History of Karate

Karate, which means empty hand, originated in Okinawa out of a tradition going back through China, India and Egypt to the Ancient Greeks. There is even new evidence of Martial Arts in ancient Sumeria, the first civilization to develop on Earth. Foremost among the early Okinawan masters was Karate Sakugawa (1733-1815) whose student Sokon Matsumura was among the first to develop a systematized approach to teaching the art.

Matsumura's student Itosu Yasutsune developed the art and passed on his knowledge to Gichin Funakoshi who introduced karate to mainland Japan in 1922. Among Funakoshi's first students was Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982).

Ohtsuka was the Grandmaster (highest authority) in Shindo Yoshinryu Jiu Jutsu, and combined this art with Karate to found the Wado Ryu (Way of Harmony) style.

Robert Heale Mason began his study of Martial Arts in 1962. In 1969 he began training under Tatsuo Suzuki (successor to Master Ohtsuka in the Wado Ryu style) and Meiji Suzuki (1967 Japan Universities Karate Champion).

In 1982, following the death of Master Ohtsuka, Meiji Suzuki and Petar Mejic founded the Mu-Gen-Do™ (unlimited way) Karate system, combining Karate with contemporary occidental fighting arts.

Robert Heale Mason is the Principal Instructor in the U.S.A. for Mu-Do-Kai™ (Mu-Gen-Do™ Association).

Petar Mejic and Meiji Suzuki

Mugendo TM

The Unlimited Way

kanjilogoTM

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