Karate – Martial Arts

Karate is an originally Japanese martial art, created in the Okinawa region, in the north of the country. A trading region that had relations with Japan and China. The inhabitants of this region, being greatly influenced by Chinese culture, were responsible for the development of karate, practiced mainly in the Shaolin temple.

In the 17th century, the martial art of Chinese origin had already developed so much that it began to be identified as Japanese, known as “te”. Its variations were regional, as they were passed orally from masters to disciples. The best known were located in the center and port of Okinawa.

At the end of the 19th century it was simplified to facilitate learning and was called “karate”.

In 1900, when Japanese migrated to the Hawaiian Islands, karate went beyond the limits of Okinawa. There it became a sport. But its spread still took a long time to occur in other parts of Japan.

Recognized as a martial art by the Japanese Martial Arts Association, in the 1930s, karate took over Japan and the world. Some regulations were established to make the practice uniform. The creator of judo, Jigoro Kano, greatly influenced this standardization. In this way, the use of white kimono and colored belts was introduced, indicating the stage in which the practitioner is: White belt: beginner; Yellow belt: 6th kyu; Red belt: 5th kyu; Orange belt: 4th kyu; Green belt: 3rd kyu; Purple belt: 2nd kyu; Brown belt: 1st kyu; Black belt: 1st dan.

The practice of karate is mixed with physical and mental principles. These principles are:

1. Strive for character formation.

2. Fidelity to the true path of reason.

3. Create the intention of the effort.

4. Respect above all.

5. Contain the spirit of aggression.

In Brazil, karate emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, with the immigration of Japanese. His practice was restricted to private teaching, as originally occurred in Japan – from master to disciple. In the 1950s, the first establishment dedicated to teaching and learning karate was opened in the country.

In the 1980s, with the highly successful film “The Karate Kid”, karate gained attention as a martial art among Western laypeople. The film tells the story of a teenager who, after moving with his mother to another region, suffered attacks from boys. At that moment he meets a Japanese man who teaches him the art of karate to defend himself. And it succeeds. The story in the film tells the difficulties encountered in constant training in this art, where the result is total control of the body and mind of those who practice.