Shotokan Timeline
The dates highlighted are essential for any Dan grade candidate to learn, and may be asked for during a dan grading.
If you would like to add an important date to the timeline, email it to Sensei Steve Cook with the year and a brief statement.
868 | First known martial arts traced to this year. First known martial artist was the Buddhist monk Bhodidharma |
1400s | The warring clans resolve their issues and ban weapons across Okinawa |
1609 | Japan invades Okinawa, continuing to ban weapons and 'fighting systems' |
1668 | Chatan Yara born (teacher of Takahara) |
1683 | Takahara Peichin born (teacher of Sakugawa) |
1720 | Kong Su Kun born (AKA Kushanku) |
1733 | Sakugawa Kanga born (teacher of Matsumura) |
1756 | Chatan Yara dies |
1756 | Kong Su Kun sent to Okinawa as ambassador to the Qing Dynasty |
1760 | Takahara Peichin dies |
1762 | Kong Su Kun returned to China |
1790 | Kong Su Kun dies |
1797 | Matsumura Sokon born (teacher of Azato and Itosu) |
1815 | Sakugawa Kanga dies |
1827 | Itosu Anko born (teacher of Funakoshi) |
1832 | Azato Anko born (teacher of Funakoshi) |
1868 | Funakoshi Gichin born |
1892 | Matsumura Sokon dies |
1902 | Japanese Ministry for Education recommends karate as a form of physical exercise |
1906 | Azato Anko dies |
1913 | Nakayama Masaytoshi born |
1915 | Itosu Anko dies |
1921 | Crown Prince Hirohito of Japan witnesses karate demonstration while visiting Okinawa |
1922 | Prince Hirohito invites Funakoshi to Japan to give the first public demonstration of karate |
1922 | The karate study group in Japan is formed, thus becoming the first known formal karate class |
1922 | Vernon Bell born |
1924 | First recorded karateka graded to Shodan |
1931 | Kanazawa Hirokazu born |
1935 | Shotokan and Shotokai split |
1936 | The first Shotokai dojo is built |
1939 | Funakoshi's dojo named 'The Shotokan' |
1945 | Shotokan dojo destroyed in an air raid during bombing in the Second World War |
1945 | Yoshitaka 'Gigo' Funakoshi, third son of Gichin Funakoshi, and a Shotokan innovator, dies |
1949 | First ever karate association formed, the JKA, with Funakoshi in charge and Nakayama as the chief instructor |
1957 | Funakoshi Gichin O'Sensei dies |
1957 | Vernon Bell awarded Shodan, the first British karateka to achieve this |
1978 | Kanazawa forms SKIF, breaking away from the JKA due to politics |
1987 | Nakayama Masatoshi Sensei dies |
1994 | CFTS formed by Sensei Kidby, Sensei Coppen and Sensei Calver |
2001 | Kanazawa Sensei awarded 10th dan, the first ever Shotokan student to be awarded this grade |
2004 | Vernon Bell dies |
2015 | Shotokai and Shotokan train together for the first time in many years |