Ankō Itosu  (1831 – 11 March 1915) is considered by many the father of modern karate, although this title is also often given to Gichin Funakoshi because of the latter spread karate throughout Japan.

Pioneer of Modern karate:

Anko Itosu’s teachings are legendary in world martial arts. Along with his Master, Sokon ‘Bushi’ Matsumura, he was instrumental in the development of the Shuri-te style of Okinawan karate.

Itosu can be said to be the first person to practice what would closely resemble the type of Shotokan karate that is practiced today, and was responsible for taking the martial art from being a secretive, behind closed doors art, to being spread to the general public in Okinawa.

Legendary Fighting Prowess – Tomoyose

When Itosu was a young man, he built up a reputation by winning several fights and there are a number of legends about his endeavors that have been handed down to us from an oral tradition.

One story tells of how he challenged an obnoxious bully named Tomoyose who was criticizing the Shuri-te style, calling it “parlour karate”. Itosu was then attacked by Tomoyose’s gang but he quickly dispatched three of them using one knockout blow for each. Tomoyose then decided to attack himself and was also subdued in a similar fashion, being rendered unconscious by Itosu.

Influence on Karate

While it can be difficult to know where true karate history ends and myths and legends begin, both these stories illustrate why Anko Itosu’s teachings are so important to karate history. It was him that popularized and possibly brought in the concept of finishing an opponent off with one blow, which is often delivered when the opponents begin their opening attack.

Previously karateka, much like kung Fu practitioners, would attempt to overwhelm their opponents with less powerful rapid-fire techniques, use grappling moves or lighter strikes to vulnerable areas such as pressure points, the eyes, or the groin. For this reason, the master’s karate is said to be the first that closely resembles what is practiced in Shotokan karate today, leading many to see Itosu as the Grandfather of Modern Day Karate.

Another major contribution made by Sensei Itosu was to take the art out of secrecy and get it taught in Okinawan schools. This would start a chain of events that would lead to his karate being popularized throughout the world and become one of the most practiced martial arts there is.