Japanese Karate emphasize on Kihon (basic drills) and Kata (choreographed routines) with unrehearsed attacks and counterattacks.

Modern Japanese karate came about is from centuries of interchanges, between China, the Ryukyus and Japan. It only recently came to be openly taught to the public and in martial art school, first in Okinawa and later in Japan and by 1935 Japanese karate clubs were established at most of the leading universities in Japan.

• Shotokan form of Japanese karate is practiced by more than six million worldwide. As a karate-ka, this Japanese style characterizes by low stances, broad open movements, pronounce hip rotation resulting in increased power and thrusting kicks.
   
• Goju-ryu - means “hard and soft”. This form of Japanese karate would use small, narrow steps, which is designed to protect your groin, open hand strikes, elbow and knee techniques for in-close contacts.
   
• Shito-ryu, this form of Japanese karate would combine the circular movements of Goju with the straight-line techniques of Shorin-ryu. This style would use soft blocks and fast counter-strikes. This Japanese style places emphasis on kick and strike quickly method to defend yourself. Shito-ryu karate syllabus consists of more than 50 self-defense routines.
   
• Wado-ryu or “way of harmony” techniques. This form of Japanese karate would rely on a combination of direct, linear techniques of Shotokan and jiu-jitsu’s softer grappling movements. The founder’s ultimate goal was to stop conflicts in a non-violence way.
   
• Kyokushin-kai “the ultimate truth” - this style of Japanese Karate would require you go through a deep breathing exercises, striking drills and bare-knuckles sparring bouts. To say the least, it is intimidating to his martial art peers.

The contact with intellectual life at university was invigorating for karate. New techniques were developed, old ones improved, and elements which had always been regarded as mysterious and supernatural were regarded in a more rational light. Nowadays students practicing Japanese karate, more than ever derive moral and spiritual strength from the karate training.

Page topic – japanese karate