Karate-do
An ancient art comes of age

Like sushi and samurai, karate is a word known across the world. Now a modern sport with international competitors, karate has centuries-old origins embedded in Asia. jstyle charts the journey from kenpo to The Karate Kid:

Photos: courtesy of Japan Karatedo Federation

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What is karate?
Punches, kicks plus knee and elbow strikes replace weapons in the art of karate, where mental and spiritual discipline reign supreme. Some styles of karate also include other manoeuvres such as grappling and throws. Practitioners, known as "karateka", learn techniques for self-defence and combat, along with inner wisdom and understanding.

The Okinawa origins of karate
Karate has its roots in a form of fist-fighting indigenous to the island of Okinawa, formerly the independent Ryukyu kingdom. Several factors influenced the development of this ancient martial art, known as "te", meaning "hand". At various stages in Okinawan history, rulers imposed weapons bans as a security measure. This led to the refinement of weaponless martial arts in secret among the people as a form of self-defence. Several styles developed in different parts of Okinawa and were known as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te, named after their respective areas of origin.

Each style had a slightly different emphasis due to the different population make-up in each area - the ancient capital Shuri was predominantly aristocratic, Naha was a town of merchants and traders and Tomari was dominated by farmers and peasants. These various forms of te were also influenced by kenpo (Chinese martial arts), first introduced in the late 14th century when trade relations with China were established.
Collectively, the Okinawan martial arts came to be known as "tode", or "Chinese hands". Due to the clandestine nature of martial arts training in Okinawa, there were few written records and technique was passed down orally and through physical teaching. Over time, this system led to the development and diversification of tode into a unique martial art, eventually becoming the early form of modern karate as we know it today.

Karate in mainland Japan
It was in the early 20th century that karate became popularised in mainland Japan, which was going through a renaissance in traditional martial arts at the time. No longer practised in secrecy, karate schools became more open and practitioners more willing to share their knowledge. Masters from Okinawa were invited to the mainland to demonstrate their skills and they chose Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) as their representative to introduce karate to the rest of Japan. Funakoshi initiated various measures to systematise karate, including the changing and renaming of kata (form) to be more suited to Japan. It was also at this time that the white uniforms (karate-gi), now worn by many karate practitioners the world over, and the kyu/dan ranking system were adopted. Finally in 1935, the martial art was renamed "karate", meaning "empty hands" and so took its place in Japan's rich martial arts tradition.

Gichin Funakoshi
Considered the father of modern karate, Gichin Funakoshi travelled to mainland Japan as the representative of the Okinawan martial arts masters. He gave the first public karate demonstration in Kyoto in 1917 and eventually moved to mainland Japan in 1922 to teach. He opened his own dojo (training hall) in Tokyo in 1936, when he was almost 70 years old. Funakoshi is the founder of the Shotokan school of karate, one of the four main styles of karate practised throughout the world today.

Elements of Karate
Karate training involves three main elements - kihon (fundamentals), kata (form), and kumite (sparring).

Kihon - The building blocks of karate, kihon are the basic moves and techniques necessary to master the martial art. They include stance, kicks, punches, blocks and thrusts. Kihon comprise an important part of karate training, no matter how advanced the level of the practitioner. Depending on the class, students will practise kihon moves individually or in partner drills.

Kata - Set sequences of specific karate movements, kata are designed to train and demonstrate the principles of physical combat. Ranging from short and simple to long and complex routines, they serve as exercises in memory as well as technique. Kata were developed before literacy was commonplace as a practical and effective way of preserving and passing down teachings.

Kumite - A term meaning "'meeting of hands", kumite, or sparring, is another key aspect of karate. Sparring can be free or structured. In free sparring, opponents execute techniques in an improvised way and win points for thrusts and kicks, while in structured sparring, opponents follow a prescribed series of steps, announcing their offence and defence moves in advance. The level of physical contact in kumite can range from strictly non-contact to full contact, but usually practitioners are expected to exert sufficient control over their movements so that any contact with the opponent is only surface and unlikely to cause injury.

Karate-Do: The way of the "empty hand"
Like many other aspects of Japanese culture such as tea ceremony, Zen Buddhism and various martial arts, karate involves an important philosophical or spiritual aspect. This is why karate is often called karate-do, where "do" means "way" or "path". Through learning and perfecting the physical elements of kihon, kata and kumite, students also train in spiritual and mental discipline. Practitioners strive to achieve a balance between ultimate control of their physical movements and the letting go in their minds to achieve a state of emptiness (the "kara" of karate). Karate practitioners around the world follow Funakoshi's "Twenty Precepts of Karate" (niju kun), a set of commandments that encourage improvement of character through adhering to values of humility, respect, patience and calmness. Thought to have been written in the late 19th century, these precepts were first published in 1938. Many karate schools have a set of "dojo kun" (training hall rules), derived from Funakoshi's writings, which students recite at the end of each class. Strict discipline is enforced in the dojo and karate practitioners are expected to observe the same conduct in their everyday lives.

The black belt's origins
A karateka's rank is shown by the colour of their belt. This tradition goes back to 1924 when Gichin Funakoshi adopted the ranking system called "dan", which was already in use at the time in judo. Students take grading examinations to work their way up through the different kyu (levels) from 10 to one, receiving a different-coloured belt to mark each stage. The order of the belt colours varies between karate schools but typically, a beginner will wear a white belt while the highest level (first kyu) is shown by a black belt. After achieving black-belt level, students then progress further through the different dan from one to 10.
The progression of belt colours from white to black is thought to have originated in the past when students used to re-dye their belts a new colour as a cheap and simple way of showing their rank, rather than buying a new belt for each level as is the norm today. It was practical for the colour of the dye to become progressively darker.
In order to be eligible to participate in a grading session, students need to have reached a minimum age and experience. To pass the next level, they demonstrate their skills in front of an official panel of examiners by performing a prescribed set of techniques and kata. They are judged on stance, balance and co-ordination, as well as power and speed at higher levels. To qualify for a black belt, practitioners are usually required to pass a written examination in addition to the practical demonstration.

Schools of karate
Over time, various "ryu" (schools) of karate have developed, each with a slightly different emphasis and style. Today there are hundreds of styles of karate in existence around the world with followings that range from just a few schools to the widely established. The following are among the largest and best-known:

Shotokan - founded by Gichin Funakoshi in Tokyo in 1938, this style emphasises strong stance and powerful linear techniques. It takes its name from "Shoto", meaning "pine waves", which was Funakoshi's pen-name.

Goju-ryu - meaning "the hard soft way". This school was founded by Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953) in 1930. With influences from Naha-te, Goju-ryu emphasises the combination of circular blocking techniques with quick and strong counter-attacks.

Shito-ryu - founded in 1928 by Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952), this style was directly influenced by both Naha-te and Shuri-te. Shito-ryu schools are known for their large number of kata and emphasis on power in the execution of techniques.

Wado-ryu - with a name meaning "way of harmony", this school of karate was founded in 1939 by Hienori Otsuka, a student of Gichin Funakoshi. Its style is unique due to the influence of jujitsu and its emphasis on the technique of evasion and spiritual discipline.

Kyokushin kaikan
Unique among the many styles of karate is kyokushin kaikan, a type of full-contact karate. Founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama, kyokushin kaikan (meaning "society for the ultimate truth") developed from a combination of traditional karate styles with influences from boxing, kickboxing and other combat sports. Compared to other schools, it emphasises a more realistic and practical approach to self-defence and combat, featuring hard sparring without the use of protective equipment. The school emphasises self-improvement, discipline and physical toughness in its training. Kyokushin kaikan has proved popular internationally, with some 12 million practitioners worldwide, and has spawned several other full-contact styles of karate.

Karate goes global
Since its beginnings in Japan, karate has grown tremendously in popularity as well as diversity. Today, it ranks among the ten largest sports in the world. The World Karate Championships have been held since 1970 and with participants from 173 countries, this competition is truly a global event. The World Karate Federation, formed in 1990, now has more than 10 million members from more than 130 countries. It has full International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition and although karate narrowly missed out on selection as an official event for the 2012 Olympics, it is surely only a matter of time before it makes its debut.

Karate in Australia
Karate has gained a significant following in Australia, particularly in the past few decades. The Australian Karate Federation, established in 1970, currently has more than 58,000 members and affiliations with some 105 styles of karate. There are now schools all over the country specialising in different styles, including several run by master teachers.