Karate is a type of Japanese martial art, which originated in Okinawa. The word karate in Japanese means ’empty hand’. It’s said that karate was influenced by Fujian White Crane, a form of kung fu originating in Southern China.

In karate, the only weapons allowed are one’s hands and feet. The training usually involves sparring and simulated combat practice. A karate practitioner’s level is ranked by the color of his/her belt.

Unlike kung fu and taekwondo that are used in national police / armed forces training, karate is not used for training Japanese police (instead taiho-jutsu, ‘the martial art of arresting’ is used).