History:
Karate is often thought of as a Japanese martial art, but its roots are actually in the fighting styles of Okinawa and southern China. It's mostly a mix of both arts, and it wasn't taught in Japan until 1921. During this time, Karate was just called "Te," which is Okinawan for "hand." The original sign for Karate, called the "Tang Hand" or "Chinese Hand," shows that it was influenced by China.
In the beginning, there were no specific or clear Karate styles. Instead, they were just called Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te, after the three cities where they were created. Karate was taught in different ways, based on different rules, systems, and traditions in each city.
Funakoshi, an Okinawan master, is revered by many practitioners as "The Father of Modern Karate" because he brought Karate to Japan, made it popular, and made it more modern. At the same time as him, Kenwa Mabuni, Miyagi Chojun, Choshin Chibana, and Motobu Choki were also well-known Karate experts.
Before the Second World War, Japan started teaching Karate in schools, and soldiers were often trained in the discipline. During this time, several universities started karate clubs, and competitions and different styles began to appear.
Karate became popular in the West after the U.S. military occupied Japan and Okinawa after World War II and after many Japanese people moved to the U.S.
The basics of karate are:
Karate is mostly about fighting techniques that are fast and dangerous, like punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-hand techniques. This discipline also includes techniques like locking, restraining, throwing, and hitting vital points.
There are three main parts to karate training.
Kihon is the study of the most basic moves, techniques, and parts.
- Kata, which means "form" and is a set of moves, is a series of moves and techniques that are linked together by the principles of fighting that the kata shows.
- Kumite, which means "fighting," goes from well-defined moves called "kata" to open attacks and defences.
The Belt and Ranks Have the Same Color:
The white Kimono, Dogi or Keikogi pants, and a white or coloured belt make up the Karate uniform. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, came up with this combination. The colour of a practitioner's belt shows their rank and level of skill. Most people agree that white belts are for beginners and black belts are for the highest rank. This, however, may be different from one group to the next. Even if the belts are the same colour, each rank may have its own subgroups.
Different types and versions:
Traditional Karate and Full Body Karate are the two main types of Karate. Traditional styles are those that were created in the early part of the 20th century. Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu, Shito-ryu, Kushin-ryu, and Shindo Jinen Ryu are all examples of traditional styles. Some styles of full contact karate are Kyokushin-kaikan and Kansuiryu. Many of the styles have branched out and become their own styles. Even though the ideas are the same everywhere, each representation is different.
