The story of karate

For teenagers and adults: age 12 and up. Switch to for younger readers.

1. 1Who were the masters of the three towns?Three teachers in three Okinawan towns kept a fighting art alive, and one of them sailed to China to learn more. · 4 min
2. 2Why did Itosu make five new kata?When the old order fell, Anko Itosu took Shuri's art into the schools and made it simple enough for a class to learn. · 4 min
3. 3Why did Funakoshi cross the sea in his fifties?Gichin Funakoshi took karate to Tokyo in 1922 and gave it a uniform, a grading ladder, a new written name and a sign over the door. · 4 min
4. 4What did each founder want?Miyagi, Mabuni, Otsuka and Oyama each built a karate of his own, and several of them said they never wanted styles at all. · 4 min
5. 5Who carried karate round the world?Servicemen going home, four instructors sent to Europe, and a long campaign to reach the Olympic Games. · 4 min
6. 6Who brought karate to Britain?A judo instructor from Essex learned it in Paris, taught it in Ilford, and invited the teachers who came after him. · 4 min

Written from checked sources, listed on the sources page. Pictures are drawn, with computer help, under our direction; none shows a real child. Recorded chapters and words are read by a computer voice; a word not yet recorded uses your device's own voice.