# how did



## senseiblackbelt (Sep 8, 2016)

how  did karate get its name?


----------



## Steve (Sep 8, 2016)

It was a Portuguese term introduced to Japan when the first European traders moved into Japan from the Portugal in the early 1500s. 

In Portuguese, the term means "pain."


----------



## Kickboxer101 (Sep 8, 2016)

Kara = empty te= hands, karate = empty hands


----------



## Tony Dismukes (Sep 8, 2016)

Kickboxer101 said:


> Kara = empty te= hands, karate = empty hands


It was originally "China hand" (same pronunciation, different kanji) in recognition that it was partially descended from Chinese Martial Arts. Later the kanji was changed to "empty hand" due to Japanese nationalism.


----------



## Steve (Sep 8, 2016)

Tony Dismukes said:


> It was originally "China hand" (same pronunciation, different kanji) in recognition that it was partially descended from Chinese Martial Arts. Later the kanji was changed to "empty hand" due to Japanese nationalism.


Heresy!


----------



## Tames D (Sep 9, 2016)

Steve said:


> It was a Portuguese term introduced to Japan when the first European traders moved into Japan from the Portugal in the early 1500s.
> 
> In Portuguese, the term means "pain."


Were they the group that were flying in a V formation while practicing Kata?


----------



## Buka (Sep 9, 2016)

If you delve deep enough you'll find historic references saying that Karate was originally going to be called 'KickSomeAssAndDrinkSomeBeer, but the title was too long to remember, or put on a patch for that matter, then they ran out of beer, so they kept calling for the waitress, whose name was Kara, but everyone called her Tay.

Many Karate Masters don't accept this. Just like Little People don't accept being called Midgets, or People McNuggets, for that matter.

No doubt, you had to be there.


----------



## Touch Of Death (Sep 9, 2016)

Karate isn't a name, it is the what. The name before the word Karate is the name, or the who. Just like Kempo. The word begs for a "Who's Kempo?". It is just the way these words work in that language.


----------

