^KARATE   

KARATE DO literally "empty hand"

from KARA = empty and TE = hand

Hand as physically as  all  what that performs the technique, therefore also the mind for arriving to the fundamental concepts of the KARATE "clear the mind from all and gather on an only point and only on that."

Karate is a martial art that  developed in Okinawa at the beginning of XVI century.

Master Gichin Funakoshi has been considered the creator of  Karate.

Although this is not exact, Funakoshi was the first to spread KARATE in Japan and then his school has been known in therest of the world.You can see his picture in many schools of European Karate.

The traditional KARATE is a self-defence art, it uses the human body in the most effective ways, using varied techniques that involve combinations of specific movements. Through this discipline it is possible to widen and improve one’s  own physical and mental ability.

The learning and practise of  KARATE has developed through three methods:

KHION : involves the performance of several techniques that make up the method of  Karate, repeating them many times until they become automatic and faster. This practice goes beyond  learning the techniques, bul also teaches how to use your own energy, breathing  and  co-ordination of one’s own body.

KATA : It is the technical aspect of the KARATE. It is a whole set  of exercises that symbolize a real fight against several adversaries. The daily training confers the necessary calmness for exercising in the Kata and helps to concentrate on a point and only on that, with the spirit and the thought.

The movements of the Kata help to mould the body, strengthen it completely and  stimulate the reflexes.

KUMITE : It represents the fight between two adversaries, during which the techniques learned in the Khion are applied. The fight must be faced with serenity, loyalty and correctness, respecting the adversary’s abilities.

No technique must be performed with the intention of hurting. The power exercised  and the appointment must be a way for reach a more and more tall level.

The athlete who hits the adversary in a fight without control,  suffers penalties and also the disqualification if the infringement is very serious.

The styles of Karate are several and they have developed throughout the years. Currently, the most  spread are: Shotokan,  Goju-Ryu, Wado-Ryu, Kio-KushiKai and Shito-Ryu.

Every Karateka keeps to the style to  which he belongs

When we talk about "style" we do not imply different methods used in the same school, but in  different schools.

The Japanese terminology identifies the method of a certain Teacher and his school with the  term Kanji-RYU .

At first in the Italian KARATE, the difference between the methods was clearly felt, but lately, due to the formulas of competition, this rivalry decreased and the technical comparison between the athletes has improved  KARATE in general. In each case, out of respect for the traditions, each school maintains the techniques of its own RYU alive.

At the beginning  KARATE did not think about  the apprentices wearing a uniform. The use of the white Kimono goes back  to1921, in  JUDO discipline, and then it was introduced  in  KARATE. 

There are different belts to represent the level of the apprentice. This method was born in about 1950 in  JUDO and some year after  in  Karate.

The colors today  are:

The Red belt and the Red-white belt also exist to show the  degree of the teacher.

When the black belt is reached,  there are ten degrees (DAN) that point out the level of cleverness of the black belt.

For reaching an elevated degree of black belt,  much  work and belief in one’s own ability are needed.

 TAE KWON DO 

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