What Is Karate?

"True karate is this; that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice. The ultimate aim of the art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants." - Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan and modern day karate.

Karate is an ancient martial art that developed in Okinawa and was heavily influenced by other cultures especially martial arts from China (see the Karates History article for more information). Kara-Te-Do (in Japanese) translates as Empty Hand Way which has several meanings. The ultimate aim of karate is to be able to defeat the toughest opponent of all, oneself, and unite mind, body and spirit.

As a self defence system karate is second to none, it utilizes techniques with the various surfaces of the body as weapons and like most martial arts it capitalizes on known weaknesses in the construction of the human anatomy and physiology to cease potentially harmful situations, although only as a last resort.

"The correct understanding of Karate and its proper use is Karate-do. One who truly trains in this do (way) and actually understands Karate-do is never easily drawn into a fight". - Gichin Funakoshi

Karate is one of the most dynamic of all the martial arts and incorporates various techniques at all ranges. The beginner learns basic concepts including both the philosophy and techniques of karate. At the start they will learn basic stances, form and movement along with the basic weaponless striking and blocking techniques. As the student advances they learn how to better control the body through improved balance, ma-ai (judging distance), breathing and body mechanics. They will start to get better conditioned over time and endurance, speed, strength and flexibility will greatly improve. Karate trains all parts of the body and doesn't just develop one part of the body like some sports. Physical exercise especially karate has been proven to be of great value in improving physical and mental health. Karate practice creates a healthier and fitter body inside and out it improves cognitive functions and develops better co ordination, reflexes, composure, confidence and respect for others. In this, karate is not an end, but a means to an end. It is an activity in which advancing in age is not a hinderance but rather it encourages proficiency in the keen co-ordination of body and mind. Kancho Kanazawa is 74 years old yet his body and mind are still in great condition and he continues to travel the world alone to the 102 various countries of his association keeping to his busy schedule and high demand to give instruction of his karate do.

The advanced student further develops their technique and conditioning aswel as the basic skills, and learns how to apply more advanced applications including joint manipulation, throws, grappling, chokes, restraints and the manipulation of vital points/nerve centers etc. At this stage the student becomes involved with more intricate and advanced katas and more free dynamic forms of kumite. All of the required techniques and concepts can be found inside the katas, katas are ancient forms passed down from the masters, they contain the principals of all karate technique. Karate practice is usually split into three main sections, these are kihon (basic technique drills), kumite (sparring) and kata (ancient forms), but at times all of these interlink and can be practiced as one. After years of practice a karateka's health and skill will have improved significantly and karate techniques will almost become an automatic response. However just when the karate student approaches the higher levels, for example blackbelt, the student will soon see that his training has only just began and will start to understand why the masters of old say that karate takes atleast a lifetime to learn.