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Karate, or "Empty Hand" is a martial art which gained much popularity when Guchin Funakoshi brought the art from the island of Okinawa to Tokyo in 1921. Shortly thereafter, the art was brought into the Japanese school system and quickly spread through the masses.
The art of karate eventually crossed the Pacific and into North America after World War II with the exposure of the art to Western soldiers on duty in Japan as well as immigration to North America by established "karateka" (karate practitioners).
Karateka make use of kumite (free sparring) and kata ( a pre-set series of karate techniques) in their training. Kata practice is done to preserve and teach karate movements as well as train attributes such as balance, speed, and proper breathing.
Karate is well known for its powerful kicks and hand strikes although several organizations do integrate weaponry into their training. Traditional weapons such as the Tonfa, Psi, Bo, and Nunchaku are practiced by several "karateka" (practitioners of karate) around the world.
As is the case with almost all martial arts, the practice of karate is split amongst countless organizations and "styles". Four of the major organizations in karate are Wado Kai, Goju-Kai, Shotokan, and Uechi-Ryu.
Return to Martial Arts Styles Mainpage.