WHAT IS KARATE ?
Karate ( 空手 ) in Japanese term mean " EMPTY HAND ". It is a kind of weaponless martial art which uses the whole body ( punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands, grappling, locks, restraints and throws ) as weapons.
Today, karate is mostly practiced for self-perfection, self-defense and as a sport.
Karate training is commonly divided into -
- Kihon ( Basic or fundamental techniques):
Learn the karate way of punching, kicking, blocking and movement.
- Kata ( Form or pattern ) :
Learn the combination of basic techniques into a flowing movement.
- Bunkai ( Study of techniques encoded in form ) :
Analyze every movements in a given kata and develope possible applications in real combat situations.
- Kumite ( Sparring or paired form ) :
Learn to apply kihon and bunkai in a controlled environment.
