Why are there so many different styles of Karate-do?

Answer 1

why doesn't everyone have the same last name?
EDIT.i dont believe it some who actually knows what there talking about.singh.s!

Answer 2

Hi there. I hope you know the proper meaning of the word "KARATE" and from where it came.
Majorly this art got established in a place called OKINAWA an island in Japan. Has matter of fact Okinawa was the main mother style among all the other styles. The other styles were sub divided to recognise which master was teaching the art. So majorly you get the following sub styles:
Okinawa Shorin Ryu Shorin Kan
Okinawa Gojiryu
Okinawa Shoto Kan
the styles even changes as per the generation master. I hope this much of info.. is sufficient for you my friend..

Answer 3

This is because there were many sub-styles of the Shaolin Monastery, after it was ransacked and demolished in the 15th Century The Ambassadors and Emissaries had themselves learnt different styles, which were then taught to the Okinawan's. Today, there are 4 main styles recognized by the World Karate Federation, and they are 1) Shoto-kan Karate; 2). Shito-Ryu Karate; 3). Wado-Ryu Karate; and 4). Go-ju Ryu Karate

Answer 4

the same question could be asked about religion, or the different types of laws governing different aspects of life, or why there's so many different breeds of dogs (or other animals for that matter).

the founders of the different Martal Arts disciplines had studied another discipline beforehand at some point or another, and through their training, they either modified certain aspects that they liked, or disgarded the aspects they didn't like in favor of something that suited them, so therefore they had created a new way to study the discipline, but now the focus or meaning had changed for them and their method of teaching the disicpline.

while others simply studied two disciplines that were already established, and then combined them to create another discipline.

sometimes, one student disliked the "traditional" method that their instructor was teaching, and opted instead for their own more contemporary version of the discipline

but the point is; that wherever Martial Arts had originally come from, or why there are so many different disciplines or versions of a particular discipline, is that no matter what the reasons for their differences, they still come form a common basis or principle and should be respected as equal

Answer 5

Originally, there were two styles of Okinawa te (Okinawan hand); Naha te and Shuri te (both named after the city in Okinawa in which they were developed. Later, Okinawans began to trade with Chinese merchants who brought in techniques of Chinese martial arts, especially Shaolin white crane. Eventually, Okinawa te was renamed to Kara Te (Chinese hand).
A major upheaval in karate history occurred immediately after WWII, when Okinawa voluntarily became part of Japan. To demonstrate solidarity with Japanese culture, Kara Te (Chinese hand) was re-named Karate (empty hand), and the weapons techniques were separated to their own martial arts, called kobudo (old ways of fighting). Naha-te split into two schools, Uechi-ryu and Goju-ryu, while Shuri-te was re-named Shorin-ryu in honor of a certificate of mastery in Shaolin White Crane held by one of the ancient masters of Shuri-te.
Finally, Funakoshi Gichin, who had studied both Shuri-te and Naha-te, moved to Tokyo and exported the art of karate to Japan--founding his own system, Shotokan. The Japanese fell in love with karate, and new Japanese masters have been blending Okinawan karate with indigenous Japanese techniques for 60 years, continually creating their own new styles.