The Fighting Arts: Great Masters of the Martial Arts by Howard Reid and Michael Croucher Simon and Schuster, New York 1983 Chapter 10 (part of), Martial Systems of the World Okinawa and Korea The peoples of Korea and the Ryukyu Islands (whose capital is Okinawa) have lived for the last 1,000 years in close contact with the Chinese mainland and with Japan. Both countries have struggled to maintain some independence from their powerful neighbors, and this is reflected in their martial arts. In Korea the main styles are tae kwon do, tang soo do and Hwarang do. The Koreans' speciality lies in their powerful high kicks, often performed after take-off, but in other respects they are clearly composed of a blend of Chinese and Japanese skills. In the same way, karate, the native Okinawan art, reflects the force and determination of the Japanese arts, but also takes great advantage of the subtlety and grace of the Chinese arts. Indeed, the word kara-te originally meant 'Chinese hand', as well as 'empty hand', although nowadays only the latter meaning is used. Many schools of karate recognize that their art derived originally from Shaolin Temple boxing and, from observation, some karate can clearly be seen to be related to the northern Chinese martial traditions. Similarly, tae kwon do, with its high kicks and open stances, is clearly a close cousin of northern Shaolin. However, the Korean kicking tradition is known to be about 2,000 years old, and it is possible that originally the Koreans taught these techniques to the Chinese, and not vice-versa. Tae kwon do employs very few soft martial techniques, but in Okinawa one of today's two martial styles has evidently been heavily influenced by this tradition. The deep-breathing exercises and locking and throwing techniques of goju-ryu karate are acknowledged to have come from Fukien Province in China during the last two centuries. Karate-do and tae kwon do are the two most internationally popular kick-boxing forms of martial arts in the world today. There is also an Okinawan weapons system called Ryukyu kobudo that specializes in the use of agricultural tools and hidden weapons.