• Shito-Ryu
• Shorin(Kobayashi)-Ryu
• Shorin(Matsubayashi)-Ryu
• Shorin-Ryu (Matsumura Seito)
• Shorin(Shobayashi)-Ryu

• Goju-Ryu
• Uechi-Ryu

• Isshen-Ryu
• Shotokan
• Shuri-Ryu
• Wado-Ryu

Prior to the importation of karate, Okinawa had it's own martial art known only as te or hand.  However, as a nominal possession and trading partner of China, it was only a matter of time before Chinese martial arts were incorporated and adopted by the Okinawans.  This fusion of arts became known as to-te, or Chinese Hand.  The first notable practitioner of to-te was To-te Sakugawa.

In 1609, the Satsuma clan of Japan subjugated Okinawa and banned the practice of all martial arts.  To-te continued to be practiced in secret.  This ban continued until 1875 and Japan's recognition as Okinawa as a part of Japan.  History of to-te during this period is very is sketchy due to the requirement for secrecy and the eventual destruction of many official and family records in World War II.

As part of Japan, Japanese officials began to recognize the superior health of Okinawan martial artists and through the efforts of to-te ambassadors to the mainland such as Gichin Funakoshi and Choki Motobu, to-te began to be recognized by Japan for its true value.  It was about this time that the name was changed from to-te (Chinese hand) to karate (empty hand).  This was done, at least in part, to assuage anti-Sino sentiment in Japan at the time.  Karate began to attain official recognition by Japanese martial arts' organizations and was introduced into the Okinawan public school system.

The global popularity of karate owes a great deal to allied servicemen being exposed to it in the Orient during and after the war and taking it home and introducing it in their home countries.  Popular media and successive generations of servicemen and women have also helped to sustain this growth.

Karate was originally divided geographically into Shuri-Te, Tomari-Te and Naha-Te.  From these sprang the large number of Ryu or styles that exist today.

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