What It Takes To Master Karate

By Stella Gay


Unarmed fighting systems began sometimes back in different cultures. Karate is a form of martial art. It involves open hand styles like spear-hands, palm-hand, and knife-hands and strikes such as knee strikes, punches, elbow strikes, and kicks. New techniques like grappling, restraints, joint locks, throws, and vital point strikes have been included in the original styles. Students are called karateka.

Creativity, self-discipline, and hard training are required for a karateka to master the various techniques. Research shows that most individuals undertake training in this martial art for self-defense because it improves their fighting skills. It is good to understand that moves depicted by mass media are highly exaggerated. Most moves captured in movies are computer generated so viewers should beware of this. Such deadly moves should never be attempted for safety reasons.

This type of martial art can be practiced by anyone irrespective of their fitness level or age. There are several schools in different countries that offer training services. Karateka can enroll in these schools as either groups or private students. Private students have extra time to develop and learn at their own speed since they are allocated a specific instructor to help them with their training. This martial art can improve inner security, confidence, focus, and character of trainees.

Training is broken down into sparring, forms, and basics or fundamentals. Different styles attach varying importance to the basics. Katas or forms refer to a series of maneuvers depicting a wide range of defensive postures and offensive stances. Stances are found on idealized combat application. During coaching instructors demonstrate how each tactic is applied while repelling an opponent.

Each kata is learned better when demonstrated. Each level has its specific mandatory katas that students have to show competence in while demonstrating their skills so as to be ranked formally. Training institutions have different conditions for examinations, although lots of them apply Japanese terminologies for various grades or ranks. Some ranking systems start with bigger numbers and move to smaller ones whereas some mark ranks with colored belts.

Kumite also known as sparring is practiced as self-defense training or a sport. Contact levels when sparring differs a lot. There are many types of full contact, semi contact or light contact version. Structured sparring involves performance of choreographed sequence of tactics by two participants, one strikes whereas the other blocks.

Free sparring is carried out in enclosed areas and people taking part in it are free to use only permitted techniques. Permitted techniques and level of contact can be predetermined by style organization policies or sport, but may be changed as per rank, sex, and age of participants. Under light or semi contact kumite contestants are rewarded as per sporting attitude, correct distance, good timing, good form, and awareness amongst other considerations.

To finish, individuals who practice for competitions may enroll in tournaments as terms or individuals. Assessment of techniques is handled by head referees with their assistant referees or panels of judges. Fixtures are generated basing on weight, experience, age, and gender. Competitions can be organized for people of particular style or martial practitioners specialized in all styles but restricted to given rules.




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