Karate is not a martial art

“Karate is not a martial art, as we have discussed before. It was not practiced by a martial class. It was not created to kill instantly, to devastate. It had different goals and a different approach. When it was introduced to mainland Japan, it’s early pioneers there worked tirelessly to make it respectable and accepted, and that meant making it ‘Japanese.’ That is how we got ideas like ikken hisatsu, or ‘killing with a single strike,’ which were not a traditional part of Okinawan karate.” - Dave Lowry, “A Perfect Strike in the Japanese Arts (Black Belt Magazine)” 

Comments: Ergo, karate is separate from martial arts except when Japanese karate is discussed since its creation was modeled after the ancient martial arts of Japan. Many of the modern beliefs of Okinawan karate are from the influences of the Japanese forms of karate and martial arts. It is my belief when discussing exclusively Okinawan karate you cannot associate it as a martial art and vice versa.