What is Karate?

karate

karate is a martial art that involves punching, kicking and blocking techniques and can be used for self-defense or competition purposes depending on the individual’s goals/needs. It is also a great cardiovascular workout that will help improve your strength, flexibility and coordination along with fostering important life skills like discipline & respect.

It was developed in Okinawa by combining elements of Chinese martial arts with traditional Japanese martial arts. The name karate means empty hand and it was meant to demonstrate that no weapons were necessary for self defence. The various styles of karate include Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Wado-Ryu and Kyokushin karate which all differ slightly in their emphasis but all promote principles such as spirit, control and respect for one’s opponent.

The kicking techniques of karate are designed to inflict such severe pain that the aggressor will be unable or unwilling to continue their aggression. Blocking techniques are intended to ward off an attack and protect the vulnerable parts of the body such as the head, neck, knees and ankles.

In the past it was largely considered unsafe to train karate with other people due to the power of some of the techniques so students only practised against boards or other hard surfaces. Over time, revisions have been made to the training methods to make it safe to practice karate with other people and allow for full contact sparring.

Today, karate is organised into style organisations which sometimes cooperate to hold competitions (tournaments) from local to international level. These tournaments are designed to match members of opposing schools or styles against each other in kata, sparring and weapons demonstration.