Karate Basics

Karate-Do is a japanese martial art, introduced from Okinawa in 1922. In japanese Kara means empty ; Te means hand ; Do means the way, so'Karate-Do' means'the way of the empty hand'. Shuri-Te, Naha-Te, Tomari-Te are the 3 styles of Te ( Hands ) that Karate descended from. Even though it is 'the way of the empty hand', karate equipment for training is involved.

Karate, like jujutsu and judo, most likely came to America thru 2 primary paths : jap immigrants to Hawaii and the mainland, where it stayed mostly inside the japanese Yank community, although to a smaller degree in Hawaii, and by specialized study by members of the police and the army. It might be safe to claim that the biggest boost to the popularization of karate in America came with the american army occupation of Japan after WWII ; once American soldiers had absorbed the discipline, they returned with it to the States and started to distibute it.

Like most martial-arts active in Japan, Karate made its transition to Karate-Do at the start of the 20th century. Karate-Do does not, contrary to its Chinese relatives, include the utilization of weapons. Any weapons used are exactly within the Okinawan tradition, kobudo, the employment of modified farming tools and common implements as weapons, since 'normal' weapons were banned in Okinawa. Within Karate and Karate-Do, there are a great number of different Ryu's ( styles or colleges ). The most renowned are Shaolin ( Shorin-Ryu,'Forest style' ), Shobayashi ('small forest style' ), Kobayashi-ryu ('young forest style' ), Matsubayashi-ryu, ('pine forest style' ), Matsumura Seito ('Orthodox Style' ) and Matsumura Motobu ('Street Style' ). From these came the more favored styles we have today like Shorinji-ryu ( Kempo ) and Shorei-ryu as well as Shotokan ('pine wave' ) and Goju ryu ('hard-soft way' ) also Kyokushin ('ultimate truth' ). Other main line styles are Seido, Wado Ryu ('way of peace' ), Uechi Ryu, and Shito ryu as well as Isshin-ryu. Some styles of karate have teachers that have created hybrids of karate styles like JIKC style which uses a combination of karate styles.

The Shotokan style of Karate is characterized by deep, long stances to provide stability and robust movements. At the other end of the spectrum, Wado-Ryu ('way of peace' ) prefers quick and refined body movements ( known as 'tai sabaki' ) to dodge attacks and swift counter attacks. The Wado-Ryu style was introduced to the west by Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki.

Karate is a hard martial art and emphasises striking techniques ( i.e. Slapping and kicking ) over grappling. Karate can be split into 2 major parts, kumite and kata. Kumite means sparring and develops from well outlined forms to the free form named randori. Kata means forms and is a fight againt imaginary enemies, it is a fixed sequence of moves.

Karate is also a competetive sport although, unlike taekwondo and judo it is not yet an olympic sport. Competition can be in either Kumite or Kata and either as an individual or a team.

Yakusoku Kumite, starts at Green Belt ( Yon-Kyu ) 2 opponents usually square off and fight till a clean point is scored as indicated by one of 2 seated judges by colored flags or seen by the standing referee. At this point sparring is stopped and the point is awarded. Points systems vary but in general a half point ( wazari ) is awarded for a single punch or for a kick to the body. A full point ( ippon ) is given for an attack such as a head kick, any attack following the adversary being brought to the ground or a combination strategy ( renrakuwaza ).

Jiyu Kumite can look more of a fight or street fight. It's the more heavy side of the martial arts being done more for defense or close combat'Real Time' training than for sport. Though every methodology should be controlled, the wrestlers do push themselves to be their best ( No points are awarded ).

In Kata points are awarded by five seated judges similar to either gymnastics or ice skating contests depending on the quality of the performance. A good Kata performance should perform all of the movements properly but also show a personal interpretation of the movements through one's variation in speed. When Kata is performed as a team ( usually of 3 ), it's also vital to match the timing of strategies as closely as possible.

In Kumite there are 2 fighters paired up in a timed fight, customarily starting from 2 to 5 minutes. Score is awarded either by methodology or location.

In the U. S. karate tournaments are a well-liked part of karate as a sport, ranging in size from small local gatherings to countrywide events. They're often split into classes by ability, age and event type ( Kata, Kumite and weapons-kata ), and have rules depending on location and the chief style ( s ) involved.

For Karate Instructors: The Art Of Effective Feedback In Class

If you want to become a successful and influential instructor, you will have to become a master of not only the martial arts but also of interpersonal skills with your students. The Art of Effective Feedback will become a cornerstone of your relationships with your students and of the ultimate success of your students within your program. Practice this advice and reap the benefits, ignore it at your peril!



Be sure to give feedback to students in the class on a regular basis. Try to make all feedback either positive or constructive, and avoid any negative feedback if possible. Negative feedback should only be used as a last resort when there are behavioral issues, rather than issues of poor technique; and even then, there are steps you should take before resorting to negative feedback.



Positive feedback is obvious. Comments such as "that was a great kick," "nice stance," "that's the best I've seen you do that kata (form)," "you really looked like you were trying hard in sparring today" go a long way towards creating a positive atmosphere and a comfortable environment in which to learn.



When you add the student's name to any of the above types of encouragement then your relationship to that particular student will improve almost immediately. The importance of using your students' names when giving feedback cannot be understated. If you get nothing else from this article, please remember that personalization of your feedback is often more valuable than the feedback itself!



Constructive feedback should always have the objective of giving the student some new information from which they can learn. Comments such as "your stance is terrible," "your punches are way off target," and "why do you even bother coming to class?" are inappropriate and should be avoided, even if they are true.



It would be better to say things like "Johnny, your kicks are really good today, you must have been practicing at home. When you go home today practice the same kicks from a deeper stance and your karate will look fantastic next time you come back to class"; or, "Mary, your punches have a lot of power, if you can deliver them on target every time you're going to be extremely strong"; or, "James, it looks like you're having a bad day and that's OK but do you remember that time you came to class and you were doing an awesome job and trying your best. I was impressed. I'd love to see that strong spirit again."



These kinds of comments are not going to work every time but they certainly have more of a chance of encouraging a change in the student's output in terms of effort and technical competence than a short one-sentence put down.



These approaches are very simple ways to break the ice between you and your students and show them not only that you are serious about helping them progress in the martial arts, but more importantly that you care about them as a person and as a valued member of your club.



Gone are the days of the Prima Donna instructor who plays the role of an indifferent and unaffected demi-God. Here-to-stay, are the days of realistic and honest feedback from an expert in the arts to his or her esteemed and paying members.

Real Karate Is More Than Just Kicks And Punches

With all the different styles of martial arts that are practiced today karate is definitely the most popular. There are karate studios all over the country in virtually every town and city. They are not all the same, however, as the best ones will teach traditional Japanese karate, which involves more than just self-defense techniques.



Karate is a truly incredible art form, one which is built upon the basic concept of merging the body and mind into a defensive weapon and using it to protect not only ones own self, but others as well.



Karate has actually always been one of the most practiced martial art forms in the world, and it strongly relies on physical coordination and mental focus. There are many different physics that are involved with this particular type of martial arts, and this is important because in any fight between two people, both of the fighters bring in a certain amount of energy to the situation.



Generally a stronger person will be able to exert more energy and stamina than a weaker one, but this does not mean that they will always come out on top. It is also important to realize that just because someone is taller this certainly does not mean that they are stronger or in any way that they will come out as the victor simply because of their physical stature.



The Importance of Concentration



Concentration is one of the key elements involved in karate. First of all, you have to begin by learning how to focus on your breathing and making your mind still. This will eventually enable you to concentrate all of your focus on one part of your body, your hand for example when throwing a punch.



Learning how to focus with all of their intensity is how martial artists can generate so much force behind a punch or kick. Without the proper concentration no moves can be made properly and they will not be effective.



You also have to have serious dedication in order to be successful at this martial art form, and if you are interested in learning about it, then there are a few steps involved in doing so.



What to Expect When You Start Learning Karate



When you first start learning karate, you are going to be introduced to certain individual techniques, which include single blocks and strikes, for instance. These are basically the easiest of all to learn and are the basic fundamentals of the martial art form.



These fundamentals are incorporated into so many of the other, more advanced karate moves that they are basically essential to learn in order to progress to higher learning. As stated above good karate instruction will also be centered around mental focus and discipline, not just kicks and punches.



If you are interested in bettering your mind and spirit as well as learn how to defend yourself, karate classes might be right for you or your children. It is also a great way to get in physical shape while having fun at the same time.



Look around your local area for classes, but remember to make sure that you are learning traditional Japanese karate and not some trendy strip mall self defense.

Which Martial Art Is The Best?

I'm often asked the question "Which is better, Karate or Taekwondo?"; "Which is stronger, Judo or Kung Fu?"; or more direct questions such as "Could you beat a Mixed Martial artist in a fight?"



Thanks to the current popularity of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) we are seeing a showcase of different styles being pitted against one another. However my answer to all of these questions has to do with the many different paths that are available in the martial arts, and the one common destination.



Before I elaborate on what that actually means let me first give you a situation. You are standing outside your local shopping mall and you want to get home. How many ways could you do it? Well you would normally drive, either in your car or someone else's but you could also take the bus, ride a bike, walk or even hitchhike. Which way is best?



Of course most of you will tell me to drive. It's quicker, you don't have to pay for a bus, you have control of your trip and you don't have to use much energy. But are any of the other methods any less valid? You still reach your objective, and that is to get home. Granted it takes longer but maybe you learn something along the way that could be valuable for the rest of your life; or maybe you just have a miserable journey and wish you had driven!



Different martial arts are very similar to that. Some of them are like riding your bike. You get some exercise without straining yourself too much, but it takes a little bit longer than you wanted to get to your destination, others are like walking the whole way - it takes hours to get there but you see all kinds of sights on the way and learn a lot. However, you have to decide whether the time it took was worth the effort. Then finally you have the quick option to get in your car and drive in order to get there quickly. Some martial arts offer you this too but you have to ask yourself if you were even looking at and enjoying the sights along the way, much less learning something.



So which is better, Karate or Taekwondo? Which is stronger, Judo or Kung Fu? I have an answer and here it is!



No one martial art is better than another, yet at the same time all martial arts have something that is better than the others, and ultimately the choice one makes as to which martial art to study comes down to personal preference.



Let me give you some concrete examples of what I mean by this answer. Firstly consider a 250-pound muscular, well proportioned man being pitted against a 150-pound toned guy of equal technical ability in a wrestling match. There is no doubt in my mind that the bigger guy will win 9 times out of 10 because of his sheer size and strength. There is a lot of skill involved in wrestling and that is why I said they have the same technical ability. But wrestling generally favors the bigger fighter.



So let's put these same fighters in a Karate tournament where the goal is not to pin your opponent into submission but to score points through quick, powerful and focused techniques. The small guy now doesn't have to worry about being smothered, he just has to worry about whether he is fast enough to get in and out of the big man's guard and score the point. The chances for each fighter winning are a little more even in this match.



Now let's make the small guy a ju-jitsu expert who understands wrist locks, arm locks and pressure points and let's make the big guy a lumbering yet strong oaf. I would almost guarantee that the ju-jitsu guy would win this fight in spite of the seeming size disadvantage.



I hope that you've understood what I'm trying to say in this brief article. The point I'm making is that the question of whether one art is better than another does not depend on the art itself, but rather on the person who is studying that art. If the art is suited to the practitioner, then the martial artist will ultimately become very skillful and very accomplished. On the other hand, if the martial artist can't kick, yet chooses Taekwondo as his style he will have a very hard time!



So which martial art is the best? In the end it simply depends on you and what your specific skills and talents are! It would probably be better to ask which martial art would suit you best, and how can you find this information? I can help you here by offering to help you by offering the additional information in my FREE Report "Beginners Guide to Karate". You will find out how to download it at http://www.freekarateinformation.com



Good luck and best wishes on your journey in karate.



I hope you take me up on this offer and save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort in choosing the right martial art.

Martial Arts is Great for Kids!

Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we've all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.



But when your five-year old yells at you "Mom, Kids Rule!" or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these family programs really teach our kids. And sadly, it's happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded "bling bling" pop culture of today.



Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is a solution out there to consider, Martial Arts training!



From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid



You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?



First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.



Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the "sport," but mental and emotional lessons as well.



Comparing that to other kid's activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and "winning at all costs" seems to be the order of the day, it's not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.



The Advantages



Martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.



Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.



Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to excel in this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.



Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training is safer than most school sports.



Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in a martial arts program because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.



Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that they will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular when we were growing up!

The Secret Of The Fighting Arts

The fighting arts began as a means to hide combative applications from kings and other rulers, who restricted the use of fighting arts to keep peasants from fighting back or rebelling. As a result, the peasants developed the fighting arts that did not look like they were fighting.



By doing this, they could still practice combat without looking like they were training for protection. Many of the practices used a prearranged kumite that involved two men in an instance of choreographed fighting.



The beginning lessons in karate involve several combative applications that might seem like a waste of time to unskilled karate students. Learning how to stand properly, as well as throwing and blocking a blow, are some of the essentials that beginning students must learn.



They are also taught how to focus by using a variety of breathing techniques. These might seem unimportant initially, but these lessons provide a solid foundation for a much better understanding of the fighting arts.



One of the first things a white belt learns is the kata. Unlike prearranged kumite, a kata is designed for a single person to practice against an invisible opponent. Each level of the fighting arts has a different kata.



The basics of that particular rank are put into the form for the student to practice. The very first kata a student learns might be nothing more than how to move in a basic stance and coordinate punches and blocks in different directions. The complexity increases in direct proportion to the rank.



For the first few months, the new student becomes accustomed to these very basic combative applications. As the student nears his first test, he is introduced to the prearranged kumite. Prearranged kumite takes the techniques learned in the kata and helps the student learn what it feels like to actually block or throw a punch.



Prearranged kumite is all about contact: it's like sparring with a script. This combative application in its most simplistic form teaches a student how to move with another person in a fundamental set of movements -- with general targets such as the head, chest and lower abdomen.



The student moves in with a strike to the head and his partner is required to block it. Step by step, they move through the head/chest/down sequence: first one way, then acting as the attacker. Students will practice this until they can move quickly and with good form.



The other part of prearranged kumite, in the fighting arts of karate, is the bunkai. For this, the kata itself is transformed into a two person routine. Unlike the prearranged kumite, where a set of three identical moves are repeated between partners, the bunkai incorporates all the twists and turns, strikes, blocks, stances and take downs (in the higher levels) of the kata for that rank.



When the bunkai is mastered, both students should be able to move at top speed without pulling any punches or kicks, like actors in a fight onscreen.



Later down the road, once all of the basic combative applications have been mastered and the student has achieved the rank of brown or black belt, there is still one more step. At this point, the student of the fighting arts is taught the hidden applications behind the basic prearranged kumite.



He finds that an open hand block isn't just a block, but can be used to grab an opponent as well; or what might have looked like a strike, is actually a cleverly disguised take-down. The black belt is only the beginning -- the learning never stops.

How Karate Instructors Can Motivate Students In Three Easy Steps

If you've been a karate instructor for any length of time you will no doubt know that your success in retaining your students comes down to one key factor - keeping your students highly motivated to continue training. How do you do this while still maintaining your focus on delivering a high quality program?



The majority of karate clubs have a wide range of students usually starting at around age 4 and going all the way up to 74 or older. Often within this student base there are the highly-motivated and gung-ho students who would practice running up a wall backwards if you told them it would help give them the edge over their fellow club members.



Then there are hobbyists who approach their training from a slightly more balanced perspective. Generally this group of students practice pretty hard and come to class regularly but karate is not the number one item on their daily to-do list.



The final group of students is made up of those who say they want to get their black belt but are strangers to the concept of doing the hard work to get there.



So how do you motivate this diverse set of individuals? Here are three simple tips to get you started:



1. Set your students up for success



As human beings we all need to feel like we are being successful. We like our efforts to be recognized and we seek approval from those whom we respect. Your karate students are no different. Positive praise produces positive progress.



There is nothing more powerful than a genuine comment from you that praises something about your student's effort in class or their recent improvement. We've all heard the phrase "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Show your students that you genuinely care about them and that you truly want the best for them in their training.



2. Disguise repetition



Repetition is the mother of skill but at the same time one definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again with the expectation of different results. As a karate instructor your job is to make sure that your students' skill level is constantly improving through repetition while making it seem to them as if they are constantly learning something new each lesson.



This is achieved by developing multiple drills and teaching techniques that focus on the same core competencies that are needed to grow as a martial artist. By doing this your students will always look forward to coming to class because they will be excited to see what they will be studying that day. Repeating the same lesson in the same way over and over is a sure recipe for low student retention.



3. Implement an effective ranking system



The path to black belt is a long and arduous journey and the majority of students won't make it. Therefore it is necessary to recognize the importance of an effective ranking system so that your students have regular "success stepping stones". These "success stepping stones" are your different colored belts.



Make sure that you have a clear belt system that students can strive for with regular testing - usually every three months. However be careful not to overwhelm your students with multiple stripes and sub-ranks that only serve to confuse them even more. Keep it simple and clear so that students know exactly what is expected of them.

The Top 3 Tips To Get Your Child To Practice Karate At Home

So your child is enrolled in the martial arts, congratulations on taking a positive step for their overall growth and development. However you've noticed that karate practice is not as easy as it looks and you want to get your child to practice at home as well as in class. How do you do this without burning both you and your child out?



After all you work hard all day and are probably paying good money for martial arts lessons so you naturally want your child to be successful. Here are three simple tips to get them to practice at home.



1. Create a designated area for practice



Depending on the size of your house or apartment, do your best to create an open space big enough to practice. There is absolutely no chance for success if there is no space in which to practice. The good news is that a practice area for karate does not have to be big. An area of 10ft by 10ft is plenty and you can even function with less by being creative with your practice drills.



2. Agree on a set practice time each day



In order to successfully follow through on chosen goals you need to consistently help your child schedule a time to practice or study. If you do this then you give them every chance of success. When structuring a practice schedule for your them you should set a fixed practice time each day that does not interfere with school homework or dinner plans.



Another important point to keep in mind is the length of the practice session. You can be sure of burning your child out if you make them practice for one hour each evening. I would recommend a practice session of no more than 20 minutes each day. You can do a lot in 20 minutes and with a well-structured training program, your child's progress will be practically guaranteed.



3. Reward your child for fulfilling his or her end of the bargain



Positive praise and encouragement goes a long way to creating motivation in your child as they really want to please you. However a few tangible rewards wouldn't hurt either. These rewards can be as simple as being able to watch their favorite TV show, or playing their favorite video game, or being excused from house chores for the weekend if they complete a full week of self-study sessions. Or if you're feeling really generous then a prize of a new book or toy can go a long way to motivating them even more.



You know your child best and you know what motivates them most. If you can build a rewards system into their training program then the chance of long term success will go up considerably.

Good luck and best wishes on your journey in karate.

Top 5 Reasons To Learn Karate

Millions of Americans are currently enlisted in some sort of martial arts class. Training in karate has many benefits, and not all of them are what you would imagine. If the thought of martial arts sounds interesting to you, read on to find even more inspiration to get out of the house and start learning some sort of martial art.



The first reason is the most obvious, so we'll get it out of the way sooner. That reason is self defense. Karate teaches you how to protect yourself from attacks, as well as how to incapacitate an attacker as quickly and easily as possible. It delves into many technical aspects of combat in order to find the best way to protect oneself. Karate can give you a sense of confidence and fearlessness, since you know you can defend yourself.



Another reason to learn karate, or perhaps a side effect of learning it, is the physical fitness. Karate training not only improves your mental ability, increases your reflexes and response time, but it also takes a good deal of physical exertion just to make it through the training every day. You'll quickly find yourself burning fat, getting stronger, and becoming more coordinated and flexible.



For many people, karate or martial arts are as much a spiritual as a physical exercise. It has often been likened to meditation, and many arts deal with internal energy (such as the Chi flow). Some people swear that they start to feel more energetic, with a brighter outlook on the world once they start learning karate. It also teaches discipline and perseverance.



Another reason to learn karate is because of an interest in its cultural roots. While a karate lesson is definitely no substitute for a Japanese history class, the entire art carries with it the thousands of years of evolution it has gone through. Lots of schools teach more traditional styles of karate, with deep historical roots.



The final reason to register for a karate class is that it is simply fun. Once you've trudged through the basic techniques, you'll be excited to come to class every time so that you can learn new moves and new ways to defend yourself. Every class, you'll find out new things that you never knew you were capable of. This kind of self discovery is an incentive for most people who are involved in martial arts, and it is certainly a possibility for you.

Who Else Wants To Learn Japanese Karate?

The most well known martial art is Japanese Karate, but Karate is not the only style of martial art that makes up Japanese karate. Judo, and Aikido are also included. These two styles are most evident in the extreme, or mixed martial arts fighting styles seen on television.



What Is Judo?



Judo is the major style practiced within Japanese karate. Judo developed from its ancestor, Ju-Jitsu. Judo is considered a sport, an art, a discipline, and an incredibly competitive and effective self-defense style.



It is best known for the incredible throwing techniques that are used, and as well it involves considerable grappling and wrestling moves that take place down on the mat. Judo techniques can bring an opponent to submission very quickly and effectively. When you watch extreme martial arts fighting on television watch for the Judo techniques.



Some of the Judo techniques include:

* Control holds

* Arm locks

* Choking techniques



One of the most important things to recognize about Judo is that it is a martial arts style that emphasizes full physical activity for top conditioning.



One other thing that is great about this form of Japanese Karate is that all age groups, genders and even disabled people are able to participate, and it is incredibly effective for developing self discipline and respect for oneself and others. It also provides a means for learning self confidence and self esteem.



What About Aikido?



Aikido is another of the most commonly practiced styles of Japanese karate, and it is a relatively modern and non-competitive martial art form that relies primarily on the use of techniques combined with energy in order to control and redirect an opponent's force. It is one of the most comprehensive and effective martial art forms that provides an excellent basis for both physical and spiritual development.



And Karate?



Karate is yet another of the most well recognized Japanese karate styles, and one of the most widely practiced as well. It is a martial art of Japanese origin, one which deals with attacks through evasive body movements and blocking.



As a self defense system karate teaches a set of principles that can be applied in almost any situation, and the sporting element of karate is what allows people of a sporting inclination to be able to test their own karate skills against others.



There are literally hundreds of different martial art forms that are practiced around the world, and although each is certainly different in its own way, either in regards to the history behind it or the techniques and movements used within it, all martial art forms actually share the same basic ideal, which is to promote self defense and protection techniques. Japanese Karate is no different.



If you are interested in learning one or more of the styles of Japanese Karate pick up a phone book or go on the Internet and hunt around for a local dojo near you. However, you need to make sure that the style is taught in its traditional method.



Also make sure the karate instructor has very good credentials, such as a black belt of at least the fourth degree and that they have actually gone and studied in Japan.

Karate Sparring

Karate sparring, known as kumite, is one of the most important segments of karate training, along with kata and kihon. It is a sort of exercise performed between at least two karate practitioners, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata.

Contrary to the popular belief, the main purpose of karate sparring is to expose or show off a practitioner's technique. The term "technique" here not only refers to the physical techniques involved in the art of karate, but to the understanding of the fundamental and advanced concepts of the art, such as timing and distancing, as well. Given this idea, it is clear that unlike the other forms of fighting, karate sparring aims not to defeat, unless it is a tournament match, or injure the opponent. Karate sparring rather aims to develop and improve your karate skills and at the same time helping your opponent or your partner improve his or her own skills.

There is much to karate sparring than its being a developing and learning tool. It is a test of wills. Karate sparring allows the students to develop and enhance elements like control, distance, form, focus, eye intensity, reflexes, awareness, timing and coordination. And, as what most karate sparring experts have commonly noted, what makes karate sparring best is that it teaches the students how to apply the basic techniques and elements of the art, stances, and even the hip motions in a dynamic situation.

There are a number of possible variations in the practice of kumite or sparring. However, although it covers a vast rage of activities, the art can be broken down into two basic variations where one of the participants remains stationary, and where both remain moving.

In the traditional form of karate, there is what they call as Gohon Kumite, which is often identified as the first type of karate sparring for the beginners. In this type, the defender steps back each time, blocking the five attacks and performing a counterattack after the fifth block. The second type, however, looks nothing like the gohon kumite. It is known as Jiyu Kumite or free sparring, which is practiced by the more advanced karate sparring practitioners. This second variation is said to appear far closer to how the art would look if used in a real fight. This is due to the fact that in free sparring or jiyu kumite, the use of certain stances is not required.

In kumite or sparring, punches and kicks are the basic techniques. These techniques are generally considered in competitions to kill the opponent. However, since it is very difficult to find anyone willing to spar against you, or a sparring partner, to improve your technique, what most of the karate sparring students do is that they aim to deliver strikes with the maximum speed and power possible. The strikes, however, must be stopped at the moment of contact so to protect the opponent from any possible injury. In karate sparring, this is what actually improves the control you have over your strikes.

Several Facts About Karate

Contrary to popular opinion, the martial art Karate was not invented in China. Rather, it has its origins in the island of Okinawa in Japan. The word "Karate" means the "empty hand" or the "Chinese hand", and it has been given this name because it involves a rapid use of hands and legs in an extreme close combat.



It was sometime in the sixteenth century that Chinese Kung Fu fighters experimented around with their styles and formulated the "te" technique ("Te" means hand). The art grew in China and evolved from a very rough and simple fighting style into a hard, close-combat style.



Around the late nineteenth century, Gichin Funakoshi, a famous martial arts practitioner from Japan, blended new moves into the "Te" style and displayed his art to the Japanese martial arts masters in early twentieth century. This was the beginning of Karate, as we know it.



Karate kicked off with the original Okinawa style; later on, the Japanese patented their own styles, which are now appropriately called Japanese styles of Karate. With time, many karate schools all cross the world began naming their Karate after their school's or master's name, giving birth to many sub-styles.



The original style - known as the Okinawa style - is a very hard and external style. It employs circular means of defense while its attack is linear in nature. The physical condition is extremely rigorous, as compared to the Japanese style of Karate. The Japanese style of Karate is more stylistic and its movements are linear in both defense and offense.



Some of the important Karate sub-styles are: (i) Wado-Ryu style, which combines JiuJitsu movements with Okinawa karate techniques, and (ii) Uechi-Ryu style, which blends Okinawa Karate with Chinese martial arts tactics. The Uechi-Ryu style appears more Chinese than Japanese though it is a blend of both the cultures.



As you know, Karate is a fast-paced martial art that involves electric movements of the hands and legs. So, you need to ensure that you are attired in a comfortable Karate uniform.



As Karate involves close combat and can be lethal, you will also need to protect your head and groin by strapping on a head guard and groin protector, respectively. Arm, chest and leg guards are available too, and so are karate mitts and shin protectors. And, of course, mouth guards can be considered too, just in case.



To train for Karate, you will need jump ropes, breakable boards, a Karate training board and a Karate training system. To perform Karate exercises, you will need leg and body stretchers, mats, water training bags, punching bags and pull-up and push-up bars.



And, finally, before you go out there to practice Karate, do not forget to plug in a first aid kit in your bag.



Karate not only keeps your body fit, it also strengthens your mind and enhances your concentration. Only thing, you must learn to respect it and practice it seriously as an art.

Origins Of Karate And Key Benefits For The Practitioner

Karate is the traditional discipline of weaponless self-protection; it literally means " The way of the empty hands". Traditional Karate employs mental concentration and rigorous training to build up physical aptitudes like speed, force, and nimbleness. Training the spirit and body conjointly leads to multiplied benefits unlike humdrum drill routines observed in most fitness gymnasiums.

Physical fitness and Overall wellness: Karate practice ameliorates flexibility, force, coordination, and endurance of the practicioner. Karate's punches, thrust, kicks, blocks, sweeps and throws workout the entire body in an explosive and active fashion.

Stress relief: besides the stress reducing advantages of any physical exercise, Karate also betters assiduity and cognizance of mental attitudes that can induce tension.

Self-assurance: though all physical exercises ameliorate feelings of wellbeing, classical Karate puts particular emphasis on building persona, and centers on increasing assurance, awareness, and persistence through repetitive physical and mental drills.

Self-protection: Traditional Karate is the finest martial art for self-protection as it revolves around genuine defense skills instead of sport oriented methods that are found to be impractical and ineffective in real combat situations.

Physical advantages include:
Cardiovascular Exercise
Coordination
Flexibility
Pragmatic self-protection Techniques
Stress Reduction
Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise
Grow faster Reflexes
Plyometric Explosiveness

Mental benefits include: discipline, persistence, humbleness, responsibility, self-respect, assurance, awareness and perspicacity.

What Is Karate?
"Real karate is this: that in day-to-day life one's spirit and body be conditioned and trained in a spirit of humbleness, and that in decisive times, one be committed completely to the cause of justice." --Gichin Funakoshi

Karate can as well be identified as a martial art, or combat method, calling for a mixture of techniques, including blocks, strikes, escapes, throws, and joint manipulations. Karate training is fractioned into three aspects: kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring).

The word karate is a mix of two Japanese characters: kara, signifying empty, and te, signifying hand; thus, karate translates into "empty hand." Appending the suffix "-do" (sounded out "doe"), signifying "way," i.e., karate-do, connotes karate as a complete way of life that goes well beyond the self-protection applications. In traditional karate-do, we always keep in mind that the real adversary is oneself.

Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi has said that "spirit and know-how become one in real karate." We endeavor to make our physical techniques perfect reflexions of our mind's intent, and to better our mind's concentration by realizing the essence of the physical techniques. By fine-tuning our karate practice we are fine-tuning our own mind or our own mental capacity. For instance, doing away with feeble and indecisive moves in our karate aids to get rid of weakness and indecisiveness in our minds--and the other way around.

It is in that sense that karate turns into a way of life, as we strive to become very strong but joyful and law-abiding people. As Tsutomu Ohshima, chief teacher or shihan of Shotokan Karate of America, has put it, "We have to be strong enough to convey our true spirit to any adversary, anytime, in any condition. We have to be calm enough to behave ourselves with humility."

The Karate Secret No One Wants You To Know

Have you seen the History Channel's new show Human Weapon yet? Its pretty friggen good.



The concept is that these two athletic dudes (one an MMA fighter, the other a former football player and wrestler) travel all over the world to train with, and then test out various cultures' martial arts. And while only two episodes have aired as of this writing, the show already has proven itself to be a very revealing diagnostic tool to those who are able to look beyond the romanticism and isolate the truth. Let me explain...



Last week's episode was on Karate. And not the kiddie Karate nonsense you see down on the street corner. No, the Human Weapon boys traveled straight to Okinawa (Karate's birthplace) to train with three of the world's most respected, toughest, and best teachers.



The show showed amazing feats of human strength, discipline, conditioning, and training. And the Okinawan Senseis were absolutely incredible to watch, and even learn from through the miracle of television. In other words; It was pretty darn cool. But why I really loved the show was that while it respected the individual practitioner, it was not afraid to give an unbiased, accurate history of the art (just like me).



Karate is a peasant art of farmers. Learned from the Chinese and combined with their own cultural fighting art of "Te", the Okinawans did not rename "Kudo Te" (Chinese hand) to Karate (empty hand) until adopting the Japanese language after occupation. Did you catch that? OCCUPATION. (That means they were conquered)



Karate did not stop the Japanese Samurai from coming in and occupying the island, nor was there any successful peasant revolt to overthrow the Samurai. Sure, there were a few famous isolated instances of Karate guys successfully defending themselves against an armed Samurai, and Karate training is admittedly grueling ( I do, by the way, have a black belt in Goju Ryu Karate) but the facts are facts...Okinawa, once an independent kingdom, is now part of Japan.



Now, what is great for modern practitioners of Karate, is that the Japanese influence on Okinawa was also infused into their native martial art. (Karate has even implemented Japanese Judo uniforms and belt rankings) While Okinawan Karate is still primarily a striking art, Japan's Samurai methods of jujutsu have become part of Karate's standard training curriculum. Therefore almost making it a perfect martial art...except for one, tiny detail.



Due to the fact that EVERY technique of Karate is a complex motor movement (using multiple muscle groups), it would take 2 or 3 LIFETIMES to be good enough in Karate to guarantee victory under kill or be killed combat stress conditions.



The perfect example of this brings us back to the Human Weapon TV show as the climax of every episode is one of the two hosts actually competing against a skilled practitioner of the art they've been studying throughout the show.



In Karate's case, it was to participate in a Kumite (full contact fighting- no safety equipment, no punches to the face, kicks to the head allowed) against a second degree, 225 pound, Okinawan black belt champion. Let's break this situation down...



A Karate man who has trained his entire life vs. a not very flexible, but tough former football player who had been studying karate for only a few days...Both about the same weight...Fighting under Karate rules...Should be a no-brainer right? You would think that the Karate guy would easily win.



WRONG.



Not only did the fight go to a stalemate after a full timed match, but the football player at one point in the fight still managed to knock the Karate guy off his feet with a heavy handed punch. Trust me, the Karate guy was one tough cookie (at one point he shrugged off getting punched square in the jaw), but how could a lifetime of training not beat someone simply big, tough, and mean?



Because, like we discovered before...Karate is simply a farmer's method of conditioning himself to survive, not to win. When the occupying Samurai came to take the farmer's rice, livestock, or daughter, Karate would have definitely helped to temporarily fend off the oppressor...but is that enough?



Is it okay that a sparsely trained, big "tough guy", could go toe-toe with a so-called "Human Weapon" and walk away unharmed? No, it is not.



While I look forward to watching the rest of the Human Weapon television series from an unbiased professional point of view, I have the distinct feeling that the zealots of each cultural fighting art presented will still defend and excuse their methods even when beaten by the show's hosts. Too bad...Maybe they'd actually learn something usefull.

Karate Then and Now

Upon hearing the word “karate,” people often think of the physical aspects of this martial art. The kicks, punches, and other seemingly impossible moves of karate masters are just the surface of what is truly a martial art steeped in philosophy. For anyone who wants to get into karate, it would be advisable to understand some of the long history and deep philosophy that have helped to make karate what it is today. By understanding the philosophy and history of the defensive martial art known as karate, people will be better disposed to take advantage of the many physical and mental benefits that karate has to offer. This article will cover the basics of the history and philosophy of karate, as well as discuss karate in the contemporary context.

Karate: history of the martial art

Much like other forms of martial arts, karate has a long and colorful history. Karate originates from the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, though it is a martial art that has been heavily influenced by the Chinese kung-fu and the Koren taekwondo. In the 1300s and 1400s, numerous Chinese families moved to Okinawa, Japan and they brought with them different forms of Chinese martial arts. These martial arts as well as other parts of the Chinese culture were being assimilated into Japanese culture.

In the 1600s, a policy was enacted in Japan, banning the use of weapons. It was during this time that karate began to take root and flourish in Japan. The Japanese phrase “karate” means “empty hand,” because it was developed as a form of self-defense during the weapon ban. This martial art would take on many of the Chinese “kata” (“shape” or “model”) used in their martial arts, reinventing them and perfecting them into different karate kata, or fighting stances and postures. Numerous people would begin teaching different forms of karate in and around Japan from the 1800s and onwards.

Karate: a philosophy of honor

Many different forms of karate have developed throughout the years, each with its own philosophy and perception of the martial art. In its original context, however, the philosophy of karate is a form of self-defense that should only be used as a last resort. Those who practice karate train their bodies and their minds, promoting not only mental and physical health, but also spiritual health. The philosophy of karate is vast, but the most influential factors have been Taoism, Buddhism, and the code of Bushido.

Karate today

Karate has come a long way since its origins in the Ryukyu Islands. While there are still a number of people training and living in the traditional ways of karate, this martial art has become a popular sport. Numerous karate tournaments are held all around the world. Karate dojos, where people can go to learn and train in this martial art, have cropped-up all around the world. Since karate has become so wide-spread, many countries have developed their own styles of karate. In the Philippines, for example, arnis karate has developed as a combination of karate and the Filipino martial art of arnis.

Whether people are into karate as a sport, hobby, or profession, this martial art offers many physical and mental benefits. Beyond the physical and mental benefits, however, karate also has a rich history and philosophy that people can learn from. With its ability to enrich and improve the lives of those who study and practice it, karate is truly a powerful martial art.