The World Games explained: Karate
Karate originated in Okinawa, Japan, during the 17th century. (contributed)
We are less than two years away from the World Games 2021 taking place in and around Birmingham. Alabama NewsCenter is explaining what you can expect to see. Today, we look at Karate.
Karate originated in Okinawa, Japan, during the 17th century as a form of self-defense.
The word “karate” means “empty hands” in Japanese. The sport primarily features punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and a variety of open-hand techniques.
The World Games competition includes two forms of Karate, Kata and Kumite, with different criteria and degrees of contact. (contributed)
Two categories of karate, Kata and Kumite, are used in the World Games.
Kata represents multiple offensive and defensive techniques. Players are judged by their timing, synchronization, concentration, form, style and other elements.
Kumite involves sparring with light contact. Points are given based on performance, form, timing, application and distance.
Karate has a total of 10 participations in the World Games series. Japan, France, Brazil, Peru, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Ukraine and Iran were the countries that won the 2017 World Games Championship. Other important competitions include the World Karate Championship, which is the highest level of competition for karate.
To learn more, visit: https://www.theworldgames.org/sports/Karate-22.
