What is Karate?
Karate is a Japanese martial art that uses striking techniques with hands, feet, elbows, and knees, as well as blocking and grappling, to develop physical and mental discipline.
By whom, where and when was Karate invented?
Karate is an ancient discipline with the roots of its current form originating on the Japanese island of Okinawa during the Ryukyu Dynasty, which was established in the 15th century.
It became popular across Japan in the 1920s and expanded internationally following World War II.
A karate practitioner is called a karateka.
What are the different types of Karate? What are the rules of Karate?
Karate comprises two modalities: Kumite and Kata. In Kumite, or combat, the winner of the three-minute fights is the one who obtains a clear lead of eight points, or the competitor having the highest number of points at time-up. If the fight is a draw, then the winner is determined by the first unopposed point advantage (Senshu) or in the case of a scoreless result, by a majority decision of the judges (Hantei).
Points are scored according to correctly-executed techniques of controlled punches, strikes and kicks.
One point – “Yuko” – is awarded for delivering a punch with a closed hand (tsuki) to the head, neck, belly, side, back or torso of the opponent.
Two points – “Waza-ari” – are awarded for a kick to the body.
Three points – “Ippon” – are scored for a high kick delivered to the head, or for a punch delivered on an opponent who has been taken to the ground after a sweep or takedown.
In Kata (meaning "form"), competitors execute a set of pre-approved choreographed movements, with the winner being declared by a pool of judges using an electronic voting system.
Karateka are evaluated according to technical and athletic performances.
Karate and the Olympics
Karate made its full Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 after being on the programme at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.
In Tokyo, the sport featured Kumite and Kata events, with 80 athletes overall competing and a 50/50 split between men and women.
The Olympic competition took place at the legendary Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, which is considered a heartbeat for martial arts practitioners and enthusiasts.
Best Karate athletes to watch
Some well-known kata performers include Shimizu Kiyou and Kiyuna Ryo of Japan, Damian Quintero of Spain, and Sakura Kokumai of the USA, while kumite stars include Olympic and world champions Steven Da Costa of France and Jovana Prekovic of Serbia.
