The Dojo:

It is traditionally known among oriental people as

a place, where students are instructed in a path which leads toward self-realization.

It is a hall of spiritual as well as hard physical training.

It is treated with a particular respect and veneration by all students of karate-do and they always bow with respect when entering or leaving the dojo.

It is no ordinary place of exercise.

It is the way place where the teacher and serious students strive to cultivate their minds toward perfection of the human spirit.

Okinawan Karatedo and Kobudo:

The many islands make up the prefecture of Okinawa are each rich in nature, with unique histories and traditions.
　　 In the 12th Century, Okinawa was comprised of scattered fiefdoms governed by aji who built great gusuku (castles) from which to rule their lands. Later, these many fiefdoms were consolidated into three principalities, which were united as the Kingdom of the Ryukyus under King Sho Hashi in 1429. The Kingdom prospered as the hub of entrepot trade from the 14th to 16th Centuries, linking China and other Asian Kingdoms. The danger posed by Japanese pirates in trading across the open seas and the constant need for self-defense in foreign lands, however, made the development of martial arts skills a necessity. It was with this background that Okinawan karate (formerly known as ‘ti’) and kobudo evolved. Over centuries of exchange with China and the other Southeast Asian Kingdoms, the best of their martial arts were incorporated into Okinawan ti, giving rise to karate and kobudo as we know them today.
　　 Some of the forms of Ti during the prime of the Ryukyu Kingdom were Shuri Ti, best known in the areas surrounding Shuri Castle, Naha Ti, used in the commercial and trading city of Naha, and Tomari Ti, which evolved in an area just between the castle community in the hills and the Naha lowland port area. Each of these schools had their own well known martial arts masters, whose techniques and tenets have been passed down through the generations to this day.
　　 Since both karate and kobudo were practiced as hidden arts, never revealed to the uninitiated, there is a distinct lack of written records or literature. The tradition was either conveyed orally or through private teaching. However, following Okinawa's annexation by Japan, the implementation of new legal and other systems, and the concurrent introduction of the Meiji system of public education around 1880 ’s, karate and kobudo were introduced into the school curriculum. The same era saw the first public demonstrations of the martial arts. From 1910 through to the pre-war years around 1940’s came the first spread of karate and kobudo to areas overseas.
　　 In the aftermath of World War II, Okinawan karate was divided into four major schools or ryuha: the Shorin Ryu, Goju Ryu, Uechi Ryu, and Matsubayashi Ryu. Today, many ryuha or kaiha are active in Okinawa. Each has its own standardized basic kata in which the offensive and defensive techniques have their theoretical roots. The Okinawan karate and kobudo traditions that incorporate many years of strict discipline to cultivate both body and mind help polish a practitioners character, giving rise to stronger, emotionally healthier people for the betterment of society. Karate and kobudo are now developing and reaching out to many more people across the world systems. 

Okinawa Prefecture, which was once known as the Ryukyu Kingdom, has a unique culture that developed through exchange with China and other Southeast Asian countries. Karatedo and Kobudo were born out of this historical exchange of cultures from a mixture of traditional Okinawan martial arts and those of neighboring countries.

Okinawa’s Karatedo and Kobudo traditions are derived from our ancestors who were against weapons and valued peace. As true arts of self-defense, they have been passed down through generations as means to cultivate and discipline both body and spirit.

Today, Karatedo and Kobudo are practiced by 50 million people in 178 countries worldwide.