| Although practiced widely in Japan, the art of present | | | | knife or club, the striking point is the real weapon of the |
| day Karate was introduced into that country less than | | | | practiced Karate man. It cannot be bought in the store, |
| fifty years ago by Funakoshi Gichin. | | | | but must be conditioned through practice and training. |
| Actually, the art of Karate can be traced back to the | | | | Although an effective blow can be delivered without |
| ancient Chinese art of Kempo. Legend has it that | | | | building up a callous on the striking point, it is |
| Kempo originated during the Liang dynasty when a | | | | nevertheless true that you can strike an even more |
| Buddhist monk named Taishi taught this art to monks in | | | | effective blow, with less sensitivity to yourself, by |
| the Shaolin-szu Monastery as a means of defense | | | | conditioning the striking points. |
| against militant aggressors and as a way of building up | | | | The most commonly used striking point is the clenched |
| their weakened physical condition. | | | | fist. The clenched fist in Karate is not a simple closing |
| Taishi preached that for the true understanding of | | | | of the hand, but a clenching of the fist so that the |
| religion, the body and soul should be strong and | | | | center point between the knuckles of the middle and |
| inseparable, and that in a weakened physical state the | | | | forefingers lies on an imaginary line running through the |
| necessary religious practices could never be | | | | center of the forearm. Also, the wrist is not bent, and if |
| adequately performed. In time, these monks became | | | | an imaginary plane ran through the front of the fist, it |
| such powerful unarmed fighters that people from all | | | | would be perpendicular to the arm. When using this |
| over China came to study at their monastery in order | | | | striking point, the direction of the blow can either be |
| to learn the art of unarmed defense. | | | | forward, up or down. |
| Around 1600 A.D., the Chinese who occupied Okinawa | | | | When counter-attacking to the eyes or solar plexus, |
| introduced their art of Kempo to the Okinawans, who | | | | the tip of the first finger is an effective striking point. |
| combined it with their native form of unarmed fighting, | | | | The direction of the blow can be forward or up or |
| which in later years developed into Karate. | | | | down, with a dig or even a stab. |
| When Karate was finally introduced into Japan, it very | | | | Also effective in a counter-attack to the eyes is the |
| quickly became popular and gained tremendous | | | | use of the tips of the first and second fingers. |
| following and interest. In later years it was refined into | | | | Oftentimes this can be used to temporarily blind your |
| what we know today as Japanese-style Karate. | | | | opponent so that you can deliver an effective |
| The Karate Striking Techniques | | | | follow-up counter. Remember, the hand is faster than |
| The underlying principle behind the correct striking | | | | the eye? And a quick stab should momentarily make |
| technique is that we must transmit the maximum | | | | an opponent helpless. |
| concentration of force from the entire body, through | | | | There is much more to learn about karate, but this will |
| the striking point, into the target area. Unlike the gun, | | | | set you off in the right direction. |