The martial art of karate is a relative newcomer to the martial arts game. Developed in the Ryukyu kingdom which is now Okinawa, it was a combination of local moves and Chinese ken po. The history of karate is a coming together of different styles and cultures to create one martial art form.
Karate is a made up of strike movements. The punching, kicking, knee strikes are very effective and powerful. The karate chop is an open hand strike quick and to the pressure points. A person who practices this art is given the name of karateka.
The types of karate were determined by three separate towns on the island. Shuri-te, naha-te, and tomari-te are the cities the styles are named after and also determined by the teachers and the kata that is taught there.
The kata are the basis of this practice. The kata is structure moves in a set pattern that is repeated many times over. The moves are defensive and offensive and often can be used in self defense. The art of moving through these kata brings a place of peace to the mind and allows one to become pure and spiritual in their practice.
The higher income Okinawa people sent their children to China to learn the ways of education, science, and other important academics. With their visiting they brought their powerful practice and learned to bring the kenpo into the mix of karate.
The cultural trade was balanced as Chinese families moved to Okinawa. The Chinese shared their arts, education and their martial arts abilities and connected once more the power of karate to the Chinese.
The teacher Gichin Funakoshi was the ambassador of karate to the mainland Japan. During the twenties the Japanese wanted to have a demonstration of karate believing that it would be the perfect hand to hand combat they needed for their military. Seeing this new art many studios opened up to teach the Japanese this exciting martial art.
The art of karate was quickly learning how to add adaptations to the strength and power of this martial art. The dojo was an all white kimono that was worn while you participated in the practice. To identify the different levels of the martial art they brought color to the dan or belts.
After the end of World War II the American forces ended up on Okinawa. This meant that the men stationed there learned the practice of karate. Further introduction to the west was through the martial art movies of the sixties and seventies. With these movies people started taking up the practice and schools popped up in the many other countries.
As with all the martial arts the practice is more than simply a physical act. To be truly immersed in the aspects of this process you must put aside any fear and show yourself to be a leader as you use dedication to the kata as your stepping stone to growing the spiritual manifestation of karate. This growth is more than simply following the forms, it is allowing the strength to let the kata work through you.
The history of karate is long, varied, and like most things peppered with other cultures. Yet the concepts are as all martial arts a good and strong basis for a life.
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