Family Tree · 系譜

Every karateka has a teacher behind them.

Karate is a living chain. Your sensei learned from their sensei, who learned from theirs, back to a founder generation that codified the style. The Family Tree traces those lineages — Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu, and the others — node by verifiable node. Find your place. Honour the chain.

3 MAJOR LINEAGES · 18 KEY FIGURES · 6 PLATFORM FEATURES · 6 LINEAGE ETIQUETTE RULES
Browse a lineage

Each style has a verifiable chain.

G1
Shuri-te Founding Master (G1)
c. 1809–1899
STYLE
Shuri-te (proto-Shotokan)
A bodyguard to the last Ryukyuan kings, regarded as a root of the Shuri-te line. The line above him is oral-only.
OKINAWA
G2
The Schools Reformer (G2)
c. 1831–1915
STYLE
Shuri-te
Brought karate into Okinawan public schools in 1901. Created the Pinan/Heian kata.
OKINAWA
G3
Founder of Shotokan (G3)
c. 1868–1957
Style founder
STYLE
Shotokan
Founded Shotokan in Tokyo in 1922. Author of a foundational karate memoir.
TOKYO
G4
The Founder's Son (G4)
c. 1906–1945
STYLE
Shotokan
Son of the founder. Developed long stances, lower postures, dynamic kicks. Died young.
TOKYO
G4
Technical Codifier (G4)
c. 1913–1987
STYLE
Shotokan (national assoc.)
Founded the main national association. Codified the modern Shotokan syllabus and grading system.
TOKYO
G5
North America Pioneer (G5)
c. 1928–2008
STYLE
Shotokan (intl. org.)
Brought Shotokan to the USA. Founded an international traditional organisation. World seminars 1965–2008.
LOS ANGELES
G5
Intl. Organisation Founder (G5)
c. 1931–2019
STYLE
Shotokan (intl. org.)
Founded an international Shotokan organisation. Major influence in Asia.
TOKYO / ASIA
G5
Athletic Kata Master (G5)
c. 1935–2006
STYLE
Shotokan (intl. org.)
Founded a Shotokan organisation. Famous for athletic kata performance.
TOKYO
Platform features

Six tools to trace your line.

FEATURE
Trace your direct line
Enter your sensei's name. The platform traces upward through every confirmed teacher–student link to the founding generation.
FEATURE
Contemporary verification
Living teachers can confirm or correct their listed students. Disputed claims are flagged for review.
FEATURE
Generation depth indicator
Shows your generation count from the style founder. A 6th-generation karateka has a chain of 5 teacher–student links separating them from the founder.
FEATURE
Cross-lineage discovery
Find practitioners who share a teacher with you. Useful for seminar invitations and lineage reunions.
FEATURE
Historical document overlay
Where the platform has access to scanned grading certificates or photographs, they appear on the relevant node.
FEATURE
Lineage gap recognition
When a link cannot be verified, the platform marks it as a "gap" rather than asserting it. Honest about what is known.
Lineage etiquette

Six rules of lineage conduct.

01
Claiming a lineage you do not have is a serious dojo offence. The platform investigates flagged claims.
02
When introducing yourself, state your direct sensei first; the founder generation second. Skipping intermediate teachers is bad form.
03
Honour the entire chain, not just the famous names. The mid-generation sensei who taught you was every bit as important.
04
Lineage does not equal authority. A 6th-generation Shotokan student is not automatically more skilled than a 4th-generation Wado-ryu student.
05
Style-shopping by lineage is hollow. Pick a dojo by the sensei in front of you — the lineage they carry is one factor, not the only one.
06
When your sensei dies, their lineage continues through their students — including you. Honour the obligation.
What the tree cannot tell you
Lineage is context, not credential.
A perfect chain to the founder of Shotokan does not make you a great karateka. A clean lineage to the founder of Goju-ryu does not guarantee a strong sanchin. The chain matters because it tells the story of where the techniques came from and how they evolved — it does not measure your individual practice today. Honour the lineage. Train as if it depends on you.
Related
Karate archive →Belt history →Dojo map →Dashboard