Karate is a Japanese term which means self-defences . It is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kindom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan  martial arts ( Okinawan) under the influence of Kung-Fu. It is a system of fight art without using any kinds of weapon.

 It is a method to connect your body, mind, heart and soul together. It helps you to find peace within yourself. It also improves self-control and helps to become confident. Karate also increases body fitness which increases the life span of a person.

In today’s world it is a necessity of everyone to know self-defence, not to hurt but to protect and that’s where Karate comes to play the role. It is not just a sport or game it is an art form and a way of life which anyone can lead to.

Karate has three main components when we talk about its sports version : KATA- A Set of Karate techniques and forms, KIHON- Basic and fundamental training of techniques, and KUMITE- Sparring or fighting tournament is called KUMITE.

 Jitendra Kumar who is the founder of Activity Zone club in Patna and a Karate instructor. He holds a Black Belt 1^st DAN in Kyokushin style Karate  says “Sports fights are very different from real life fights (street fight). Nowadays, trainers are focusing on training people for their championship fights rather than for real self- defence”.

Therefore, some may say that Karate has lost its value, because everyone is practicing only the sports version. According to Kumar, this may make a person a good sportsman but this isn’t enough to be called a good Karate practitioner.

Karate is beyond sports. It isn’t just an art form for the sake of fitness and heath. It is a discipline that has to have a strict and committed lifestyle. It has a philosophy with the intent of moulding a person into a good human being.  

Karate, as we know it today, is less than 200 years old. However, it has roots that date back thousands of years. The art originated on the island of Okinawa in Ryukyu Kingdom and in its early form was heavily influenced by ancient Chinese martial arts, collectively known as kung fu.  It involves punches, kicks, knee strikes, elbow strikes and throws. It has varieties of styles and some of the famous styles are Goju-Ryu, Kyokushin, Shito-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Shotokan, Wado-Ryu.

-Akash Francis, Newsnet Intern

  karate, sports