Okinawan Ti (Okinawa-te)

沖縄手

Original ancient unarmed martial art of Okinawan nobility, direct ancestor of Karate.

Quick Facts

Founder

Okinawan Tribal Warriors

Country of OriginJapan

RegionAsia

Primary FocusHybrid

Contact LevelFull contact

Character & Origin

StatusHistorical

LineageTraditional

Era of OriginEarly modern

Organisation & Competition

Olympic StatusNot Olympic

What the style is built from

Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.

Hand strikesCore

KicksSignificant

Throws & takedownsSignificant

Ground fightingNot used

Locks & holdsSignificant

WeaponsMarginal

Catalogs & Databases for Okinawan Ti (Okinawa-te)

👥 People & Masters1 items · across 1 styles

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About Okinawan Ti (Okinawa-te)

Okinawan Ti (Rukou) or Okinawa-te forms the indigenous historical foundation from which modern Karate emerged. Originally reserved for the Okinawan aristocracy (Pechin), it placed great emphasis on unexpected grabs, joint levers, throws, pressure point strikes and fighting in tight clothing.

Styles & Branches

Motobu Udundi (Motobu Palace Art)本部御殿手

Palace art of Okinawa's noble Motobu family, with joint locks, throws, sword and spear. Not a school of karate, though the two merged organizationally after the war.

Similar styles

Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.

Defendu LINE System (Linear In-Fighting)Kuntao (Kuntao)Pencak Silat Harimau Minangkabau Silat Pattani Pencak Silat Beksi