Karate means "empty hands" in Polish. The name perfectly reflects the principles of this martial art - the point is to defeat the opponent without using any other weapon than the strength of your own body. Learn the most important facts from the history of karate and read what rules prevail in this field of sport and what types of punches you can inflict.

Karateis considered a Japanese martial art and although the Japanese contributed a lot to its popularization, many centuries passed before this discipline found its way to the Land of the Rising Sun. It is believed that karate originated in Okinawa - today a Japanese island, but at the time of the formation of this martial art - sovereign territory. Karate evolved as an adaptation of the Chinese martial arts wu-shu, which in turn originated in part in India.

Along with the fighting technique, the karate philosophy has also evolved, which says that it should be not only a way to defeat the opponent, but also a method of self-development. Much importance in karate is attached to the word "art" accompanying "combat". Karateka has to learn the art of perseverance and consistency in pursuing a goal, he has to be diligent. One of the Japanese sayings is "Three years on the rock" - it has the wisdom of not losing your patience too quickly. Masutatsu Oyama, one of the most recognized karate fighters of the twentieth century, argued that karate practitioners should take to heart the statement: "Ten years on a rock" and be persistent not only in training, but also in overcoming the adversities of everyday life.

Four periods in the history of karate

The history of karate is divided into 4 periods:

  • Hindu period

This is the most mysterious - because the oldest and least documented - period in the history of karate. The lotus sutra, the most important book of Mahayana Buddhism, mentions hand-to-hand fighters. Other accounts also contain information about yajramushti, - people fighting with clenched fists. At the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries, Bodhidharma, the legendary monk who settled in the Shaolin monastery, also appeared in China - he is associated with most of the styles of wu-shu, from which karate is derived.

The history of karate is supposed to be several thousand years old - but it is difficult to verify this thesis, because it is largely based on oral accounts and legends for which there are no written confirmations.

  • Chinese period

The name itself proves the Chinese origin of karate. The first part of "kara" meant "Chinese", while "these" meant hands. Only later was the Chinese "kara" replaced with a Japanese word pronounced the same but spelled differently and meaning "blank". The martial arts, which later developed into karate, developed intensively during the Ming Dynasty.

  • Okinawan period

Okinawa has always been a place where the clash of Japanese and Chinese influences. Conflicts between the inhabitants of different parts of the island were attempted to be mitigated by the decree prohibiting the use of weapons, issued in 1609. Karate as a martial art therefore began to develop due to the lack of any other means of defense. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, refugees from China began to arrive in Okinawa, who also contributed to the spread of this martial art.

  • Japanese period

In 1922, one of the karate masters - Gichin Funakoshi went to a show in Tokyo, which the audience liked so much that Funakoshi decided to stay in Japan. Karate has become very popular in the Land of the Rising Sun, and the first dojo, or training place, was called Shotokan - that was Funakoshi's pseudonym. Today, shotokan is one of the most widely practiced styles of karate.

The period of World War II was severe for karate - many masters died then, and the Americans gave the ban on martial arts as one of the conditions for surrender. However, they did not know anything about karate, so this martial art was still practiced, and over time the Japanese began to teach it to American soldiers. After Americans, the whole world caught the attention of karate.

Worth knowing

Stages of human development according to the karate philosophy

According to the philosophy of karate, there are four phases in human development.

  1. The first isSudra , which is related to the satisfaction of the most basic needs and desires of the body - so that a person can continue to develop calmly, he cannot fight for them every day.
  2. The next step isVaisya , meaning the more creative side of human nature, striving to deepen your knowledge, abilities.
  3. The third level of advancement isKshatriya , on which we shape our willpower and self-discipline. Kshatriya is a warrior who is not satisfied with mediocrity - he is constantly looking for new answers and wants to act for the good of all mankind.
  4. Top Level -Brahmin- is a life filled with religion and spirit.

No man is doomed to stay on the firststage, all four potentially exist in each of us, he needs only persistence to work on their development.

Karate style

There are many styles of karate, and some of them can be broken down into more. People who want to start practicing this martial art have a lot to choose from. Below we present the most popular karate styles in the world:

Karate styles are often named after their creators.

Shotokan

A style whose name derives from the nickname of one of the masters - in this case Gichin Funakoshi, whose literary pseudonym (creating poetry) was Shotokan. Shotokan is distinguished by the fact that karate fighters use a low - even when performing leg techniques - and a stable posture, with their hands placed low on their hips. The movements are sparing. Shotokan features elements of combat with several opponents, either with a club or a sword.

Goju-ryu

The creator of this style of karate is Chojun Miyagi, and the style itself is more based on the use of force than the other techniques. Fighters learn appropriate breathing techniques and tense muscles, they must be extremely resistant to pain. Goju-ryu is not popular in Poland, but the Japanese and South Americans enjoy this style.

Kyokushin

Kyokushin is an art, or rather a martial arts school, founded by Masutatsu Oyama - a Korean, who contributed greatly to the popularization of karate, especially in the United States. Oyame first cultivated shotokan, then goju-ryu, and then developed kyokushin, largely based on shotokan. Style is based on kicks and punches, grips are less important. Kyokushin consists of 5 elements:

  • kihon - basic techniques of kicks, punches and blocks;
  • kata - methods of attack and defense;
  • kumite - direct fight;
  • iken - mental training;
  • ido geiko - to move around.

Wado-ryu

In wado-ryu, agility is more important than strength, and deviation from the line of punch is more important than attack. During training, adepts of this style of karate practice primarily agility and precision, and the beginnings are less physically exhausting than, for example, a shotokan exercise. Hironori Otsuka is believed to be the founder of this style.

Worth knowing

Karate steps and belts

Karate has become a very popular martial art, so not only have many of its styles developed, but also various rules for awarding grades and belts. This makes it difficult to systematize them unequivocally.

Meanwhile, the beginnings of karate werecompletely different: the traditional Okinawan school did not attach much importance to the system of grades and belts. There were just beginners with white belt, intermediate with brown, and champions with black.

Also today, there is a division into kyu student degrees and dan master degrees. However, there may be many internal divisions in specific schools.

Types of punches in karate

Karate not only has many styles, but also many types of punches to use. Below we present the basic of them:

  • oizuki - straight punch,
  • oizuki sanbozuki - one step, three punches,
  • maegeri - forward kick,
  • maegeri rengeri - double kick forward,
  • yokogeri - side kick,
  • ageuke - contributor block,
  • kizami - techniques performed with the front arm or leg,
  • shutouke - block by hand,
  • sotoushi - outer forearm block,
  • uchi Skutuke - inner block with forearm,
  • nukite - thrust with a "spear-hand" - with your fingertips,
  • tate urakenuchi - punch with the back of a fist.

Karate - the perfect sport for kids

You can safely enroll your children on karate. Although it is a martial art by name, self-defense is not really the most important thing for children. Children learn discipline, concentration, and their self-confidence increases with the acquisition of new skills. Karate is not a group sport, so it allows the child to focus more on self-development, on the other hand, training is always held in the company of other karate adepts. Thanks to this martial art, children become more agile, more flexible, their mobility in the joints increases, the flexibility of tendons and muscles, and the ligament-muscular apparatus is strengthened.

This will be useful to you

Karate rules

Master Gichin Funakoshi formulated 20 rules that should be kept in mind by karatecs. Knowing them will also be useful for people who are thinking about starting their adventure with this martial art:

1.Karate begins and ends with a greeting.

2.Karate cannot be used as a form of aggression.

3.Karate is meant to be a tool for shaping your righteousness and gratitude.

4.Karate is a way to understand yourself and others.

5.In karate, action follows the spirit, not the other way around.

6.Karateka keeps his mind open at all times.

7.Being lost and inattentive contribute to misfortune.

8.Karate exists not only in the dojo - the place whereduels take place.

9.The rules of karate should cover all aspects of life.

10.The spirit of karate is meant to encourage everything you do.

11.The karate spirit must be heated all the time - otherwise it will cool down.

12.Karate doesn't always mean victory, but it is always an idea by which you can win.

13.In karate you have to try to stay ahead of your opponent's moves.

14.The fight should proceed naturally, without forcing anything on the opponent and without striving at all costs to end the fight as soon as possible.

15.Hands and feet are karateka swords.

16.Karateka is vigilant at all times and is never sure of victory.

17.Karateka is always on standby.

18.The methods of attack and defense serve primarily to practice the appropriate technique, its use in combat is of secondary importance.

19.Karateka is meant to be like a bow: tighten, contract, be both fast and slow.

20.Karateka always strives for excellence.

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