Karate is a form of self-defence and was developed in Japan. The word is formed from the Japanese words Kara meaning empty, and Te meaning hand.
Karate or karate-do, is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese kenpō. It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands and ridge-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.
A karate practitioner is called a karateka.
A new form of karate called Kyokushin was developed in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama (who was born a Korean, Choi Yeong-Eui). Kyokushin taught a curriculum that emphasized contact, physical toughness, and practical application of karate techniques to self-defense situations. Because of its emphasis on physical, full-force sparring, Kyokushin is now often called "full contact karate." Many other karate organizations based are descended from the Kyokushin curriculum.
The World Karate Federation recognizes these styles of karate in its kata list.
? Shōtōkan-ryū
? Shitō-ryū
? Gōjū-ryū
? Wadō-ryū
The World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO)[10] recognizes these styles of karate in its kata list.
