Karate

This article is about the martial art. For other uses, see Karate (disambiguation).
"Karateka" redirects here. For the video game, see Karateka (video game).

Karate
Chōmo Hanashiro, an Okinawan karate master c. 1938
Also known asKarate-do (空手道)
FocusStriking
HardnessFull-contact, semi-contact, light-contact
Country of originRyukyu Kingdom (Present day Okinawa prefecture,  Japan)
ParenthoodIndigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands, Chinese martial arts[1][2]
Karate
WKF's Karate World Championship 2006 in Tampere, Finland; men's heavyweight final
Highest governing bodyWorld Karate Federation
First developedRyukyu Kingdom, ca. 17th century
Characteristics
ContactYes
Mixed-sexVaries
TypeMartial art
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
Olympic2020
World Games1981 – present

Karate (空手) (/kəˈrɑːti/; Japanese pronunciation: [kaɾate] ⓘ; Okinawan pronunciation: [kaɽati]), also karate-do (空手道, Karate-dō), is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called te (手), "hand"; tī in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts.[1][2] While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate training also employs throwing and joint locking techniques.[3] A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).

Beginning in the 1300s, early Chinese martial artists brought their techniques to Okinawa. Despite the Ryukyu Kingdom being turned into a puppet state by Japanese samurai in 1609, after the Invasion of Ryukyu, its cultural ties to China remained strong.[4] Since Okinawans were banned from carrying swords under samurai rule, groups of young aristocrats created unarmed combat methods as a form of resistance, combining Chinese and local styles of martial arts.[4] Training emphasized self-discipline.[4] This blend of martial arts became known as kara-te 唐手, which translates to "Chinese hand." Initially, there were no uniforms, colored belts, ranking systems, or standardized styles.[4] Many elements essential to modern karate were actually incorporated a century ago.[4]

The Ryukyu Kingdom had been conquered by the Japanese Satsuma Domain and had become its vassal state since 1609, but was formally annexed to the Empire of Japan in 1879 as Okinawa Prefecture. The Ryukyuan samurai (Okinawan: samurē) who had been the bearers of karate lost their privileged position, and with it, karate was in danger of losing transmission. However, karate gradually regained popularity after 1905, when it began to be taught in schools in Okinawa. During the Taishō era (1912–1926), karate was introduced to mainland Japan by Gichin Funakoshi and Motobu Chōki. The ultranationalistic sentiment of the 1930s affected every aspect of Japanese culture.[4] To make the imported martial art more relatable, Funakoshi incorporated elements from judo, such as the training uniforms, colored belts, and ranking systems.[4] Karate's popularity was initially sluggish with little exposition but when a magazine reported a story about Motobu defeating a foreign boxer in Kyoto, karate rapidly became well known throughout Japan.[5]

In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,[6] the name was changed from 唐手 ("Chinese hand" or "Tang hand")[7] to 空手 ("empty hand") – both of which are pronounced karate in Japanese – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style.[8] After World War II, Okinawa became (1945) an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.[9][10] The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase the popularity of martial arts around the world, and English-speakers began to use the word karate in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Asian martial arts.[11] Karate schools (dōjōs) began appearing around the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.

Karate, like other Japanese martial arts, is considered to be not only about fighting techniques, but also about spiritual cultivation.[12][13] Many karate schools and dōjōs have established rules called dōjō kun, which emphasize the perfection of character, the importance of effort, and respect for courtesy. Karate featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics after its inclusion at the Games was supported by the International Olympic Committee. Web Japan (sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claims that karate has 50 million practitioners worldwide,[14] while the World Karate Federation claims there are 100 million practitioners around the world.[15]

  1. ^ a b Higaonna, Morio (1985). Traditional Karatedo Vol. 1 Fundamental Techniques. p. 17. ISBN 0-87040-595-0.
  2. ^ a b "History of Okinawan Karate". 2 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  3. ^ Bishop, Mark (1989). Okinawan Karate. A & C Black. pp. 153–166. ISBN 0-7136-5666-2. Chapter 9 covers Motobu-ryu and Bugeikan, two 'ti' styles with grappling and vital point striking techniques. Page 165, Seitoku Higa: "Use pressure on vital points, wrist locks, grappling, strikes and kicks in a gentle manner to neutralize an attack."
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Magazine, Smithsonian; Tsuboike, Tony Perrottet,Jun. "The Centuries-Old Sport of Karate Finally Gets Its Due at the Olympics". Smithsonian Magazine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Meigenrō, Shujin (1925). "肉弾相打つ 唐手拳闘大試合" [Karate vs. Boxing, a great match of blows against each other]. King (in Japanese). No. September 1925. Dai Nippon Yūben Kōdansha.
  6. ^ Miyagi, Chojun (1993) [1934]. McCarthy, Patrick (ed.). Karate-doh Gaisetsu [An Outline of Karate-Do]. International Ryukyu Karate Research Society. p. 9. ISBN 4-900613-05-3.
  7. ^ The name of the Tang dynasty was a synonym for "China" in Okinawa.
  8. ^ Draeger & Smith (1969). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Kodansha International. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-87011-436-6.
  9. ^ "Here's how US Marines brought karate back home after World War II". We Are The Mighty. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  10. ^ Bishop, Mark (1999). Okinawan Karate Second Edition. Tuttle. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-8048-3205-2.
  11. ^ Gary J. Krug (1 November 2001). "Dr. Gary J. Krug: the Feet of the Master: Three Stages in the Appropriation of Okinawan Karate Into Anglo-American Culture". Csc.sagepub.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  12. ^ Shigeru, Egami (1976). The Heart of Karate-Do. Kodansha International. p. 13. ISBN 0-87011-816-1.
  13. ^ Nagamine, Shoshin (1976). Okinawan Karate-do. Tuttle. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-8048-2110-0.
  14. ^ "Web Japan" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  15. ^ "WKF claims 100 million practitioners". Thekisontheway.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.