Thanks to Tyler Murphy
for providing this documentation.
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Karate is a term that either means "Chinese hand" or "Empty
hand" depending on which Japanese or Chinese characters you use to write it. The
Okinawan Karates could be said to have started in the 1600s when Chinese practitioners of
various Kung Fu styles mixed and trained with local adherents of an art called
"te"(meaning "hand") which was a very rough, very simple fighting
style similar to Western boxing. These arts generally developed into close- range, hard,
external styles.
In the late 19th century Gichin Funakoshi trained under several of the great
Okinawan Karate masters (Itosu, Azato) as well as working with Jigoro Kano (see Judo) and
Japanese Kendo masters (see Kendo). Influenced by these elements, he created a new style
of Karate. This he introduced into Japan in the first decade of the 20th century and thus
to the world. The Japanese Karates (or what most people refer to when they say
"karate") are of this branch.
The art of karate is more than 1000 years old and originated in eastern Asia, first as
monastic training and later as a defense method used by Chinese peasants against armed
bandits. During the 17th century it became highly developed as an art on the island of
Okinawa, Japan. In 1922 karate was introduced to the Japanese public by an
Okinawan,Funakoshi Gichin, and the art is today chiefly associated with Japan. It was
introduced into the U.S. after World War II. Many types, including Korean (tae kwon do)
and Chinese styles, are taught in the U.S.
Karate is related to judo and jujutsu, but stresses techniques for striking, with lethal
kicks and punches, rather than wrestling or throwing an opponent. The three elements of
speed, strength, and technique are vital to karate expertise. Constant alertness and a
keen sense of timing and surprise are also requisites.
Great attention is given to knowing the most vulnerable points of the human body, which
may be attacked by the hands, elbows, knees, or feet. These areas include the face,neck,
solar plexus, spinal column, groin, and kidneys. In ordinary karate competitions or
exhibitions, only the area of the body above the waist is allowed as a target, and all
blows are to be pulled. The most common blows used are chops or knife hands, knuckle
punches, hammerblows, finger jabs, and front, side, back, round, jump, and stamping kicks.
In actual fighting, any of these blows can be fatal. The ability of a karate master
(sensei) to break boards or bricks with a chop of the bare hand is proverbial. The karate
trainee toughens hands and feet by driving them into containers of sand, rice, or gravel
and by striking sandbags and special punching boards. Constant exercises are important for
limbering up and for strengthening the muscles of the Deep-Breathing exercises are also
useful because exhalation and sudden shouts accompany the directed blows, particularly the
final or so-called killing blows. Such breathing and cries help the rhythm of the karate
attack, focus more force in each blow or block, and psychologically invigorate a
person while disconcerting the opponent.
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