Karate seems so fun to try, especially with the self defense aspect.
Karate was actually brought to japan in the early 20th century
20th? That doesn't seem that long ago!
Karate
The Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan in 1879. Karate was brought to the Japanese archipelago in the early 20th century during a time of migration as Ryukyuans, especially from Okinawa, looked for work in Japan. It was systematically taught in Japan after the Taishō era. In 1922, the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio University established the first university karate club in mainland Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karate clubs. In this era of
David Akutagawa
David Akutagawa (1937–2008) was a Japanese Canadian martial artist active during the late 20th century.
Early life.
Born in 1937, Akutagawa first came to Canada after receiving a degree in Economic Science from Kohnan University in Kobe, Japan. His karate background at that time was in Shitō-ryū and Shōtōkan-ryū styles.
Career.
He held 8th Dan in Shitō-ryū was 6th dan, shihan, and renshi in Chitō-ryū; his karate history spanned a half-century