Karate, a martial art renowned for its striking techniques and disciplined training, traces its origins back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, now known as Okinawa, Japan. Historically, Okinawa was a trade hub frequented by Chinese merchants, who brought with them various martial arts styles.

These Chinese influences, combined with indigenous Okinawan fighting techniques, laid the groundwork for what would become karate. The Chinese fighting arts were referred to as "Toudi" by the Okinawans. Toudi (also written Tode, Tuidi, Tote etc.) literally means "Chinese hand" in the Okinawan language.

The martial arts of Okinawa, at the time, generally referred to as Te for "hand", varied from one town to another. In order to distinguish among the various types of Te, the name was often prefaced with its area of origin. The three main villages were Shuri, Naha and Tomari. The styles were therefore named Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te, respectively.

After cultivating Toudi for many years in Okinawa, a handful of local practitioners—including Funakoshi Gichin, Mabuni Kenwa, Miyagi Chojun, Motobu Choki and others—wanted to spread this art to mainland Japan. Unfortunately, Japan was in historical conflict with China at this time. Anything that had connections to China was disliked by the Japanese. In order to make Toudi accepted by the Japanese public, several things had to change. Including the name.

The first character (Tou) can also be pronounced "Kara" in regular Japanese since Japanese characters can have several pronunciations. Therefore the first character was replaced with an alternative character—which is also pronounced "Kara"—but with the meaning "empty" instead of “Chinese".

On October 25, 1936 at 4pm, a historical meeting was held by those Okinawan masters, where they officially decided to change the name from Toudi (Chinese hand) to Karate (empty hand). It was agreed that "karate" would be easier to market and promote in mainland Japan.

Over time, karate evolved into different styles, each with its unique techniques and philosophies. The term karate itself, meaning “empty hand,” signifies its focus on unarmed combat. It wasn't until the early 20th century that karate gained widespread recognition in Japan and beyond, thanks to the efforts by martial artists like Gichin Funakoshi, who introduced it to the Japanese mainland and eventually the rest of the world.

Today, karate stands as one of the most popular martial arts globally, valued not only for its effectiveness in self-defense but also for its emphasis on discipline, respect, and personal development.