Karate or karate-dō is a martial art of Okinawan origin. Karate is a synthesis of indigenous Okinawan fighting methods and southern Chinese martial arts, possibly a version of Shaolinquan. It is primarily a striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open hand techniques; however, grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point striking are inherent in the finer points of the art. Karate is characterized by the use of the hips and stances to generate striking power, by the distinctive use of breathing (sharp, explosive exhalations) to focus power, and by the practice of prearranged forms (called kata). One who practices karate is sometimes referred to as a karate-ka (Japanese, "karate practitioner").

In general, karate training is divided into three major areas: basics (“kihon” in Japanese), forms ("kata" 型 in Japanese), and sparring ("kumite" 組手 in Japanese). Basic motion (Kihon) (基本) is the study of the fundamental techniques of the art. Kata means 'form' or 'pattern'. It is a series of movements and techniques linked together by the physical/combatative principles that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves against imagined opponents. The moves themselves may have multiple interpretations as self-defense technqiues. Sparring may be constrained by many rules or it may be free sparring, and may be practiced both as sport and for self-defense training.

Many styles of karate also include specialized conditioning equipment, known in Japanese collectively as 'hojo undo.' Some of the more common devices are the makiwara, the chi-ishi (a kind of off center free weight), and nigiri game (large jars used for grip strength). Some styles also include instruction in kobudo, or traditional Okinawan weaponry. The two arts are not strictly linked, but they have followed a synergistic course of development.

The word "karate" initially comes from the Okinawan pronunciation of the Chinese characters "kara", referring to China itself from the Chinese Tang dynasty, and "te" meaning hand:

• 唐手 "karate”

The meaning, then, was "Chinese hand" or "Tang hand" or “Chinese fist” or "Chinese techniques": "Tang hand" in the sense of "Tang boxing" from the Chinese Tang dynasty or by extension, "Chinese hand" reflecting the Chinese influence on the style. In 1933, following Japan's invasion of eastern China in the period 1931-3, Gichin Funakoshi in Japan (known as the father of modern karate) changed the "kara" character in "karate" to a homonym denoting "emptiness".

• 空手 “karate”

By 1936 Funakoshi's second book had appeared, using the kara-as-emptiness character, and at a meeting of Okinawan masters the same meaning was adopted. Since then, the word "karate" (same pronunciation, different characters) has meant "empty hand".

The term "empty hand" carries with it Japanese Zen connotations: not just that the karate practitioner is carrying no weapon, but also the Zen process of perfecting oneself and one's art, by emptying the heart and mind of earthly desire and vanity. The "emptiness" suggested by the new ideogram refers to rendering oneself empty or egoless, to further development of spiritual insight. Funakoshi stated that the actual meaning of his writings are as follows: "As a mirror's polished surface reflects whatever stands before it and a quiet valley carries even small sounds, so must the student of Karate-Dō render of their mind empty of selfishness and wickedness in an effort to react appropriately toward anything they might encounter. This is the meaning of the kara or 'empty' of Karate-Dō."

• 空手道 “karate-dō”

The "do" suffix is used for various arts and implies that they are not just techniques but have spiritual elements. In this circumstance it is usually translated as "the way of" (cf. Aikido, Judo and Kendo). Thus, "karate-do" is "the way of the empty hand".

Funakoshi's philosophy has been inspirational to many generations of karate students; yet historically it's worth noting that in the climate of Japan in the 1930s, removing an explicit reference to China in the art's name may well have been a politically expedient move.