History of Modern Karate

The word karate is a combination of three words: Kara, which means empty; Te, which means
hand; and Do, which means way. So karate originally means fighting without weapons, or the
way to fight with empty hands.

The birthplace of karate is in Okinawa. It is the largest of a chain of islands in the south of Japan
that was once called the Riyuku Kingdom. In the fifteenth century, traders from China came to
Okinawa. Some of them taught the residents of Okinawa kung-fu boxing, which the residents
then combined with their native fighting style, which they called Ting. Before 1879, this art was
taught in secret only to the members of highly ranked families. At the same time, Okinawa
became part of Japan, and anyone who wanted to could learn karate. At this time, the word Do
was added to karate. This indicated that karate was not just a way of fighting but was also a way
to become a better person. By 1900, karate was taught as part of physical fitness classes in the
Okinawan School System. In the 1920's, a school teacher from Okinawa named Funakoshi
Gichin went to Japan and began to teach karate at several universities. He also wrote a book
called To-Te that made karate popular among people of all ages in Japan. After World War II in
1947, American servicemen began to practice karate, and they brought it to their homeland when
they returned home, where it is now practiced by millions of people all over the world.

Four Fundamentals of Modern Martial Arts

Good Posture
All forms of karate and martial arts practice require good posture. In order to be in good posture,
the back must be straight from the top of the shoulders to the hips. In addition, the tailbone must
be tucked in and the pelvis must be inclined so that the lower back is straight. It's crucial to avoid
having the lower back too relaxed, which would cause the buttocks to protrude, or too
constricted, which would cause the pelvis to be pulled forward and under. Finally, keep in mind
that a straight back does not necessarily indicate that it is perpendicular to the floor. As long as it
is straight from tailbone to head and adds to the technique's structural integrity, it can be inclined
in relation to the floor. Yama zuki, often known as mountain punch, is a prime illustration of
this.

Good Structural Alignment

One of the basic objectives of karate is to position the body in such a way that the point of
impact can be made directly from the floor to the striking limb. This is how fundamental karate
moves like oi zuki end. Even though it is only held for a very small period of time in an actual
encounter, the last posture is crucial. These alignments provide the body its sturdiest position for
a specific method or objective.
Good Body Mechanics
When we hear the term "oi zuki," or lunge punch, we frequently picture a karate move where one
leg is extended in front and the opposing arm is punching. However, if we merely take into
account the technique's ultimate position as its entirety, we will have mostly missed the purpose.
Oi zuki is the term used to describe the complete stepping punch motion. The Japanese titles of
the techniques resemble verbs rather than nouns in that they describe motions and the bodily
sensations associated with those activities. Despite the fact that the entire motion is significant,
the mechanics of the motion, in particular, are crucial. Bruce Lee frequently discussed motion's
efficiency. This idea simply refers to proper physical alignment. Martial artists will move more
quickly, strike the target harder, and put less strain on their body during practice if they have
superior mechanics.

Good Practical Functionality

Good practical functioning refers to ancillary ideas like distance, timing, and the technique's
eventual application. It is crucial to remember that the three ideas—excellent posture, proper
structural alignment, and good body mechanics—must all be followed before actual utility can
be provided.
The physical spatial relationship that two individuals share during an encounter is referred to as
distance, or maai. It is continually shifting, and depending on the length of limbs, different
techniques may be thrown at different times. Practitioners must learn how to manipulate distance
to their advantage by taking into account the length of their own maai (What can I hit them with
now now?) and their partner's maai (What can they hit me with right now?).
In karate, timing can refer to a wide range of topics. At first, it may refer to a technique's
mechanical needs. In a backward punch, for instance, does the hand stop as the hip slows down
or does the hip and body center cease moving, with the hand continuing on its own? Of course, it
is optimal if the hip, center of the body, and hand all halt at the same time. Timing can also refer
to the temporal relationship between adversaries, i.e., the timing necessary to launch or
successfully repel an attack. Understanding the connection between timing and distance is
crucial since the two are intricately related.