Karate or karate-do (空手道) is a martial art, categorized by some as budo, introduced to the Japanese main islands from Okinawa in 1922. Karate emphasizes striking techniques (i.e. punching and kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open hand techniques) however, grappling, joint manpulations, throwing and vital point striking are inhereint in the finer points of the kata. In general, karate training can be divided into three major areas, kihon,kata and kumite. Kihon (基本) is the study of the fundemental moves, the basic components, required to perform the art. Kata (型) means ‘form’ and is a series of movements and techniques, linked together by the principles that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves. Kumite (組手) means ’sparring’ and develops from well defined kata to open sparring.
An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
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An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
Contents [showhide]
1 History
2 Styles
3 Karate in the West
4 Karate as a sport
5 See also
6 Notable Practicioners
7 External links
7.1 Federations
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History
Originally, karate was written as 唐手 (”Tang hand” from the Chinese Tang dynasty or by extension, “Chinese hand”) reflecting the Chinese influence on the style. The current way of writing means “empty hand” and karate-do thus means “the way of the empty hand.” The name can be interpreted literally, or as a philosophical reference to the concept of the Void. Karate is a mixture of empty handed Chinese fighting arts, brought to Okinawa by political envoys, merchants and sailors from Fujian Province, with indigenous Okinawan martial arts. The Okinawans called the style “te”, or hand. Early Okinawan styles of karate can be generalized as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te, named after the three cities in which they were formed.
In 1820, Sokon Matsumura blended the three styles of te into “Shaolin” (Chinese 少林) or “Shorin-Ryu” (in Japanese) or “Forest Style” (English). Styles per se did not exist, rather, karate was known by the local practicioners’ particular flavor.
Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from -jutsu to -do at the beginning of the 20th century. The “do” in “karate-do” means “way,” which is analogous to the familiar Chinese concept of tao. Gichin Funakoshi, a student of Anko Itosu, is generally credited with having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. In some circles, he is referred to as the “Father of Modern Karate.” This is accurate from the perspective that he worked specifically to introduce modernizations into karate, akin to those employed by Judo’sJigoro Kano and Aikido’s Ueshiba Morihei. However, there were many other Okinawan karate men living and teaching in Japan during this time period. Funakoshi’s peers included such notable figures as Kenwa Mabuni, Miyagi Chojun, Choshin Chibana, Motobu Choki, Kyan Chotoku, Kentsu Yabu and several others. Funakoshi’s karate came from Anko Itosu’s version of Matsumura Shorin-ryu, which is commonly called Shorei-ryu. He was responsible for changing the kanji used for writing the name of the art; he did this to get karate accepted by the Japanese budo organisation Dai Nippon Butokukai. In a time of rising Japanese nationalism (Japan was occupying China), Funakoshi knew that a ‘foreign’ art would not be accepted, thus, the change to ‘way of the empty hand.’ This decision was confirmed at the so-called “Meeting of the Masters” in October of 1936, which included Chojun Miyagi, Chomo Hanashiro, Kentsu Yabu, Chotoku Kyan, Genwa Nakasone, Choshin Chibana, Choryo Maeshiro and Shinpan Shiroma.
As it was adopted into modern Japanese culture, karate was imbued with some elements of the native gendai budo traditions. Classes often begin and end with brief periods of sitting meditation. Also, the repetition of precise, dynamic movements, as in kata, is considered by some to be consistent with zen meditation in that it is intended to maximize a student’s composure, awareness, and physical presence (speed and power), while under stress. It is often referred to as a form of “moving zen.” Karate teachers differ greatly in the way they acknowledge – if at all – the zen influence in karate-do.
The modernization (and systemization) of karate in Japan also included the adoption of the ubiquitous white uniform (dogi or keikogi) – mostly called just gi (pronounced ‘ghee’) – and colored belt ranks. Both of these innovations were originated and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, one of the men Funakoshi consulted in his efforts to ‘modernize’ karate. The adoption of kyu and dan ranks is a relatively modern development. Ranking systems and values differ greatly from organization to organization, which sometimes leads to confusion when trying to determine a relative standard for karate training and credibility. Photos of early Okinawan practitioners show the masters in the street clothes of the day, or sometimes in briefs. Many modern (Western) practicioners elect to leave ranks or the formailty of a gi out of their training practices, citing the tendency of students to focus too much on rank, which is not always indicitave of skill or ability.
Following its’ introduction, karate was popularized in Japan and introduced into high schools before World War II. Many universities initiated karate club programs, which bred a notoriously violent and competitive setting in which seniors brutalized the junior students, in some cases inflicitng vicious beatings as a final ‘rite’ for those who chose to leave.
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Styles
Within karate there are presently a multitude of different styles or schools. These include:Shobayashi, Kobayashi-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Matsumura Seito, Matsumura Motobu, Chito-ryu, Shorinji-ryu, Shorei-ryu, Shotokan, Shotokai, Goju-ryu (”hard-soft way”), Kyokushin (”ultimate truth”). Other mainstream styles include Shorinjiryu, Seido, Wado-ryu (”way of peace”), Uechi Ryu, Shito-ryu, Shudokan, Bushido Goju-Ryu, Gensei-Ryu and Isshin-ryu (there are at least 3 different styles of isshinryu). Some teachers have created hybrids of karate styles such as the JIKC style.
There is great variance in the outer forms and principles among styles. For example, Shotokan of karate is characterised by deep, long stances and rigid, powerful movements. At the other end of the spectrum, Wado Ryu prefers quick and subtle body movements (known as ‘tai sabaki’) to evade attacks and provide swift counter attacks.
In modern Japan, two main branches of Karate dominate. Traditional karate and sport karate. Styles like Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shito-ryu are labelled as ‘traditional’ because they were founded at or before the turn of the 20th century. Full contact karate includes Kyokushin-kaikan which was founded by Masutatsu Oyama and other offshoots of Kyokushin, so-called because emphasis in matches is placed on the amount of damage done rather than the quality of technique displayed (although this is also important). Most full contact karate styles or organizations have developed from Kyokushin karate.
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Karate in the West
Karate, like jujutsu, judo, aikido, and the koryu, most likely came to America and then to the rest of the world through two primary paths: Japanese immigration to Hawaii and the mainland, where it stayed largely inside the Japanese American community, although to a lesser degree in Hawaii; and by specialized study by members of the police and the military. It would be accurate to say that the biggest boost to the popularization of karate in America came with the American military occupation of Japan after World War II; once American soldiers had assimilated the discipline, they returned to the States and began to disseminate it. Many masters went to the United States to popularize their art. These included Tsutomu Ohshima, a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who founded Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).
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Karate as a sport
Karate may also be practiced as a competitive sport, although unlike other martial arts such as taekwondo or judo it does not possess Olympic status; there is no head organisation for Karate as whole and no uniform rules among all styles. Competition can be in either kumite or kata; competitors may enter either as individuals or as part of a team.
In kata, points are awarded by five seated judges, according to the quality of the performance, in a manner analogous to gymnastics or ice skating tournaments. A good kata performance must perform all the movements correctly but also show a personal interpretation of the movements through one’s variation in speed. When kata is performed as a team (usually of three), it is also important to match the timing of techniques as closely as possible.
In kumite there are two fighters paired in a timed fight, usually ranging from two to five minutes. Scores are awarded either by technique or hit location. Allowed techniques and hitting locations vary from style to style. Further, kumite can be either half-contact (as in Shotokan) or full contact (as in Kyokushinkai).
In the United States, karate tournaments are a popular part of the sport, ranging in size from small local gatherings to national events. They are typically divided into classes by skill, age and event type ( for example kata, kumite and weapons-kata), and have rules depending on location and the chief style(s) involved.
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See also
* List of Karate organizations
* Bodhidharma brought Kalaripayattu to the Shaolin Temple (~ 500 AD) which later evolved into Kung Fu
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Notable Practicioners
* Pechin Takahara (?-1762)
* Satunshi Sakugawa (1733-1815)
* Sokon Matsumura (Bushi or warrior) (1792-1886)
* Itosu Ankoh (1832-1916)
* Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953)
* Motobu Choki (1871-1944)
* Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945)
* Funakoshi Gichin (Shuri, Okinawa 1869 – Tokyo 1957)
* Choshin Chibana (1885-1969)
* Egami Shigeru (1912-1981)
* Yuchoku Higa (1910–1994)
* Kenwa Mabuni
* Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994)
* Shukumine Seiken (1925-2001)
* Taiji Kase (1927 – Paris 2004)
* Kanken Toyama
* Masanao Takazawa
* Tadashi Nakamura (1942- )
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External links
Karate Associations
JKA PAKISTAN (http://www.jkapak.netfirms.com) [1] (http://www.mushindo-kempo.org.uk) Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union (http://www.shukokaiunion.com)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Europe (http://www.shukokai-europe.org)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Greece (http://www.shukokai-greece.org)
KDS Karate-Do Shotokai (http://www.karatedoshotokai.com)
SKV (http://www.karate.ch/core/index.htm)
SKR (http://www.jka-karate.ch/index.htm)
SKO (http://www.ifk-schweiz.ch/ifk/index.html)
DKV (http://www.karate-dkv.de) Kempo (http://www.hatamoto.de)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/)
DTKV (http://www.dtkv.de)
DKO (http://www.kyokushin.de/)
ÖKB (http://www.karate-austria.at/)
SKI (http://www.karate.at/skioe/kanazawa_hirokazu.html)
Norway JKA (http://www.norwayjka.no/) South Africa (http://www.karate.co.za/)
IKO Iran (http://www.kyokushincanada.com/iko3/IranKyokushin_IKO3.htm)
Uechi-Ryu Patagonien (http://cablemodem.fibertel.com.ar/diegokarate/)
Karate4arab (http://www.karate4arab.com/)
Israel Shotokan (http://www.karate.org.il/eng/eng_index.html)
KWF South Africa (http://www.karatenomichi.co.za/index.php)
Pacific Shotokan (http://www.psk-iskf-jka.org/)
Nepal Kwanmukan (http://www.nkkda.org.np/)
Russian ryu (http://karate.tomsk.ru/English/prez_1.html)
Seido Juku (http://www.seidojuku.com/)
wado TW (http://www.wado.idv.tw/)
ISKF TW (http://www.skif.org.tw/hotnews.htm)
Goju-ryu HK (http://www.geocities.com/Pipeline/9776/home_eng.htm)
FBSKUI British Shotokan (http://www.fbskui-karate.org/)
Shotokan Karate Union of Great Britain (http://www.kugb.org/)
ABSP Portugal Budokai Shotokai Association (http://absp.homeip.net/)
SanShin-Kan\Israel (http://www.sanshin-kan.com/)
Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (http://www.gkrkarate.com/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (http://www.uskk.org/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (Europe) (http://www.uskke.org/)
Ohtsuka Amateur Karate Foundation (http://www.akfkarate.com/)
Honbu Dojos
Association Country Chief Instruktor
Japan Karate Association JKA (http://www.jka.or.jp/) Japan Sugiura (http://www.jka.or.jp/english/e_perso3.htm)
Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (http://www.skif.jp/), Japan Kanazawa (http://www.karate-dojo-vulkaneifel.de/kanazawa.html)
International Karate Organisation IKO (http://www.ikohonbu.com/), Japan Matsui (http://www.kyokushin-rheinmain.de/kancho.php)
International Shotokan Karate Federation (http://www.iskf.com/), USA Teruyuki Okazaki (http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/baylor/285/okazaki.html)
International Traditional Karate Federation (http://www.itkf.org/), American Amateur Karate Federation (http://www.aakf.org/), USA Hidetaka Nishiyama (http://www.karatevid.com/article-nishNat.htm)
Shotokai-Karate (http://www.shotokai.com/) Japan/USA/Brazil Hironishi (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Shotokan of America SKA (http://www.ska.org/) USA Ohshima (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Karatenomichi (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html) Japan Yahara (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html)
Deutscher Karate Verband (http://www.karate-dkv.de/) Germany Karamitsos (http://www.geocities.com/karate_swo/karamitsos.html)
Associação Budokai Shotokai de Portugal (http://absp.homeip.net/) Portugal António Cunha (http://absp.homeip.net)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/) Deutschland Hideo Ochi (http://www.karate-ochi.de/)
World Seido Karate Organization (http://www.seido.com/) USA Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura (http://www.seido.com/do/kaicho/)
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Federations
* WMAS (World Martial Arts Society) (http://www.wmas.ws/)
* USANKF (USA National Karate-do Federation) (http://www.usankf.org/)
* EKGB (English Karate Governing Body) (http://www.ekgb.org.uk/)
* ISKF (International Shotokan Karate Federation) (http://www.iskf.com/)
* FFK (Fédération Francophone de Karaté) (http://www.ffk.be/)
* JKA Argentina (Japan Karate Association in Argentina) (http://www.jka.com.ar/)
* http://christian-ryukyu.org/ (Ryukyu Christian Martial Arts Federation)