Karate – The Martial Art of Gichin Funakoshi

karate

The martial art of karate is known for its hand strikes, although students also use elbow and knee techniques. It has gained popularity around the world, becoming more and more common as a self-defense system. It is also a highly physical exercise and helps build strength, endurance and coordination. Its philosophy emphasizes proper training of the body and mind and promotes respect, concentration and perseverance.

Gichin Funakoshi is credited with developing modern karate, though the martial art was in existence for many years before that. He incorporated ideas from kendo and other Okinawan martial arts into his teachings, including using distancing techniques. He changed the name of karate from te to kata and added the suffix do, which means path, way or discipline, in order to distinguish it from other fighting systems that did not have that distinction.

Karate training consists of kihon (basic technique), kata and kumite. In kata, two participants perform a choreographed series of attack and defense moves against an imaginary opponent. There are structured kata, which end with one devastating technique, and free kata, in which participants spar against each other while being scored for their skills.

Students also learn basic kicking techniques, footwork drills and weapons training (such as with the bo staff, sword or chain whip). The martial art has become so popular that it has joined the list of Olympic sports, making its debut at the 2020 games in Tokyo. There are many different styles of karate, each with its own unique instructor and philosophy.