Karate
Karate is a Japanese martial art that began on the island of Okinawa. You strike with punches, kicks, knees and elbows, and learn to block. Training rests on three parts — kihon (the basics), kata (set sequences of moves) and kumite (sparring) — and it is taught in groups in a dojo, to children and adults alike.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”- Discipline, concentration and respect: the etiquette of the dojo is part of the art.
- Coordination, speed, balance and flexibility, especially in the hips and legs.
- Strength and endurance for the whole body.
- The basics of self-defence and self-confidence.
- A clear path of progress through the belts, which many people, and children especially, find motivating.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”- A karategi: a white jacket and trousers, and a belt in the colour of your grade. For the first classes, sports clothes are usually fine.
- You train barefoot.
- For kumite: mitts, a mouthguard and a groin guard, often shin and instep guards; some rules add a body protector or a face guard, especially for children.
- Pads and mats are at the dojo.
How training goes
Section titled “How training goes”- 60–90 minutes. It opens and closes with a formal bow, and many dojos count and name techniques in Japanese.
- A warm-up and stretching, then kihon: stances, punches, blocks and kicks repeated in lines, following the instructor.
- Kata: fixed sequences of techniques against imagined opponents, learned one by one as you progress.
- Kumite in pairs, from set exercises to free sparring. In point karate, techniques are controlled; in full-contact styles such as Kyokushin, blows land with full force, though punches to the head are not allowed.
- Styles differ — Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu, Kyokushin and others — and the studio usually names its style.
- Belts go from white through coloured grades (kyu) to the black belt (dan); the colours and their order vary by style and club. You move up at a grading, an exam held by the club or federation.
Who it suits best
Section titled “Who it suits best”- Children: many clubs have groups for young children, and the structure and belts suit them.
- Adults of any age who want a traditional art with a clear path.
- People who want self-defence and discipline more than hard sparring — in many styles contact is controlled.
- Anybody who enjoys learning set forms: kata can be practised alone and even performed in competition.
- It is less suited to people who want a pure fitness session without etiquette or gradings. With knee, hip or back problems, or before full-contact sparring, ask a doctor and tell the instructor.