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Packing a punch
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Karate not only teaches self-defence, but is also a good mix of exercises
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Photo: S. Thanthoni
DEFENCE MECHANISM Karate offers lifelong rewards for those who take it up for longer periods of time
Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can, using only their hands and feet, make some of the worst movies in the history of the world.
- Dave Barry, humorist
The Bruce Lee and Karate Kid movies have undoubtedly helped in popularising martial arts, especially kung fu, in the West. Karate (etymology: Japanese, from kara - empty + te - hand) rode on this wave of popularity.
History has it that most martial arts in the Orient began with the arrival of Bodhidharma, an Indian Buddhist monk, at Shaolin-si, as early as the fifth century BC. But very little is known about the early stages of karate before it was taken up by the Japanese in Okinawa as a form of closed fist fighting.
Funakoshi Gichin, the man who introduced it to mainland Japan, said this of karate: "The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the characters of its participants."
To this day, parents in China, Japan and Korea turn to karate training as a way of character building for their children. In India, karate is popular among high school students, but most lose interest later on.
Karate offers lifelong rewards for those who take it up for longer periods of time, and it deserves a higher standing in our lives. Karate offers benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, and it is also great in building flexibility, endurance and balance. Karate advocates relaxed yet powerful movements. Hence, it is impossible to practice the art and not develop the ability to concentrate and relax at will. The young are best suited to take up any martial art, whereas karate is for all ages.
Karate also teaches breath control. The repetitive and explosive movements practiced during training and sparring help in building muscles and increase aerobic capacity of the heart and lungs. Karate practitioners breathe in and out at normal rates while executing their moves; they are rarely out of breath. This ability comes with practice.
Is it safe? Karate sparring can be dangerous, but it is a lot less dangerous than playing cricket or soccer. The aim in sparring is to build up one's reflexes in defence and not to hurt the other person.
RAJIV. M
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