Karate will make its first appearance on the Games programme at Tokyo 2020, with men and women competing in kumite (sparring) and kata (forms) events at the Nippon Budokan. Overview Karate is a martial art that originated in Okinawa during the Ryukyu Dynasty period. It spread throughout Japan during the 1920s and then worldwide following World War II. It is predominantly a striking, kicking and punching art. A Karate practitioner is called a karateka. Broadly speaking, Karate competition consists of kata (forms) and kumite (sparring). Kata are demonstrations of forms consisting of a series of offensive and defensive movements targeting a virtual opponent. Competitors chooseRead More →

When people hear the term “martial art” they generally think of Karate. One of the most popular martial arts, Karate had its roots in China, developed in Okinawa, and was later brought to Japan by Gichin Funakoshi. Karate originated in Okinawa in the 1600s. It was developed from imported Chinese martial arts skills and refined as an advanced means of self-defense because weapons were outlawed on the island. It was originally called Te, meaning “hand.” Later, masters adopted the name Karate, meaning “empty hand” or “Chinese hand” (depending upon which characters are used to write the word). The word Karate is formed by two characters,Read More →

How to join Elkai Karate   Joining the Elkai as an individual member   Information for club members  Read More →