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The origin of Karate dates back more than a
thousand years. It is generally traced to a form of self -defense taught
to monks at a Buddist monastery in southern China. Legend has it that
Bodidharma, a monk from India, taught them to fashion parts of their
bodies into formidable weapons. The physical conditioning that accompanied
this practice helped the monks build up strength and endurance for their
other disciplines. The original form was later developed into the Shaolin
art of fighting and was known as Kempo or Kung Fu which spread gradually
throughout the East. The practice gained wide usage in Okinawa, where
occupying Japanese had forbidden the carrying of arms. Fused with local
variations, it's name evolved into Karate.
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Karate ( pronounced
kah-rah-tay ) is a Japanese word that means "the way of the empty
hand." This refers to the
karate-ka's ( student of karate ) ability to defend him / herself without
the use of weapons. The Island of Okinawa is the birthplace of
Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Karate as we know it today. In 1922 he
introduced Karate to Japan proper, and the process of bringing this
ancient art to the world began. Karate -Do ( the way of Karate ) is an art
which is now known and practiced in all corners of the world. From it's
beginnings in Okinawa, Karate-Do has devotees in every sports-loving
country. As it developed, many leading Karate men in Japan and other
countries made their interpretations on the practice of the art so that
today there are many styles and variations, making Karate-Do no one's
monopoly but rather a precious asset to be owned by all in striving
for spiritual and physical perfection. A common goal of world peace is
it's aim and neither national boundary nor discrimination by sex or race
is recognized. |
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The nature of Karate-Do is characterized
by great potential power and is thus frequently misunderstood as something
violently aggressive. In fact it is a unique sport strictly governed by
the codes and principals of courtesy, benevolence and spiritual
understanding, and unlike other sports which depend on the concepts of
winning and losing, it is distinguished by being an art of justified self
defense.
Since Karate is, and has been the subject of much
sensationalism in the media, it is usual to regard it only as a matter of
the Karate expert smashing hard objects and dealing out death and
destruction while remaining immune from injury. However, Karate is a
physical, mental and moral culture which stresses the highest ethical
principles |
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the surface manifestations of Karate without mastering the essence will
fail. The purpose of Karate training is to develop both mind and body. The
mental and physical nature of Karate cannot be separated and one cannot
progress without the other. To develop each person's ability, constant and
arduous practice is required, thus it takes years to achieve the rank of
Black Belt and even then this is still considered to be the beginning.
Many hours are spent in Karate training to perfect basic blocking,
punching, and kicking techniques. Each technique has it's own purpose and
form that must be mastered through endless repetition and single-minded effort. In Karate one never stops
practicing the basic techniques as these
are the foundation of all that is to follow. |
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Kata is a form of Karate practice that consists of a series
of techniques performed against imaginary multiple opponents and is used
to develop not only fighting technique but fighting spirit. Another aspect
of Karate is Kumite, or free sparring, where contestants demonstrate their
techniques, ability, and spirit in open contest. This is a very small
element in the practice and learning of Karate and to the untrained
observer the matches will seem to be over very quickly without any
conclusive scoring being apparent. If you see contestants participating in
Kumite, keep in mind that this represents just one part of Karate-Do - the
tip of the iceberg that comes as a result of many years of training and
dedicated effort on behalf of each participant. Remember also that
this would not be possible at all but for the selfless and dedicated
effort that Karate masters and Sensei have devoted to training and
teaching their students. |
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