Okinawan male karateka

Kenwa Mabuni (摩文仁 賢和, Mabuni Kenwa, 14 November 1889 - 23 May 1952) was one of the first karateka to teach karate in mainland Japan and is credited as developing the style known as Shitō-ryū. Originally, he chose the name Hanko-ryu, literally "half-hard style", to imply that the style used both hard and soft techniques. Toyama Kanken, who was trained the same way he was, teased Mabuni endlessly about the name, implying it meant "semi erect". Finally, Mabuni chose Shito-ryu, the first characters of the names Itosu and Higaonna, his two primary teachers. I.E. ITOHIGA.

Morio Higaonna (東恩納 盛男, Higaonna Morio, born December 25, 1938) is a prominent Okinawan karate practitioner who is the founder and former Chief Instructor of the International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation (IOGKF). He is a holder of the highest rank in Goju-ryu karate, 10th dan. Higaonna has written several books on Goju-ryu karate, including Traditional Karate-do: Okinawa Goju Ryu (1985) and The history of Karate: Okinawan Goju Ryu (2001). Martial arts scholar Donn Draeger (1922–1982) reportedly once described him as "the most dangerous man in Japan in a real fight."

Katsuhiko Shinzato (新里 勝彦, Shinzato Katsuhiko) is an Okinawan martial arts master and head of the Shōrin-ryū Kishaba Juku.

Chokei Kishaba (喜舎場 朝啓, Kishaba Chōkei, October 4, 1929–2000) was an Okinawan martial arts master and founder of the Shōrin-ryū Kishaba Juku.

Shinpan Gusukuma (城間 真繁, Shiroma Shinpan, 1890–1954), also known as Shinpan Shiroma by the Japanese, was an Okinawan martial artist who studied Shōrin-ryū karate as a student of Ankō Itosu. Gusukuma also trained under Higaonna Kanryō in the Naha-te style. Gusukuma went on to establish Shitō-ryū with Kenwa Mabuni.

Gichin Funakoshi (船越 義珍, Funakoshi Gichin, November 10, 1868 – April 26, 1957) is the founder of Shotokan karate-do, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate, but after Ankō Itosu sensei, Funakoshi sensei's teacher, had introduced the art pre-1922, to the Japanese mainland in 1922. He taught karate at various Japanese universities and became honorary head of the Japan Karate Association upon its establishment in 1949.

Eiichi Miyazato (宮里 栄一, Miyazato Eiichi, July 5, 1922 – December 11, 1999) was a leading Okinawan master of Goju-ryu karate. He was a senior student of Chōjun Miyagi, founder of the Goju-ryu style. Miyazato held the rank of 10th dan in karate and 7th dan in judo; on his death, he was honoured with the degree of 8th dan in judo.

Chogi Kishaba (喜舎場 朝義, Kishaba Chōgi), also Choji Kishaba, is an Okinawan martial arts master and founder of the Ryukyu Bujutsu Kenkyu Doyukai (RBKD).

Chōmo Hanashiro (花城 長茂, Hanashiro Chōmo, Okinawan: Hanagusuku Chomu; 1869-1945) was an Okinawan martial arts master who is notable for aiding in the evolution of Shōrin-ryū karate.

Ankichi Arakaki (新垣 安吉, Arakaki Ankichi) born in 1899 in Shuri Okinawa became an Okinawan martial arts master who, despite dying at the age of 28 in 1927, is notable for aiding in the evolution of Shōrin-ryū karate. He was extremely important in the education of Shōshin Nagamine, who later went on to found Matsubayashi-ryū karate. He was also the uncle of Ansei Ueshiro, the chief instructor at Shoshin Nagamine's original dojo and creator of Fukyugata Sandan.