| Karate, or Karate-do, loosely translates empty hand | | | | (Okinawa hand). It was not until the 20th century that |
| ("kara" means empty and "te" means hand). This art is | | | | t'ang became known as Karate-do. The suffix do was |
| indeed predominantly concerned with fighting with bare | | | | added by Gichin Funakoshi's son Yoshitaka Funakoshi, |
| hands and feet. The basic principle is to turn the body | | | | in friendly opposition to his father's Okinawa-te style. |
| into an effective weapon to defend and attack when | | | | Practice and demonstrations until that time had been |
| and where it is appropriate. | | | | extremely violent. Punches were not pulled and full |
| History: Karate is one of the most widely practised of | | | | contact was an integral part of the Okinawa-te style. |
| the oriental martial arts. It evolved during one of the | | | | Yoshitaka Funakoshi transformed the techniques of |
| Japanese occupations of the island of Okinawa, part | | | | Okinawa-te into a gentler system, seeking not to |
| of the Ryukyu chain of islands, in the 15th century. Its | | | | deliver blows fully, but to focus strikes at skin level. The |
| roots, however, can be traced back much further than | | | | do suffix expressed the move away from the aim of |
| this - all the way back to ancient India. Many people | | | | the warrior and towards physical and spiritual |
| hold the view that what we regard today as the | | | | development. |
| oriental martial arts have their roots in India. In fact, | | | | Styles: There are numerous styles of karate practised. |
| when we look at such disciplines as yoga and the | | | | Wado Ryu and Shotokan are just 2 of them. Other |
| breathing techniques that originated in India, there does | | | | popular systems include Shinto Ryu, developed in 1948, |
| seem to be a great similarity between those and | | | | and now one of the main systems in the world. It is |
| many of the modern martial arts systems. | | | | also important to realise that the various styles of |
| Zen Buddhist monks took the Indian fighting techniques | | | | Karate are the results of the personal ideas of many |
| to China from as early as the 5th century BC. | | | | individuals about how each basic technique should be |
| Bodhidharma, an Indian monk, travelled at the end of | | | | carried out or applied. The different techniques within |
| the 5th century AD from India to China, where he | | | | the styles of Karate also dictate whether strength, |
| became an instructor at the Shaolin monastery. He | | | | speed, hand or leg techniques are emphasised. |
| taught a combination of empty hand fighting systems | | | | Competitive Karate: Karate has been a self defense |
| and yoga. This became the well-known Shaolin Kong | | | | system and a form of physical exercise. The |
| Fu - the system on which many Chinese martial arts | | | | competitive and sporting elements have a further part |
| systems are based. | | | | to play in the individual's enjoyment of this activity. It is |
| In 1470, the Japanese had occupied the island of | | | | because of the possibility of participation in competition |
| Okinawa. The law of the land dictated that anybody | | | | that many people take up this art. |
| found carrying weapons would be put to death. In | | | | Competition is not the only reason for engaging in this |
| order to protect themselves from local bandits, who | | | | art. It is possible to learn Karate without participating in |
| largely ignored the prohibition on weapons, Zen | | | | competitions, however for some people, competition |
| Buddhist monks developed the empty hand system | | | | provides motivation and stimulation for training. The |
| known as "te", importing new techniques from China. | | | | sense of achievement that comes from just taking |
| Eventually the new art was translated as "t'ang" (China | | | | part can be carried over into everyday life. |
| hand), but was familiarly known as "Okinawa-te" | | | | |