Karate
Understand Karate in more detail
What is Karate?
striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open handed techniques.
A martial art meaning 'empty hand' in Japanese. It is known primarily as a striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open handed techniques. However, grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints/traps, throws and vital point striking also appear in karate.
History of Karate
Karate is a martial art, developed in Loochoo (the old name of Okinawan Islands) since ancient times. The inhabitants of these islands had peculiar bare hand striking and bare feet kicking techniques which constitute special features of Karate. They called it 'Tei' which means hand.
During the Tang dynasty of China, a special method of Kenpo (boxing) was introduced to the islands together with the culture of the dynasty, and contributed so much to the developement of the native way of boxing 'Tei' that the inhabitants named this superior foreign way of boxing 'To-dei' which literally means 'Tang Hand' and had a special regard for the new form of boxing.
In 1406, the King of the Loochoo Islands proclaimed the establishment of a peaceful country and forbade inhabitants to hold or carry weapons. This prohibition is said to have made 'To-dei' more popular. However some warriors were allowed to rearm themselves later to protect their island from possible invasion. In fact in 1609, Ryukyu (as Loochoo was subsequently renamed) was conquered by the Japanese Shimazu Daimyo of Satsuma and made a dominion of the clan. The conquerors confiscated all the weapons of Ryukyuan in order to rule the islands with greater ease, and were prohibited from practicing any martial arts.
Wado-Ryu Karate-do is now one of the most popular styles of Karate in the world.
The Ryukyuan warriors who fought against the soldiers of the Shimazu clan were renowned for their bravery and fighting skills, consequently this lead to them (most were members of Shizoku [Samurai] class) practising the art of weaponless defence To-dei clandestinely.
This art of Okinawan unarmed combat was introduced to the public of Japan proper for the first time in the Spring of 1922, as Okinawa Kenpo of To-dei or Ryukyu Karate-Jutsu. Japanese Martial Arts master Mr. Hironori Otsuka studied the Karate-Jutsu with great interest and later combined the art with techniques from an ancient form of Japanese unarmed combat, Jujitsu, to produce an advanced fighting art Wado-Ryu Karate-do in 1934.
the way of peace and harmony
Wado-Ryu Karate-do is now one of the most popular styles of Karate in the world. (Wado means 'the way of peace and harmony', Ryu means style, Karate-do means 'the way of the empty hand, meaning without weapons).
B.W.K.S. grading syllabus, 1997
Our Karate group (NIAKW)
We have been providing karate martial arts training in Northern Ireland for over 20 years. Originally our Karate group started in Omagh leisure centre, then Dungannon St. Patrick’s Academy hall and more recently in Gortin hall. The club also had classes in Fintona, Coalisland Corn Mill/Heritage centre and parochial centre. Today we have several classes in county Tyrone most days of the week at varying times.
Over the years we have practiced karate punches, kicks, throws, sparing, wrist locks, self-defence, evasion and Kata. Find our more about our club >
