Karate Origin

Karate originated in China, then came to Japan.

Karate means "Empty Hand" and comes from the words Kara "empty", and te "hand".
Today it is known primarily as a 'hard style' striking art, featuring linear punches, blocks, kicks, knee/elbow strikes and open handed techniques.
However, 'soft style' punches and blocks, grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point striking are often a part of many karate styles.

Kihon means "basics or fundamentals of karate", kata is "forms of karate" and kumite is "sparring karate". There are also different ways of using karate; as an art, as a sport, and as self defense training.

Weapons are another important area of training, as well as psychological elements combined into a proper kokoro, meaning "attitude".
Psychological elements of kokoro include: perserverance, fearlessness, virtue and leadership skills. Often the execution of a technique known as "karateka", are encouraged to issue a kiai or "spirit shout".

Kata "Forms:
If kihon "basics" were the heart and brain of karate, then kata "forms" would be the spine. Kata can also mean "form" or "pattern", they are patterns of movements and techniques that demonstrate physical combat principles. Kata may be thought of as fixed sequences of movements that address various types of attack and defense under ideal circumstances.

Kumite "Sparring":
Kumite is literally "meeting of hands" and has many ways to interpret the word. Sparring may be constrained by many rules or it may be free sparring. Today it is practiced both as sport and for self-defense training. Sport sparring tends to be one hit "tag" type contact for points. Depending on style or teacher, practical aikido and judo-type takedowns and grappling may be involved alongside punching and kicking.

Kokoro "Attitude":
Kokoro is a concept that crosses through many types of martial arts. It has no single meaning though, it can mean something like "heart", "character" or "attitude". Character is a central concept in karate, and in keeping with the dō nature of modern karate, there is great emphasis on improving oneself.

Some popular quotes about the concept of kokoro are:
"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of it's participants." - Gichin Funakoshi

"The Way is not meant as a way of fighting. It is a path on which you travel to find your own inner peace and harmony. It is yours to seek and find." - Hironori Ohtsuka

Respect is another important part of karate. It is about cleansing oneself and strengthening character. The spirit of osu is to push oneself to the limit of one's ability, to persevere under pressure, to endure. This is why it is said that "Karate always begins and ends with rei."

Kobudō "Weapons training":
Although technically meaning "old martial way", kubudo refers specifically to the old martial way of Okinawa, and even more specifically, to the traditional weapons of Okinawa. These mostly include kama "sickle", tonfa "stick with handle", sai "fork" and bo "staff", although there are several others as well.

Conditioning
Many styles of karate also include specialized conditioning equipment, known in Japanese collectively as hojo undo. Some of the common devices are the makiwara, the chi-ishi (a kind of off center free weight) and 'nigiri game' (large jars used for grip strength).

Rank
Oirignally karate training didn't use a ranking system. After introduction to Japan, some adopted only three obi (belt) colors: white, brown, and black. With seven levels of each.

Here is the original belt system:
Ungraded - white
8th-4th kyu - white
3rd-1st kyu - brown
1st dan and above - black

As karate became more widespread, some added more colors and ranks to the system. Many schools have systems that look roughly like the following, with variations.

10th kyu - white
9th kyu - yellow
8th kyu - orange
7th kyu - orange
6th kyu - green
5th kyu - blue
4th kyu - purple
3rd kyu - brown
2nd kyu - brown
1st kyu - brown
1st-5th (or all levels of black) dan - black
6th-8th dan - black, or red with white stripes
9th-10th dan - black or red.