I did know that it has origins in the Ryukyu Kingdom, and even went to Shuri Castle a few times before it burnt down (more recently). Shuri was the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. 

Karate can mean different things for different people. And for some the idea of something beyond sports competition is a foreign idea to them, and they don’t see the point. Not everybody wants to be an athlete, and all of us have our own battles, and this is a massive part of the martial arts, developing the martial mind and spirit, not just winning sports matches.