By Kanon Yoshitake, University of Shimane
I had an opportunity to demonstrate karate at Windward Community College. Karate was created in Okinawa Prefecture between the 15th and 16th centuries as a unique martial art of self-defense in order to protect the Okinawans from outsiders.
It is a martial art that teaches people how to live properly. Mind, body, and technique are united in karate. Learning karate starts with a bow and ends with a bow. It aims at developing as a person who can respect others regardless of age and gender.
For me, karate is a stress relief and it is also a whole body exercise. I can keep mentally and physically healthy. I think people who practice karate learn to be good people.
There are kata and kumite, both of which will be events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Kata means practicing the form of karate movements as if you were fighting with a partner, and in competitions it is judged based on accuracy and technique. Kumite is an actual fight against an opponent. In kumite points are gained by blows and kicks to various parts of the body, and victory or defeat is decided by how many points you get. For example, you get 1 point for a mid-level punch to the opponent’s stomach and 3 points for a high-level kick to the opponent’s chin.
