Whenever someone mentions Karate I think of a brick being split into two. I always thought it'd be really cool to actually do it and as a kid, I and several of my friends gave it at least a dozen attempts. Unfortunately as we found out, it wasn't particular pleasant, certainly painful and most ineffective.
Karate is primarily an offensive martial art focused on striking your opponent with a combination of punches, kicks, knee & elbow strikes, and open- handed techniques. Having said that, some styles teach grappling, locks and throws.
Today, Karate is practised for self-perfection, cultural reasons, self-defence & as a sport.
History of Karate
The word "karate" literally means "empty hand." Karate was developed from indigenous fighting methods called "te" meaning hand, in the Ryukyu Kingdom located just south of Japan (an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands what is now known as Okinawa, Japan.)
The martial art was brought to Japan during early 20th century in a time of cultural exchanges between Japan and the Ryukyuans. By 1924, Keio University established the first university karate club in Japan. Over the next 8 years, karate became grew in popularity and in 1932 all major Japanese Universities such as Tokyo and Hokkaido University had karate clubs.
After World War 2, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among the servicemen (i.e. a man serving in the armed forces) stationed there.
During 1960s and 1970s martial arts movies such as Firsts of Fury (starring Bruce Lee) & Drunken Master (starring Jackie Chan) were a real hit and even more increased popularity of Karate as well other martial arts.
Karate schools began appearing across the world; open to anyone with an interest in martial arts or those eager to become the next Jean-Claude Van Damme or Jet Li.
Training
Karate is commonly practised as an art, sport or for self-defence. Traditional karate emphasises self development (i.e. self-perfection), where as modern Japanese styled karate is more focused on psychological elements (e.g. perseverance & fearlessness). Additionally there's Sport Karate which focuses on exercise and competition.
Karate training is divided into 3 aspects - Kihon (basics or fundaments of karate), kata (different forms/stances) & kumite (sparring).
Kihon is essential in order to learn more advanced forms of karate. It includes the practise of correct body form, breathing, stances, punches, kicks, blocks, and thrusts.
Kata means literally "shape" or "model". Katas may vary in length (number of movements) and difficulty and are usually practised solo or in pairs. Some kata require low/wide stances which aim to develop your leg strength and posture. There are around 100 kata across all forms of Karate, each form with minor variations of the kata.
Kumite (sparring of Karate) means "meeting of hands." Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an opponent using the techniques learned from kihon and kata.
During kumite, levels of physical contact may vary significantly. Knockdown karate (full contact) is where one uses full power techniques to bring their opponent to the ground. Bogu Kumite (i.e. sparring in armour) allows full power techniques with some safety. Bogu Kumite is a rough, full contact training method where the participants are encouraged to throw full-power blows. Types of equipment for Bogu Kumite include - "Men" (a steel cage mask), "Kote" (padded gloves) & "Do" (a semi rigid chest protector which consists of several padded plates made from heavy plastic). Other types of protection include a groin protector, elbow pads and shin protectors.
On the other hand, Sport kumite and/or Structured kumite allows for light or semi contact. In Structured Kumite two participants perform a series of techniques with one striking while the other blocks.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Karate
Advantages
- Improved reflexes and coordination
- Increased strength and stamina
- Improved fitness and weight loss
- Gain the confidence and skill to defend yourself and others
- Head on, close combat
Disadvantages
- Greatly relies on strength, agility and fitness level
- Difficult movements and strike combinations
- Usually a wide stance is needed which may limit your movement
- Training can become monotonous (e.g. practising Japanese kihon repeatedly)
- Head on, close combat
Should you consider trying Karate?
I can't guarantee you'll be breaking bricks in half after your first lesson, however if you're looking for a martial art that focuses on head on, close combat and you're relatively fit or want to become fit - Karate could be for you.
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