Shotokan (松濤館流, Shōtōkan-ryū^?) is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa ^[1] and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.^[2]

Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death in 1957. However, internal disagreements led to the creation of different organizations—including an initial split between the Japan Karate Association (headed by Masatoshi Nakayama) and the Shotokai (headed by Shigeru Egami), followed by many others—so that today there is no single "Shotokan school", although they all bear Funakoshi's influence.

Famous practitioners of Shotokan:

UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida is a 3rd-dan Shotokan black belt, while his brother Shinzo is a 4th-dan and their father Yoshizo is a 7th-dan and head of the Japan Karate Association's Brazilian branch.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort recently earned his Blue Belt in Shotokan.