Kanga Sakugawa (1733–1815), often referred to as Tode Sakugawa, represents a critical bridge between Chinese quanfa and what later became Okinawan karate. At the time Sakugawa lived, there were no formal styles or systems. The term Tode, meaning “China hand,” was used to describe practical fighting methods in Okinawa that drew heavily from Chinese influence but were adapted to local needs.

Sakugawa studied Chinese boxing methods alongside indigenous Okinawan fighting practices, blending them through direct experience rather than structured teaching. His training emphasised practical movement, posture, and efficient use of the body at close range. Chinese influence shaped his understanding of timing, distance, and structured power, while Okinawan conditions refined these ideas into something direct and functional.

Tode, in this sense, was not a style but a working method. Sakugawa’s approach helped shape what later became Shuri-te, particularly through his influence on Sokon Matsumura, a pivotal figure in Okinawan martial history. Through this line, Sakugawa’s ideas became embedded in the technical foundations of Okinawan karate.

Sokon Matsumura (1809–1899) is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the formation of Okinawan karate. Serving as a royal bodyguard and martial arts instructor to the Ryukyu kings, Matsumura developed a reputation for both skill and discipline. His martial approach became a foundation for what would later become Shuri-te, the lineage that shaped many Shorin-ryu systems.

Matsumura’s training blended indigenous Okinawan fighting methods with Chinese influence, inherited from earlier teachers such as Kanga Sakugawa. His teaching emphasised correct posture, efficient movement, and decisive application. He focused on combat realism, refining technique into something adaptable and effective in close-range encounters.

Although karate styles did not yet exist in the modern sense, Matsumura’s impact was immense. Many later masters traced their technical roots and principles back to his methods. His legacy includes not only the transmission of kata such as Passai, Kusanku, and others, but also the shaping of karate as a disciplined and structured martial art.

Ryu Ryu Ko is the Okinawan name given to a Chinese martial arts teacher believed to have taught Kanryo Higaonna in Fuzhou, China during the late 19th century. While the exact identity remains debated, he is commonly associated with a figure named Xie Zhongxiang, linked to Fujian White Crane boxing traditions.

Higaonna’s training under Ryu Ryu Ko is considered one of the key Chinese roots of Naha-te. The methods passed down included structured breathing practices, close-range power generation, body conditioning, and sensitivity training. These principles later shaped the development of Goju-ryu through Chojun Miyagi and influenced other Okinawan lines as well.

Although historical details are limited, Ryu Ryu Ko represents the wider pattern of Okinawan masters travelling to Fujian to study Chinese martial arts and bringing those methods back to Okinawa. His legacy survives through the kata and principles embedded in Naha-te derived systems.

Seisho Arakaki (1840–1920) was a highly influential Okinawan martial artist known for his deep Chinese connections and his role in transmitting Chinese martial methods to Okinawa. He studied in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and learned various quanfa systems that later became integrated into Okinawan karate.

Arakaki was known for teaching kata such as Niseishi, Unsu, and Sochin, and for introducing weapons training in line with Chinese traditions. His karate reflected strong Chinese technical characteristics, including fluid transitions, angular footwork, and methods of generating power through body coordination.

He taught several prominent Okinawan masters, influencing both Shuri-te and Naha-te streams. Arakaki’s contribution is often seen as a bridge between classical Chinese boxing and the evolving Okinawan arts, helping shape the technical diversity that later became embedded in styles such as Shito-ryu.

Kanryo Higaonna (1853–1915) was a central figure in the development of Naha-te, one of the two major streams of Okinawan karate. Born in Naha, a key trading port, he was exposed early to Chinese influence and travelled to Fuzhou in Fujian Province to study Chinese martial arts. There he trained under a teacher known in Okinawa as Ryu Ryu Ko, a figure associated with White Crane methods.

Upon returning to Okinawa, Higaonna began teaching a system characterised by rooted stance, controlled breathing, and close-range power. His method included techniques for grappling, body conditioning, and internal power development. This approach became the basis for later Goju-ryu through his student Chojun Miyagi.

Higaonna’s contribution lies not only in kata transmission such as Sanchin and Seisan but in the development of a coherent fighting method. His Naha-te embodied the blending of Chinese principles with Okinawan practicality and became one of the most influential roots of modern karate.

Chojun Miyagi (1888–1953) was the founder of Goju-ryu, one of the most influential styles of Okinawan karate. As a student of Kanryo Higaonna, Miyagi inherited the Naha-te tradition rooted in Fujian Chinese martial arts. He later travelled to China himself to deepen his understanding of these methods.

Miyagi’s karate emphasised a balance between hard and soft principles, reflected in the style name “Goju.” His system included breathing practices, body conditioning, close-range techniques, and the integration of circular movement with direct power.

He formalised Goju-ryu in the early 20th century, helping establish karate as an organised discipline. Kata such as Sanchin and Tensho embody the core principles of his style. Miyagi’s legacy lies in both preserving classical Naha-te roots and shaping them into a cohesive system that became globally recognised.

Kosaku Matsumora (1829–1898) was one of the most significant figures in the Tomari-te tradition, a key Okinawan fighting lineage that developed alongside Shuri-te and Naha-te. From the village of Tomari, a port town with strong Chinese influence, Matsumora’s karate reflected a blend of speed, agility, and practical application.

He is known for teaching kata such as Rohai and Wanshu, and his approach emphasised evasive footwork, shifting angles, and rapid counter techniques. Unlike the more formal and structured methods emerging in Shuri, Tomari-te retained a looser, more adaptive character, shaped by the town’s unique social and cultural environment.

Matsumora’s teachings influenced later karate development, although Tomari-te was less widely systematised than other lines. His legacy remains an important part of Okinawan martial history, representing a distinctive branch of technique and spirit within classical karate.

Chōki Motobu (1870–1944) was one of Okinawa’s most famous practical fighters and is often remembered for his focus on real-world application. Coming from a noble family in Shuri, Motobu trained in Shuri-te but developed his own approach rooted in close-range combat, striking, and clinch work.

He was known for using Naihanchi kata (Tekki) as the core of his system, extracting combative techniques directly from kata practice. Motobu placed less emphasis on formalism and more on effectiveness, often testing his methods in actual fights. His reputation included a well-known victory over a boxer in Japan, which helped bring attention to Okinawan karate’s practicality.

Motobu’s legacy influenced later karate and Okinawan self-defence methods, serving as a reminder that karate’s origins were grounded in functional fighting rather than sport or performance.

Ankō Itosu (1831–1915) is often regarded as the father of modern karate due to his efforts in reforming and introducing karate into Okinawan public education. A student of Sokon Matsumura, Itosu helped systematise Shuri-te into a more teachable form, ensuring its survival and spread.

His most famous contribution is the creation of the Pinan kata series (Heian in Japanese), designed to teach foundational movement and principles in a structured way. These kata became central to many karate styles and remain widely practised today.

Itosu also emphasised physical conditioning, discipline, and character development, aligning karate with broader educational goals. Many of Okinawa’s most influential masters, including Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Choshin Chibana, studied under Itosu. Through them, Itosu’s impact reached Japan and the world, shaping karate into the global martial art it is today.

Choshin Chibana (1885–1969) was a senior student of Ankō Itosu and is widely credited with founding Kobayashi Shorin-ryu, one of the most influential Shorin-ryu branches. He trained in Shuri-te under Itosu, inheriting a curriculum grounded in kata practice, disciplined posture, and effective self-defence principles.

Chibana’s karate emphasised direct movement, speed, and correct structure, preserving the combative essence of Shuri-te while refining it into a formal system. He is notable for maintaining traditional values while helping establish karate as an organised art in the early 20th century.

Through his teaching, Chibana played a key role in ensuring that Itosu’s methods were not lost during karate’s rapid modernisation. His students spread Kobayashi Shorin-ryu internationally, making Chibana a crucial figure in bridging classical Okinawan karate with its modern global expression.

Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) is widely known as the man who introduced Okinawan karate to mainland Japan. A student of Ankō Itosu and Azato, Funakoshi was invited to demonstrate karate in Tokyo in 1922, an event that marked the beginning of karate’s spread beyond Okinawa.

He developed Shotokan karate, named after his pen name “Shoto.” Funakoshi’s approach placed strong emphasis on character development, discipline, and the idea of karate as a lifelong path rather than simply fighting skill. He also helped standardise terminology and kata naming conventions, making karate more accessible to Japanese audiences.

Funakoshi’s influence was immense, shaping karate’s global perception through his writings and teaching. Many modern karate practitioners trace their lineage back to him either directly or through Shotokan’s widespread global reach.

Hironori Otsuka (1892–1982) founded Wado-ryu, blending Okinawan karate with Japanese jujutsu principles. Already skilled in Shindo Yoshin-ryu jujutsu, Otsuka began training under Gichin Funakoshi and later interacted with other Okinawan teachers, eventually shaping a unique system.

Wado-ryu emphasises evasive movement, timing, blending, and body shifting rather than meeting force with force. It integrates joint locks, throws, and off-balancing methods in a way that reflects Otsuka’s jujutsu background.

Otsuka’s contribution to karate lies in expanding the art beyond striking, highlighting principles of harmony and efficiency. Wado-ryu became one of Japan’s major karate styles and remains widely practised globally, recognised for its fluid movement and tactical approach.

Kenwa Mabuni (1889–1952) was the founder of Shito-ryu, one of the major styles of modern karate. He trained under Ankō Itosu (Shuri-te) and Kanryo Higaonna (Naha-te), giving him deep access to both major Okinawan lineages. His style was created as a synthesis of these influences.

Mabuni was known for his extensive knowledge of kata, preserving a wide range from different sources. Shito-ryu’s curriculum reflects this breadth, containing many kata from both Shuri and Naha lines, as well as additional forms influenced by other Okinawan and Chinese traditions.

He moved to Japan in the 1920s and became one of the leading figures introducing Okinawan karate to the mainland. Mabuni’s legacy lies in both preservation and organisation: he systematised kata transmission while maintaining the technical diversity of Okinawan karate, ensuring that multiple lineages survived through his teaching.

Ryusho Sakagami (1915–1993) was a senior student of Kenwa Mabuni and became one of the leading figures in the preservation and expansion of Shito-ryu karate. He trained directly under Mabuni, the founder of Shito-ryu, and later played a major role in teaching and organising the style in Japan.

Sakagami was known for his technical precision and his commitment to preserving the extensive kata curriculum that defines Shito-ryu. He founded the Itosu-kai organisation, named in honour of Ankō Itosu, recognising Itosu’s central influence on Mabuni’s karate roots.

Through Sakagami’s leadership, Itosu-kai became a prominent branch of Shito-ryu, spreading internationally. His legacy lies in combining tradition with structured teaching, ensuring that Shito-ryu’s breadth of kata and principles remained intact as karate expanded worldwide.

Chōjirō Tani (1921–1998) was the founder of Shukokai karate, a system that evolved from Shitō-ryū with a strong emphasis on power generation, body mechanics, and impact efficiency. A direct student of Kenwa Mabuni, Tani inherited a deep kata curriculum rooted in both Shuri-te and Naha-te traditions.

Tani was particularly interested in how power is transferred through the body at the moment of impact. His approach focused on hip movement, relaxed acceleration, correct structural alignment, and explosive delivery rather than muscular tension. These ideas later became defining characteristics of Shukokai training and heavily influenced modern sport karate and applied striking methods.

Under Tani’s leadership, Shukokai developed into a distinct expression of karate that prioritised effectiveness, precision, and biomechanical understanding. His legacy continues through international Shukokai organisations and practitioners who maintain his emphasis on power, efficiency, and disciplined technical study.