Overview of Japanese Karate
This method of unarmed self-defense is not considered a traditional Japanese martial art, but is loosely referred to as such outside Japan.
As the word karate (empty hand) suggests, this is a combat art that uses no weapons. It relies on arm strikes (uchi), thrusts (tsuki), and kicks (keri), but a karate move must stop before a critical part of the opponent is hit, and competitors are judged according to whether they show the appropriate tempo, energy, and mental power in a correct pose. Some actions are considered foul simply because they violate the spirit of the sport.
Historically what is known in Japan as karate today was developed from Chinese boxing called quanfa (rules of the fist), known as kung fu in the West. It spread widely in China as a method of self-defense called Shorinji kempo until it was suppressed in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Most subsequent development took place in Okinawa, which had commercial and cultural interaction with China. From this time Chinese techniques merged with indigenous Okinawan ones and developed rapidly when arms were prohibited in Okinawa following its unification as the Kingdom of Ryukyu in the 1420s. The techniques of karate were transmitted secretly especially after the Shimazu clan in Kyushu took over Okinawan rule in 1609.
In the modern period, the art of karate emerged from obscurity in 1905 after Okinawan master Funakoshi Gichin (1868-1957) performed a demonstration in Tokyo sponsored by the Ministry of Education. Other masters subsequently helped spread karate throughout the country. Numerous schools and styles have emerged since then, some emphasizing the strengthening of the body, others quick movement, but all of them providing a well-developed method of body training.
A general Federation of Karate Organizations was established in 1964 after karate achieved a following abroad. This federation's main concern has been to establish unified forms, rankings, and rules of competition (kata), and to keep contact with overseas karate associations.
There are two sections in a karate competition: form competition and sparring (kumite) matches. Sparring matches occur in an eight-square-meter court and last two to three minutes with the possibility of extra time.
