Why You Should Be Trained In Karate

By Stella Gay


Unarmed fighting system started long ago in various cultures. Karate is categorized under martial arts. It entails open hand tactics like palm-hand strike, spear-hands, knife-hands and strikes like punches, kicks, elbow strikes, and knee strikes. New styles such as vital point strikes, restraints, throws, joint locks, and grappling have been incorporated into the original techniques. Students are known as 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 form of unarmed fighting system may be practiced by everybody regardless of age or fitness level. There are numerous training centers in various states that provide coaching services. Potential students may enter these institutions as private students or groups. A private student has more time to learn and develop at their own pace because they get allocated an instructor to take them through training. This martial art may enhance focus, inner security, character, and confidence 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.

Every kata is understood best when learned through demonstration. Every level has its unique required katas that a karateka must show competence in during demonstration performance in order to attain a formal rank. Schools have varied requirements for examinations, though most of them use Japanese terminologies for ranks or grades. Some type of ranking systems begin with larger numbers and progress to smaller numbers while some use colored belts to mark ranks.

Kumite or sparring is done as a sport of self-defense coaching. Levels of contact under kumite varies greatly. Contact version can be light, semi contact, or full contact. Structured kumite is about demonstrating a sequence of choreographed styles by two people, one blocks as the other attacks.

Free kumite is performed in an enclosed area and participants are free to apply certain allowed techniques. Contact level and permitted techniques may be dictated by style organization policy or sport, but can be altered as per the sex, rank, and age of practitioners. Under semi or light contact sparring participants are awarded according to good timing, correct distance, good form, awareness, and sporting attitude among other criterion.

To conclude, people who train for competitions can enter tournaments as a term or individual. Evaluation of skills is done by panels of judges or head referees with assistant referees. Fixtures are made basing on experience, gender, age, and weight. Tournaments can be for participants of specific style or open to martial artists with any style but confined to certain rules.




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