Ankō Itosu is considered by many the father of modern karate. This title is also often given to Gichin Funakoshi because of the latter spreading karate throughout Japan, but only after Ankō sensei had introduced the art of Okinawate to the country.
Ankō Itosu
Ten Precepts of Karate
Karate (空手), also karate-do , is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
Chōmo Hanashiro, an Okinawan karate master c. 1938
WKF's Karate World Championship 2006 in Tampere, Finland; men's heavyweight final
King Shō Shin
Karate training in front of Shuri Castle in Naha (1938)