Read instructions and background information on websites devoted to various types of karate or the one that you in particular wish to learn. Spend time learning about the philosophy and history of your chosen style of karate. For example, All-Karate, and Karate Depot are two sites with information about karate and its styles and history. (See Resources.)
Visit a website of an association dedicated to the style of karate you want to learn. The site may have demonstration videos of recent competitions or examples of certain types of moves. Look under frequently asked questions, resources, news or background information to find such videos or step-by-step instructions. Choose sites that have pictures to accompany the instructions of how to perform a certain move so that you can better ensure that you are using the correct position. This can help prevent injuries.
One website devoted to Shorin Ryu is the World Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do Association website. Another useful site is the International Uechi-Ryu Karate Federation, which is devoted to Uechi-Ryu. (See Resources.)
Find videos that demonstrate aspects of the type of karate you want to learn on YouTube. Most YouTube videos are free, and you can watch them repeatedly until you learn the moves they demonstrate. Pay particular attention to how the demonstrators move and stand so that you can re-create what you see without injuring yourself.