AnkÅ Itosu
Itosu Anko (Japanese糸 洲 安 恒, sometimes the customer reading Itosu Yasutsune; born September 28, 1832 Okinawa, Kingdom of Ryukyu (now Japan), † 1916) was Grand Master of Karate and one of the main karate masters of the past 100 years and teachers of most of the later style founder, such as Chibana Choshin ( Shorin- Ryu ), Mabuni Mabuni ( Shito- Ryu ) and Funakoshi Gichin ( Shotokan - Ryu ).
Itosu reformed the Okinawan Karate and made from the former secret martial arts a system that could even be taught in schools ( within the meaning of Dō ) for the purpose of physical training and spiritual education.
He developed many of today's standard katas, such as Pinan ( Heian ) from 1 to 5 and revised the old ways and " defused " thereby incorporated techniques in order to make it accessible to a wide audience can karate. Few of the closest students ( Uchi - Deshi ) got - after many years of intense and serious practicing - reveal the secrets that were included in the original versions of the kata.