“Karate”, agility and strength-building exercise, is one of the most famous martial art forms worldwide.
Karate became famous globally after the second world war. Japanese Karate masters taught people from other countries about “Karate”. Many schools offer “Karate” as an “extra-curricular” activity to provide children the much-needed exercise. Apart from learning discipline and self-defense approaches, “Karate” also boosts confidence. Any “Martial art” form is taught as a student has to gain confidence for taking strategic decisions while facing dangerous situations in life. Here are some interesting facts about “Karate”
What is the meaning of “karate”?
The “Karate” comes from two separate words: “kara”, meaning“empty” and “te”, indicating“hand”. So, the literal meaning of “karate” is “empty hands”.
Gichin Funakoshi, the “father of modern karate”:
Gichin Funakoshi was born on 10th November1868. He introduced “Karate” in Japanin 1922.He died on 26th April 1957.
The art of karate is known as a “striking art”:
You will be surprised to know that different forms of “martial art”are associated with different descriptions. For example, “Karate” is a “striking art”. This indicates thatkarate is done in a “standing up” posture and you are not allowed to“grapple”.
“Karate practitioners” are called “karateka”:
Anybody who practices “Karate” is regarded as “Karateka”. Apart fromGichin Funakoshi, most famous“Karatekas” are Yoshitaka Funakoshi, Masutatsu Oyama, Itosu Anko, Shigeru Egami, Fumio Demura, and so on.
There are four different styles of “Karate”:
Generally, there are four commonly recognized styles of “Karate”. These are “Shokotan-ryu”, “Shito-ryu”, and “Wado-ryu” – all of which originated in Shuri, Okinawa. The last one is known as“Goju-ryu”, which originatedin Naha.
Karate is both a “self-defense” and “discipline” art:
Any sports event is learned with proper discipline. People tend to think that, “Karate” is learned for “self-defense” purposes only.But, this is not true. “Karate” is both “self-defense” and “discipline” art. “Karate” requires extensive mental and physical hardships. You will need great discipline to progress from one level to the next.In modern forms of“Karate”, students are instructed to concentrate on both mental and psychological parts of this art form along with the “physical aspects”. A student needs to have a balanced mindset as well as a good mental health status always.
Self-control is one major aspect of learning “Karate”:
“Karatekas” are taught to learn self-control. This is very crucial for learning karate. Karate can be lethal if used incorrectly. So, “Karate” students need to learn self-control and they should not use this power without any reason.They cannot use karate power because they are angry or frustrated.
A “karategi” is worn while practicing “Karate”:
The official Japanese name of the “Karate” uniform is “Karategi”.Karate students wear it during practice and in competitions. This consists of loose-fitting and lightweight trousers along with a white matching top.
So, you must encourage others to learn Karate.
