Karate – A Self Defense Art
Karate: The perfect self defense technique for women
A Brief On Karate
We all are quite familiar with the name Martial Arts. It is a traditional combat practice which was mainly developed in the Eastern Asia. This is a technique of self defense. In various martial arts, we can observe use of weapons such as knives, sticks, nanchaku, sword and many more. There are different martial arts techniques which have become extremely famous in recent years.
Today we can practice, Japanese Martial Arts, Chinese Martial Arts, Korean Martial Arts, Indian Martial Art etc. Karate is the famous Japanese Martial Art Technique which means Empty Hand. This martial art technique was first developed in Okinawa, Japan and it then gradually became popular in other parts of Japan during 20th century.
Styles Of Karate
With the growing popularity in Karate, we can observe growth in various styles in Karate. Before we discuss the growing impact of Karate on our society, we should gain a little knowledge about the different karate styles.
- Shotokan- Ryu: This style was developed by Gichin Funakoshi. The style was named after his pen name, Shoto. This style was founded in the year 1921. In Shotokan Karate we can observe a good combination of hard and soft techniques. Long stances are practiced in Shotokan Style.
- Shito Ryu: Kenwa Mabuni founded this famous style in the year 1930. This style has become popular all over the world. The main feature of the Shito Ryu karate is its powerful kicks, punches and stances. We can have an eight directional movement in Shito Ryu style. This style is also famous for its artistic appeal.
- Goju Ryu: Kanryu Higashionna founded this famous style of Karate during the 19th and 20th This is one of the oldest karate styles. This style is famous for its circular movements and powerful punches.
- Wado Ryu: Interestingly, in this style we can observe a blend of Shotokan style and Jujutsu wrestling. The founder of this style is Hironori Otsuka and he was the student of Gichin Funakoshi.
Apart from the above mentioned ones, there are many other karate styles which are also practiced round the world and approved by World Karate Federation.
Karate in women safety
The safety of women in the modern times has always been under question. Many social workers and feminist always raise this issue, but it is all in vain. There is hardly a day when we do not notice news of female abuse in the daily newspapers. Today women are working in various sectors and they need to walk alone on the road at night too. Most of the time they feel unprotected when faced with such a situation and are even frequently mistreated. Other than walking on the roads, we are quite familiar with the trend of abusing women within the offices too.
Today the time has changed and in my opinion the protection of women lies in their own hands only. If we are confident that we can protect ourselves, no one can misbehave with us. Hence, I will suggest that every woman, whatever age she is, should learn Karate. I have learned Karate of Shito Ryu style and today I can feel the change within me. I am a Black Belt and I can feel the confidence within me. Today I know how to tackle mischievous persons if they try to touch me. The powerful punches, kicks and little tricks can really make a woman physically strong. So, who says that God has made men the most powerful one physically? Women can also win the race if they practice Karate.
Written By: Jui Mondol- Trained in Karate and is a Black Belt holder.
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