WeKnowKungFu: ~Karate~

Karate (空手) is a martial art formed in the Ryukyu Islands and now is in Okinawa, Japan. It was form by professionals fighting methods called the (手 also known as "hand" in Okinawan), China hand. Karate is a martial art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands to chop woods apart. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles. A karate practitioner is called a karateka.

Story behind Karate's background - The history about Karate began as a common fighting system known as te Okinawan among the Pechin class of the Ryukyuans. After trade relationships were established with the Ming dynasty (3 Kingdoms) of China by King Satto of Chūzan in 1372, some styles of Chinese martial arts were forward to the Ryukyu Islands by the fighters from China.
Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate, is having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. Actually many Okinawans were actively teaching, and are thus equally responsible for the development of karate.
Techique Skills - Karate can be a popular kungfu, as well as sport, combat skills, or even self defense training. Traditional karate gives everyone the self development (budo). Modern Japanese style training gives the psychological elements incorporated into a proper kokoro with attitude such as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leadership skills.
The skills are:

Kata (型:かた) - means same as "shape" or "model." Kata is a important skills which represent difference kind of offensive and defensive movements.

Kihon - Karate styles skills which place varying importance on kihon. Typically, this is performance that a technique or a combination of techniques form by a group of karateka. Kihon might practises it's martial arts in small groups or in pairs.

Kumite - sparring in Karate. It also refer "meeting of hands." Kumite is practiced both as a kungfu sport and also self-defense training. The higher stages committed with contact during sparring vary considerably.

Dojo Kun - is a okinawan karate uses supplementary training known as hojo undo. This utilizes usually made of wood and stone. The makiwara is a striking post. The nigiri game is a large jar used for developing grip strength. These guidelines apply both in the dojo (training hall) and in everyday life.
3. Ranks - In Japan, the use of belt colours is refer to how old the members were. Some clubs will only have black and white, others will include a brown belt for advanced kyu grades and at the higher school level, it is common to see a green belt in lower levels. In Australia the belt colours for kyu grades are white, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown.

For dan ranks, the first five are coloured black, 6th, 7th, and 8th dan have red and white panels (dandara), and for 9th and 10th dan the belts are solid red. Therefore, holders of grades above godan (5th dan) will often wear a plain black belt in regular training.