MAIN Recreation Sports Karate

From its foundations in ancient China, to its beginnings in Okinawa and spreading widely throughout Japan thereafter, karate in all its forms make up the most popular martial arts worldwide today.

Karate in Japanese literally translates to "empty hand" and describes its technical aspects of defending oneself without weapons.

It also points to karate's philosophical & spiritual underpinnings in China founded in Zen Buddhism and Taoism.

As such, karate in its purest form is practiced only as a means of self-defense as well as strict discipline that helps to develop spiritual strength & character.

From its development in Japan, karate in the early 20th century spread throughout Korea which later developed its own method of self-defense in the sport of taekwondo. The United States following World War II later adopted it, and the karate craze quickly caught on nationwide.

Although karate is still not recognized by the Olympic committee as a recognized sport, it is widely considered to be the most enduring of Japanese cultural "exports".

On the Web, find out more about the discipline with complete histories on its founders and origins, as well as tournament listings, photo galleries, tutorials plus tips & advice for novices and avid beginners who continue to fuel the karate craze worldwide....

also see -> Judo

More about karate around the Web:

KarateForums.com - One of the more popular karate discussion forums including general boards on getting started in karate, general martial arts, jiu-jitsu, kick boxing, health, training & fitness.

Karate - A detailed history with details on it's influence in China, Japan, Korea and the U.S. including etymology, characteristic moves and belt rankings, from Wikipedia.

World Karate Federation - The official site of international karate competition, with news on world & regional championships, official rules and regulations, and links to karate federations worldwide.

Karate Tournament Central - Browse local tournaments, seminars and related karate events by date, organization, state or country, with related online forum and links to other martial arts related sites including schools, clubs & federations.