Everyday lifeMyths & disputes

karate

Okinawans called their fighting art tōdī, 'Chinese hand'; in the 1920s–30s Japanese masters swapped the character for 'empty', keeping the sound kara, and 'empty hand' is the name the world learned — from Korean gongsudo and Brazilian caratê to Soviet basements, where it was banned in the 1980s.

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The story you may have heard

That karate always meant 'empty hand'. The original name meant 'Chinese hand'; 'empty' is a respelling of the 1920s–30s.

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1850Okinawan

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

karate

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The road to English

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