Karate So Serious Exercise That It Meant Life
Beginnings of karate
Karate or empty hand traces its beginnings from Okinawa, a Japanese island that was then independent. But it comes from China. When many masters returned to Okinawa developed their own empty hand styles. The most famous cities were Naha te and Shuri te for karate styles. In those conditions, a strong nation did not suit the Japanese. So the masters practice either in small groups or in the evening or early morning, hiding from the Japanese. During that period, exercise was so serious that it meant life. Many masters were challenged to a fight in which they suffered fatal injuries, even death. With one blow one of the master can kill another, if he was not well trained.
Several masters including Gichin Funakoshi want to create their own style suitable for mass practice. He joins Jigiro Kano who holds Kodokan Judo and who is the founder of Judo. Hence Gichin Funakoshi managed to make karate a mass sport, but forming more styles from his students. He formed the Shotokan style after 3 years of training in the mountains. Hironori Otsuka forms Wado-ryu, Goju ryu forms Gogen Yamaguchi, Masutatsu Oyama forms Kyokushinkai. Some of Gichin Funakoshi’s students remain his faithful followers, helping him make it a mass sport worldwide. Some of them are Nakayama Masatoshi, Tai Gi, Hirokazu Kanazawa.
Karate in modern conditions
People practice karate currently more as a sport. It is divided into belt ranks: 7 apprentice or qu and 10 master or dan.
In karate, there is a fight with imaginary opponents or so-called kata and a sports fight between two opponents, where the one who lands clean blows wins. Vasari is half a point and ippon is a whole point.
In modern conditions, karate teaches people discipline, self-control, and with physical health comes mental health. It can also be used as a way of self-defense where with years of training you can successfully deal with 1 or more opponents.
The symbolic meaning of belts in karate:
WHITE BELT – a symbol of innocence of the wearer who does not yet know the spiritual aspects and does not know combat techniques. Those who are just starting to learn karate wear this belt.
YELLOW BELT – yellow, symbolic color of the sun, brightness and fertility. As such, the beginner who has learned to practice the basic moves of karate wears yellow belt.
ORANGE BELT – it is the color of the setting sun. It has the meaning of willingness and readiness of the bearer of the belt to expand his knowledge and his horizons after the new sunrise. His skill and knowledge are already mature.
GREEN BELT – green is the color of herbs – grass and forest. Green is a representation of growth, so it is given to intermediate students who are learning to strengthen and refine their skills.
BLUE BELT – blue is the color of the distance, the sky, the ocean. Students receive their blue belt when they begin to learn additional knowledge of martial arts. When their minds and bodies continue to grow and develop.
BROWN BELT – the color of the earth, which symbolizes constancy and reliability. The brown belt is a representation of the ripening of the seed during the ripening and harvesting process. The wearer of this belt has a good, quality and mature technique, a fruitful spirit and an unwavering thought.
BLACK BELT – black is the sum of all colors. Those who have achieved very high standards in sports such as karate wear the black belt.