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HISTORY OF KARATE
KARATE ORIGINATED IN THE OKINAWA ISLANDS IN THE 14TH AND 15TH CENTURY AND WAS DEVELOPED FROM THE MARTIAL ARTS FROM CHINA, IN FACT THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF KARATE WAS 'CHINA HAND' THIS WAS LATER CHANGED TO EMPTY HAND.
IN 1921 THE FAMOUS KARATE INSTRUCTOR FROM OKINAWA GICHIN FUNAKOSHI DEMONSTRATED KARATE TO THE CROWN PRINCE OF JAPAN WHILST ON A TRIP TO OKINAWA. THE SAME YEAR HE WAS INVITED TO JAPAN TO DEMONSTRATE KARATE AND WAS SOON SPENDING MOST OF HIS TIME THERE SPREADING KARATE THROUGHOUT JAPAN.
KARATE WAS NOW SEEN NOT JUST AS AN UNARMED SELF DEFENCE SYSTEM BUT A WAY OF KEEPING THE BODY HEALTHY AND IMPROVING THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR KARATE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND FROM THERE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
KARATE NI SENTENASHI - THERE IS NO FIRST ATTACK IN KARATE
IN 1949 GICHIN FUNAKOSHI WAS APPOINTED CHIEF INSTRUCTOR TO THE NIPPON KARATE-DO RENMEI (JAPAN KARATE ASSOCIATION). BORN IN SHURI, OKINAWA IN 1868, HE DIED IN TOKYO, JAPAN IN 1957 AT THE AGE OF 89, LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY OF PRACTICE AND BEHAVIOUR WHICH SURVIVES TO THE PRESENT DAY AS AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL WHO WOULD FOLLOW IN KARATE-DO.
ONE OF FUNAKOSHI'S QUOTES
'THE ULTIMATE AIM OF KARATE LIES NOT IN VICTORY OR DEFEAT, BUT IN THE PERFECTION OF THE CHARACTER OF IT'S PARTICIPANTS'
THIS STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY. FUNAKOSHI IS KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF MODERN DAY KARATE.
IN 1930, FUNAKOSHI INTRODUCED THE WORD 'KARA' WHICH MEANS 'EMPTY' TO OKINAWA-TE. THE WORD TE (HAND) REMAINED. HE ADDED THE 'DO' ENDING WHICH MEANS 'WAY'.
THE NAME KARATE-DO WAS BORN AND MEANS 'EMPTY HAND WAY'.
STUDENTS WEAR WHAT IS KNOWN AS A GI, A WHITE KARATE SUIT, DIFFERENT COLOURED BELTS ARE WORN TO IDENTIFY THE STAGE IN THEIR KARATE DEVELOPMENT.
KARATE IS A MIXTURE OF KICKING TECHNIQUES AND HAND TECHNIQUES. LW KARATE FOCUSES ON THREE MAIN ELEMENTS.
KIHON - BASIC TECHNIQUE
KATA - THE PREARRANGED SET MOVEMENTS
KUMITE - SPARRING
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