Karate Developed from Chinese Kenpo

Karate is a martial art developed from Chinese kenpō (in particular, Southern Chinese kung fu) and indigenous fighting methods from the Ryūkyū Islands. It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes. Open-handed techniques, grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles. A karate practitioner is called a karateka.

Karate can be practiced as budo, as a sport, as a combat sport or as self defense training. Traditional karate places emphasis on self development (budo). Modern Japanese-influenced training emphasizes the psychological elements incorporated into a proper kokoro (attitude) such as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leadership skills. Sport karate places emphasis on exercise and competition. Weapons (kobudō) is important training activity in some styles. Karate training is commonly divided into kihon (basics or fundamentals), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring).

Kumite, often called sparring, literally means "meeting of hands," and has many incarnations. Sparring may be free sparring or it may be structured sparring. Free sparring consists of the participants taking a semi-structured stance to allow mobility and flexibility for executing techniques.

Structured kumite consists of the following general stages:

Both parties prepare for an attack and a defense. The attacking side announces its attack (usually indicating the target of the attack and the technique used to deliver it) The defending side acknowledges the announced attack. The attacking side executes the attack The defending side executes the prescribed block (pre-defined for the announced attack) The above may be repeated for many types of techniques and for both the left and right sides.

Today, kumite is practiced both as sport and for self-defense training. Sport sparring tends to be one-hit 'tag'-type competition for points. Depending on style or teacher, take-downs and grappling may be involved in sparring with the punching and kicking. Levels of physical contact during sparring vary considerably, from strict 'non-contact' to full-contact (usually with sparring armor).

Source: Wikipedia