History tells us that in 1879, the year twelfth of the Meiji era, the southwestern archipelago in the East China Sea that today constitutes the province of Okinawa, formed the Ryukyu Kingdom, a sovereign state independent of Japan. At that time, Okinawa did not belong to Japan; rather, it was an independent island. The islands were largely dedicated to fishing. There were many shipyards where fishing boats were repaired, and small docks where vessels were repaired. Martial arts were also practiced there as a form of defense and for the physical and spiritual improvement of the fishermen themselves. This bears a resemblance to the shipyards in the port of Veracruz and to the colony where the shipyard dojo is located, hence the origin of its name.