Karate: Facts About This Martial Art

By Leigh Metopher


Karate is one of many martial arts that originated in Japan and is perhaps the best known of the Japanese martial arts. Karate was developed hundreds of years ago on Okinawa and with an emphasis on striking and punching, it's little wonder that the word translates to "hand." It is important to note that knee strikes and kicking also are an essential part of training.

In Okinawa, karate was developed during the 1300s in the years of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It wasn't brought to the mainland of Japan until after the turn of the 20th century. However, it quickly became very popular and within 15 years of its arrival, a karate club was established at Keio University and just ten years later, most Japanese universities had clubs devoted to karate. Karate became popular in the United States after World War II. Soldiers stationed in Okinawa were exposed to karate and began taking lessons and developing an interest in this art. In 1945, the first American school of karate opened in Phoenix and today, there are thousands of dojos throughout the United States.

There are many different types or styles of karate. For instance, you might hear a practitioner say they are a student of Kyokushin karate or perhaps Shotokan karate. There are more than one dozen different types of karate, not to mention the fact that karate skills often are incorporated into mixed martial arts.

During training, students of karate earn various belts to mark the level of their skill and improvement. As beginners, karate students begin with a white belt, and their first goal is to learn enough skills and master them in order to earn the yellow belt. After yellow, the belts continue to orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red and finally, black. For young adults and older adults, you can earn different degrees of black belts.

While it's always encouraged to work hard and move up in the ranks of belts, karate is not just about earning belts or fighting. Many people confuse martial arts with aggression, and certainly one will learn how to fight during karate training. However, the goal is not aggression but self-control and self-defense. The focus is on improving your mental focus, self-confidence and overall physical condition. Karate teaches discipline and teaches one to respect yourself and others.

If you are searching for a Carlsbad karate school or Encinitas karate school for your child, consider Team Mai. Classes are taught by experienced instructors, all of whom have earned black belts in karate. You will find that martial arts training has many benefits for children. Not only will they be able to defend themselves if necessary, they will improve their physical strength, flexibility and coordination as well as boosting confidence.




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