To immerse ourselves in the history of karate-Do in Okinawa, and to fully comprehend its origins, we must date back to the beginning of Taoism (the Taoist monks 3000 B.C.). There is a theory that relates to the origins of Chinese Kempo, claiming that Kempo was introduced to China by the arrival of Bodhidharma (VI century A.D.) a Hindu monk. Nevertheless this is not entirely true in every aspect, due to the fact, that the Taoist Philosophy promoted by Lao Tse, included within its precepts, the study of medicine and the martial arts. This indicates that it is necessary to establish that the Chinese martial arts had evolved at least 3000 years before the arrival of Bodhidharma.

The Taoist monks were great advocates of the “Chi” (creative energy, spiritual and vital energy) that began from the Tao. Tao was the harmonious unification of Ying (negative energy, cold, lunar and feminine) and Yang (positive energy, hot, masculine and solar) both energies were separated by an undulant energy that familiarised and harmonised them intrinsically. The Taoist monks believed the whole universe originated from the Tao and that the Ying and Yang was present in everything. There was a Cosmic Chi, from which they learnt the study of astrology and divination; a planetary chi representing the earth and water in our planet, from were the Feng-Shui originated and an organic Chi such as plants, animals and human beings. From the plants they learnt about herbalism, from the human being they learnt about the meridians and the energy channels, from where the aspect of Chinese medicine originated, such as acupuncture (treatment with needles) and acupressure (treatment with the hands). These studies also contributed to the studies of the martial arts, focusing their attention in observing and mimicking the animals. They learnt the necessary aspects for the development of the martial arts, such as – breathing, the way to stretch and relax and the animal’s natural expression of Chi in their movements instinctive to their survival.