Karate's turn

I guess I should talk about Karate.

It started long ago on the islands of Okinawa. Some claim there are early links to Chinese arts, but that doesn't really matter.

It was a form of unarmed combat. Some styles claim to have evolved from the aristocratic martial arts of the area, but most people agree that it was a peasant way of fighting. Eventually, Funakoshi started teaching Karate on Japan's main islands, and from there it spread to the world.

It's funny how Karate people, doing a peasant art, tend to identify with Japan's warrior class. The two are definately not related in any way.

In technique, there are definately strengths and weaknesses. Karate people generally have an extreme fear or distaste about fighting on the ground or being grabbed. That is a weakness. The power of the kicks and strikes are a strength.

We Karate people do steal. We copied the uniform from Judo, along with the coloured belts, and idea of the Black Belt.

Karate people also often shamelessly over-estimate what their techniques can do.

We also work on perfecting defensive techniques for attacks nobody would ever use. For example, "If somebody grabs your wrist, you should do so-and-so." Who the heck ever attacks by grabbing somebody's wrist?

It's my martial art of choice, but it ain't perfect.