KARA: A Japanese ideogram that forms the root of the word KARATE. In its original form, KARATE was written with an ideogram depicting the T'ANG DYNASTY of CHINA. This denoted the Chinese origins of KARATE. In 1936 FUNAKOSHI GICHIN replaced this ideogram with another meaning "empty," so that KARATE now means "empty hand." (See also Karate article).
