Many countries have an indigenous martial art. Kung fu hails from China, muay thai is from Thailand, savate is from France and tae kwon do originated in Korea. Of all the martial arts, karate is among the best known and most practiced. The karate chop, a classic technique, is famous in its own right and has often been featured in films and television.
History
Karate combines a variety of Japanese and Chinese fighting styles and comes from the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. Karate became a formalized martial art in the late 1890s and was introduced to the world at the Tokyo sports festival in 1922. There are a variety of karate styles, including shotokan, wadu-ryu and shito-ryu. The different styles of karate share many commonalities, but because karate was developed simultaneously in different geographical regions and by different grand masters, each system includes techniques and variations unique to that particular style.
Techniques
The techniques of karate can be described as either hard or soft. The hard techniques include airway chokes, debilitating joint locks, punches and kicks, and strikes with elbows and knees. One of the most iconic techniques in karate is the open-handed chop where the edge of the hand is used as the striking surface. This technique is correctly called knife-hand strike or shuto-uchi in Japanese. Soft techniques are mostly throws, nonlethal joint locks and blood chokes. Different karate styles place an emphasis on the hard or soft techniques, depending on the teachings of the original master of that particular school.
Practice
Karate practitioners, called karateka, perform their practice in a sports hall called a dojo under the guidance of a sensei, or teacher. Karate classes begin with a warm-up and conditioning work and then move to prechoreographed noncontact routines called kata. After kata, karateka move to a form of sparring called kumite, which can also involve learning and practicing specific punches, kicks or throws with a training partner. A karate practice session normally finishes with more conditioning work, plus stretching and meditation. Karateka always bow before entering the dojp, to their opponents and sensei, and when leaving the dojo. This is a sign of respect to the other person and to karate in general. Karateka wear a trouser and jacket uniform called a gi, which is secured with a belt. The color of the belt denotes rank with black belt being the highest rank and white the lowest.
Sport
Karate was originally a form of unarmed combat designed for self-defense. Although karate is still used for this purpose, it has also become a competitive sport. So-called sport karate is governed by strict rules and can be full contact, where karateka wear protective headgear and chest guards, or semicontact, where it is illegal to land full-power blows. There are also kata competitions where teams of karateka are judged on their ability to perform complex sequences of techniques against an imaginary foe.
References
- "The Essential Karate Book: For White Belts, Black Belts and All Karateka in Between"; Graeme Lund and Morne Swanepoel; 2010
- "Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite"; Hirokazu Kanazawa; 2004
- "Complete Idiot's Guide to Karate"; Randall G. Hassell and Edmond Otis; 2000
Member Comments