Karate- From Tradition to Italian Reality
By Martina Xenia Baldi – University of Florence
When you think about Karate, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous quote “Wax on, wax off” from the 1984 film, “Karate Kid.” For the generations of the 80s and 90s, this film is a must and has caused many to become fond of Karate, even if they had never practiced it, and also of Mr. Miyagi, whom they all wanted by their side.
With Flo’n the Go we have already done research on the discipline of Karate and in this article we will try to illustrate how it works and give various information. To make the article more reliable, we went to the “Kodokan,” a Karate school recognized by the C.O.N.I. In a later article we will present a couple of interviews with the athletes from this gym.
Emilio Brogi, provincial technical coordinator of the CONI, has already told us a brief history of martial arts. The martial arts were born in India and then spread to Tibet, where monks developed the “Surinjikeppo” for defense purposes. From Tibet to China, with Kung-Fu; from China to Okinawa, an island controlled by Japan, and finally to Japan—where the disciplines transformed again and karate and judo were born. Over the course of the years Karate has spread to every country, including Italy.
In Karate, many Japanese names are used that initially seem strange to our Western ears. The “Kihon” is the repetition of movements for memorization and for learning the basic movements of the discipline. Before moving on to the “Kumite,” the real battle, one studies the “Kata”: one fights against an imaginary adversary and the movements are made against the air. Following the sequence of movements in the Kata is like putting together a song: sensibility, concentration and the perfect understanding of one’s own body are essential. Another term used in Karate is “Kihai,” a type of breathing that must come from the diaphragm. Proper breathing is fundamental: to do so at the right moment can save energy and allow for the technique to be used at its best.
To decide who can participate in the matches, one follows the Belt System: only those who have a brown or black belt can enter a match. There are seven belt colors (those of the lowest level are white, then follow yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black). One can change levels, and thus have a different colored belt, by taking part in and passing the exams. The black belt, which is widely considered the ultimate achievement, is divided into ten levels, i dan. It is impossible to gain any dan before one’s 18th birthday. Having entered adulthood, one can take the exams at the membership Federation and advance in dan. An increase in dan can also be granted to those who achieve at least fourth or fifth place at the European Karate Cup.
In sport of Karate—the competitive kind—the athletes are divided into categories based on weight and age: for example, a Male Beginner A of -45 kg cannot compete against a Female Beginner B of -70 kg.
There are many types of competition: regional, national and international trophies. They are considered “Open,” meaning that, as the name suggests, they are open to everyone: one must only pay the entry fee. The Italian National Karate federation organizes competitions during the year, both for juniors and seniors. The federation also organizes seminars and meetings. Only the top five athletes in each category can participate in the seminars (they are chosen based on their accumulate points from the competitions)—Under 14, Under 16 and Under 21—and the students have the possibility to practice and participate in many activities. The meetings are organized on the basis of a future competition: few students are admitted and, at the most, only the first two are allowed to compete under the name of the National Italian federation.
In the National federation, as well as an individual, one can participate in teams: a team is made up of five athletes that compete one by one on the mat and the team that wins the most rounds wins the overall competition (for example: 3 to 0).
Unfortunately Karate is not an Olympic sport and probably never will be. This is due to the number of Karate associations, each with which has its own rules and systems for belts and dan (the ones described in this article refer to the principle rules of the World Karate Federation) making it difficult, if not impossible, to reach a fair agreement for everyone.
Those who practice Karate now have little chance of becoming professionals also for following reason: the funds for non-Olympic sports were taken away. So, those who want to make Karate their profession can become teachers or join forces the sports groups of the Carabinieri, the Fiamme Gialle or the firemen.
Karate, though it has certain foundational practices that are similar in all countries, is practiced differently from nation to nation. In Italy, the children do not fight each other, but their training consists of an obstacle course to improve reflexes, speed and coordination. In other countries such as Croatia, even the smallest compete and learn real karate moves – beating each other – during the exercise. In Asian countries there is another different methodology: the students are shaped technically, their movements perfect but limited, yet lack imagination because they are not allowed to express themselves more freely. At first, as explained by Francis Puleo, the instructor of Kodokan who followed us throughout the interview, it is normal to mechanize the hits, so that the time between action and reaction decreases. But at some point the automated system becomes unnecessary: then the intelligence of the athlete takes over to understand the weaknesses of the opponent and prepare a strategy. Tactic becomes instinct and the customization and interpretation of technique become fundamental.
In Japan there is a tradition to close oneself in the dojo (gym) and to never let the techniques from the school leave, nor to accept new ideas from outside. This brings a sense of historical respect of Karate, but also supports an overly conservative vision – and is often physically dangerous because not all the old positions taken by the fighters were beneficial to the body.
The Karate known today is more than anything a sport, namely of the competitive kind, which includes competitions and meetings. Traditional Karate has a philosophy of defense—it isn’t anticipate that you attack the other person. Obviously, something like this cannot be reproduced during a match, or it would be completely useless: it would mean watching two people jumping around each other! Attacking does not mean aiming to harm: there are predefined penalties for those who continually attack their opponent or try to hurt him seriously. In traditional Karate many of the moves that are now used by some athletes in competition did not exist: Karate was born in the street, among the monks, as a defensive art linked to the Zen philosophy.
However, as Francis Puleo emphasized, for those who practice a competitive Karate or a traditional Karate (in which there are no predetermined matches), the purpose is the growth of personality, not a medal. The reason for life should not be winning, but growth step by step. Karate is a complete sport that develops both the emotional and physical nature of the athlete.
We will soon publish some of our interviews with the young athletes in the Kodokan, including Italian champion Alessia Coppola Black, on Flo’n the Go. The boys and girls interviewed are all students who started practicing Karate almost by accident and but since it has become a true passion for them, so much so that they train every week and even at Christmas.
