Goshin-Jutsu]] is admittedly, one of the less-popular styles of karate, mostly due to a failure to advertise and promote ourselves. This website aims to correct this error.
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