Karate comes from many diffrent places.  One of these is Japan.  The style of karate that I take is from an island off the coast of Japan.  This island is named Okinawa.  The style that I take is called Isshinryu.  It was created by master Tatsuo Shimabuku.  He was a master of Shorin-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, and Weapons.  These three styles are the mother and father of Isshinryu.  Isshinryu Karate has a patch.  It has a lady named Mizu-Gami who is a half serphant sea-godess.  She symbolizes the quitness a karate student should exhibit and also the strength of a serphant.  Her left hand is opened which means peace and her right hand is clenched which represents strength is evil persists.  There is a dragon above the woman who has forced himself above the troubles of life and into the peace of the gray sky.  This dragon is also representative of Master Shimabuku because his first name is Tatsuo which means Dragon Boy.  There are three stars in the corner of the patch which represent many things such as physical,mental, and spiritual.  There is writing which means Isshinryu Karate.  The troubled water indicates a typhoon and danger.  The orange ring which is around the outside means the fire which holds it all together.