RSimpson states here that Karate is not Japanese This is wrong to say Anyway it is wrong to say it in this black and white view Of course karate has its roots in older Chinese martial arts going back as far as the old Shaolin temple Should it be said then that karate is Chinese Of course not Karate IS a Japanese martial art with roots in older Chinese martial arts Japanese actually Okinawan masters of the 19th and early 20th century have changed the art into a new modern fighting art just as languages change like Bihal writes French is a French language French does have its roots in Italy Latin but it is not an Italian language There s no doubt about that so why doubt the fact that the modern karate is Japanese