Did You Know

"Karate is the Japanese form of a fighting technique without weapons, bare feet and bare hands; it is a method of attack and defence that relies exclusively on the rational use of the natural possibilities given by the human body; it consits in a set of hits (atemis), either by the upper body (fist, hand, elbow, forearm) or the lower body (foot, knee); those hits are given on exact and vulnerable points (vital points) of the body of the opponent, or on the foot or arm, with which the opponent attacks; in this case, the technique used is called a block[...]; it is then directly followed by a decisive counter-attack technique, generally with a hit.

In its characteristical form, Karate is like fencing but with arms and feet, both used equally to block a hit or to ripost; it is completed by dislocation techniques, throws [...]; in fact, Karate includes every single way to put an attacker out of order; nothing, no hit or throw is forbidden.

During training, nevertheless, for a partner work to be possible, hits are given with violence but always completely contained before the impact; this rule in a respected dojo, and the fact that throws are not very common, explain that the Karate practiced in sports halls does not involve any danger for the body but still being a tough sport because bruises to the body cannot be avoided during real assaults."

Shotokan KARATE-DO, Roland Habersetzer