Shotokan was created by Gichin Funakoshi, a school teacher by trade, and is one of the four recognized major styles of Karate in the world today. In 1936, Shotokan was the third major style registered with the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, the Japanese governmental organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Japanese martial arts. Funakoshi trained with two masters, Anko Azato and Anko Itosu. Shotokan is a compilation style of his master's arts, Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu.

* Shotokan training is usually divided into three parts: kihon (basics), kata (forms or patterns of moves), and kumite (sparring). Techniques in kihon and kata are characterized by deep, long stances that provide stability, enable powerful movements, and strengthen the legs. Strength and power are often demonstrated instead of slower, more flowing motions. Kumite techniques mirror these stances and movements at a basic level, but progress to being more flexible with greater experience. Funakoshi reportedly found traditional martial arts (e.g., sumo, jujutsu, and kenjutsu) to be too focused on combat; he emphasized health, breathing, release of energy, and concentrated mind and body-control. Shotokan can be regarded as a 'hard' and 'external' martial art.

While Funakoshi is credited with "officially" introducing Karate to mainland Japan in 1922, masters from Okinawa began demonstrations beginning in about 1917. Funakoshi synthesized the styles learned from his masters and changed the techniques, Kata (forms) and names of the Kata to make them more palatable to the Japanese public. He aimed to teach only university students who were candidates for the governing leadership group. Funakoshi did not like his students to participate in tournaments.

* In 1949, one of Funakoshi's senior students Masatoshi Nakayama, founded the Japan Karate Association with Gichin Funakoshi as head instructor, and began to restructure the training by following methods developed in modern sports sciences. He established kata and kumite as tournament disciplines. Several Shotokan groups have introduced Kata from other styles into their training, but when the JKA was formed, Nakayama laid down 26 Kata as the Kata syllabus for this organization. Even today, thousands of Shotokan dojo only practice these 26 Kata.

While many Shotokan clubs do a good job of covering all three components of traditional Karate training (basics, forms and sparring,) the style taught today is not what Funakoshi taught to his students. Nakayama and others thought it necessary to change the style for use in the competition arena. While Funakoshi held the title of senior instructor for the JKA, the title was given to him out of respect and was completely honorary.

Shotokan's typical trademarks are long, deep stances and large movements.

Of Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito-Ryu), Funakoshi said, "He truly stands out through his research in Karate and is an incomparable specialist." "It seems to me that no one knows more than he does. On that level, I believe one can say that he is truly unique." Because of his great respect for Mabuni, and his belief that Mabuni knew more than anyone, Funakoshi would send his black belt students to Mabuni to learn kata (forms).

* Information taken from wikipedia.org