| Karate in Japan | |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Governing body | Japan Karate Federation |
| National team(s) | Japan Olympics team |
International competitions | |
Karate began in the 14th century on the island of Okinawa. [1] Karate as a word first emerged due to Gichin Funakoshi. [2] Karate was introduced to mainland Japan in the 1920s. [3] [4] [5]
Karate (lit. "empty-hand") has its roots in ancient martial practice in India and China. There is a popular tale of an Indian monk by the name of Bodhidharma, who brought a system of exercise and fighting techniques to the Shaolin Monastery in China around 525 A.D. It is said that this was the beginning of a systematized martial practice that eventually spread to other Asian countries via traveling monks and traders. [6]
Karate itself was born in Okinawa (actually a string of islands off the coast of Japan known as the Ryukyu Islands). [7] It is said that in ancient times a style known simply as "te" (literally "hand") emerged from the influence of the aforementioned Shaolin Kung Fu.
In the 1920s a public school teacher named Gichin Funakoshi introduced what was, by then, called kara-te into mainland Japan. He developed the nomenclature of this art at the research club in Keio University, changing the meaning of its name from "Chinese hand" to "empty hand" and adding the suffix do to conform budō arts. In 1933, the art was officially recognized by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. [8]
There were already family styles of karate in Okinawa and soon several styles were also formed in Japan. [9] There are several differences between the two traditional approaches but that can be researched elsewhere. [10]
Organizations like Japan Karate Association and the Japan Karate Federation emerged in the 1950s to standardize karate as a sport. [11] [12] [13] [14]
Japan Karate Federation is the largest Karate Association in Japan. It is a member of the Japan Olympic Association.
The Japan Karate Federation is a member of the Asian umbrella organization Asian Karatedo Federation (AKF) as well as the World Association for World Karate Federation (WKF).
On the part of the Japan Olympic Committee, the JOC is the only Karate Association authorized to send athletes to the Olympic Games.
Japan a traditional world power in Sport Karate and its record in Karate World Championships is an impressive one.
| Year | Host city | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 |  Tokyo | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1972 |  Paris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 |  California | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1977 | Tokyo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 |  Madrid | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 1982 |  Taipei | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 1984 |  Maastricht | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 1986 |  Sydney | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1988 |  Cairo | 5 | 7 | 2 | 14 |
| 1990 |  Mexico City | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 1992 | Granada | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 1994 |  Kota Kinabalu | 7 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| 1996 |  Sun City | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 1998 |  Rio de Janeiro | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Total | 73 | 43 | 42 | 158 | |
As Karate grained prominence in Japan many karate masters exported the martial art to the United States and many other parts of the world. [15] [16]
The sport has declined in popularity and is more popular abroad. [17] Karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics is going to be a debut event at the Summer Olympics. [18]
Karate (空手), also karate-do, is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While, Modern Karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.
Wadō-ryū (和道流) is one of the four major karate styles and was founded by Hironori Ōtsuka (1892–1982). The style itself places emphasis on not only striking, but tai sabaki, joint locks and throws. It has its origins within Shindō Yōshin-ryū jujitsu, as well as Tomari-te (pre-Shotokan) karate, and was also influenced by Shito-Ryu, with Hironori Ōtsuka being taught by both Kenwa Mabuni and Gichin Funakoshi.
Shōrei-ryū is a style of Okinawan karate and is one of the two oldest karate styles, alongside Shōrin-ryū. It was developed at the end of the 19th century by Higaonna Kanryō in Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
Hironori Ōtsuka[a] was a Japanese master of karate who created the Wadō-ryū style of karate. He was the first Grand Master of Wadō-ryū karate, and received high awards within Japan for his contributions to karate.
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art based on karate and can include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by some Kwans to identify the traditional Korean fusion of fighting styles. In the mid 1950s, it became the basis for the martial art taekwondo when the Korean Nine Kwans united.
The Japan Karate Association is one of the oldest global Shotokan karate organizations in the world.
Dōjō kun (道場訓) is a Japanese martial arts term literally meaning "training hall rules." They are generally posted at the entrance to a dōjō or at the "front" of the dōjō (shomen) and outline behaviour expected and disallowed. In some styles of martial arts they are recited at the end of a class.
Shigeru Egami was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shōtōkai style. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate.
Gigō Funakoshi was the third son of Gichin Funakoshi and is widely credited with developing the foundation of the modern karate Shotokan style.
Gichin Funakoshi was the founder of Shotokan karate. He is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1922, following its earlier introduction by his teacher Itosu. He taught karate at various Japanese universities and became honorary head of the Japan Karate Association upon its establishment in 1949. In addition to being a karate master, Funakoshi was an avid poet and philosopher. His son, Gigō Funakoshi, is widely credited with developing the foundation of the modern karate Shotokan style.
Hidetaka Nishiyama was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was an internationally recognized instructor, author, and administrator, and helped to establish the Japan Karate Association. Nishiyama was one of the last surviving students of Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate. He was based in the United States of America from 1961 until his death in 2008, and was a pioneer of karate in that country. He had been posthumously awarded the rank of 10th dan in karate.
Toyotaro Miyazaki was a Japanese martial artist.
Isao Obata was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a senior student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate, and was a key figure in the establishment of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) under Funakoshi in 1949. Obata also helped introduce karate to the United States of America through his demonstrations of the art to United States Air Force personnel, and through his students, most notably Tsutomu Ohshima.
Thomas "Lapuppet" Carroll, was a pioneer African-American martial artist, and also a member of USA Karate Hall of Fame, and the Black Belt Hall of Fame. of Brooklyn, New York. He was also a member of the US Ju-Jitsu Federation, but focussed on Shotokan karate. Carrol died from cancer in March 1999.
Tetsuji Murakami was an early Japanese karate representative to Europe.
Karate was first introduced to American service men after World War II by Japanese and Okinawan karate masters.
Karate was first introduced in the United Kingdom by Vernon Bell, a judo instructor who attended karate classes with Henry Plée in Paris.
The Uchi-Uke refers in Karate a defense technique with the forearm for the middle part of the body (Chūdan). Uchi (内) stands for "inside", building (腕) for "arm", uke for "defense".
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