Karate
Karate (空手) literally means "empty hand," and it originated on the island of Okinawa. It is a fusion of pre-existing Okinawan martial arts, called "te", and Chinese martial arts, so is strictly speaking not a Japanese martial art, but rather it is an art that has been adopted and developed by the Japanese. Indeed, the word "karate" was originally a generic term for Chinese martial arts, and written with homophonic ideograms meaning "China hand", rather than "empty hand". It is also sometimes called "the way of the empty hand" (空手道, karatedō).
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Getting Started
Karate Explained
History
Karate's route to Japan began with Gichin Funakoshi (船越 義珍 Funakoshi Gichin, 1868–1957), who is called the father of modern karate, and is the founder of Shotokan karate. Although some Okinawan karate practitioners were already living and teaching in Japan, Funakoshi gave public demonstrations of karate in Japan at a physical education exhibition sponsored by the ministry of education 1917, and again in 1922. As a result, Karate training was subsequently incorporated into Japan's public school system. It was also at this time that the white uniforms and the kyū/dan ranking system (both originally implemented by judo's founder, Kano Jigoro) were adopted.
Characteristics
Karate practice is primarily characterized by linear punching and kicking techniques executed from a stable, fixed stance. Many styles of karate practiced today incorporate the forms (kata) originally developed by Funakoshi and his teachers, and many different weapons originally used as farm implements by the peasants of Okinawa, such as the sai, sickle (kama), and quarterstaff (bō). Many modern karate practitioners also participate in full, light, and no-contact competitions.
Expert Tips
Checklist
Directory of Karate Organizations
Some content adapted from Wikipedia.org.
