Post 6 (week 8) >> 2nd Free/Themed Post

Dear Students, we have themed posts again.

The options are two:
Arts/Sports:
-What is it?
-Historical background
-Prominent exponents
-Why you like it?
-Do you take part in it?

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on 3 of their classmates posts
- Word Count for post 6: 230 words 

Well, my post this time will deal with both options at the same time, because what I’m going to tell you about is originally an art, but today it is been modified to be sport too. That is Karate.

Karate is form of martial art originated in Okinawa, but you can trace it back to India, then Chine. The word is a compound that cames from Chinese transliterations meaning empty (kara) and hand (te), that is to say empty hand, but after adding do, which means path – in a spiritual sence you may say – it is something like the path of the empty hands.

The type of karate I’m familiar with is a variant of one of the four traditional schools from Okinawa (the former been called Ken Shin Kan and the latter Go Ju Ryu). Go Ju Ryu was brought to Southamerica by Sensei Akamine, who modified it to what the Ken Shin Kan (or School). In Chile, the biggest representatives are Brothers Fernandez.

I like it because of many reasons: its aesthetics, mind and body benefits, playful features, etc. And yes, I used to do it. Well, I actually started with an Americanized version of karate, but then, when I entered university I had the chance to do this type for a year, and then I had to decide between my dojo and professional opportunities, and guess what happened. After that, my Sensei didn’t take it right so I just chance paths, but I do miss this beautiful art.