Karate is a modality that is present in the Olympic Games, but it is something very recent, that is why we wanted to answer this question. And it is that few know since when karate is an Olympic sport. This sports discipline is widely practiced today, and the fact that it is an Olympic sport modality helps young and old to notice karate and want to practice it, hence the “boom” that karate is currently experiencing. .
Karate is a very beneficial sport for children, as it helps them defend themselves, improves balance, increases self-esteem, teaches them discipline, etc. So it is not difficult to see how someone in our environment practices it, be it a child or an adult. This sports mode originated on the Japanese island of Okinawa and today it is spread all over the world.
Until 2020, attendance at karate classes was normal on the low side, an average that had been stagnant for years. Nobody gave karate the importance it deserves, but suddenly everything changed. Now the demand for karate classes has increased exponentially and that is thanks to the fact that karate is part of the Olympic sports.
Tokyo 2020 Games
It was in Tokyo 2020 when this discipline became part of the Olympic Games, but there is a negative side, and that is that the same way it entered, it leaves. It will not be available for the Paris 2024 games and it is a real shame, since much progress has been made so that it now disappears again and loses all the reputation that it has achieved based on effort for decades.
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, karate participated with two disciplines that are Kata and Kumite. The first means “form” and consists of an individual discipline where karatekas are valued according to their performance through choreographed offensive and defensive movements. Those movements must be within the movements approved by the Olympic Committee.
Then, Kumite is combat, and here two karateka face to face in a single fight that lasts about 3 minutes. In this modality there are weight categories and extra points can be awarded depending on the techniques used. It is quite interesting to see these clashes, which are short and intense.
Currently, it is estimated that there are about 10 million people in the world who practice karate. It is known that there are some 197 national federations that represent this sport around the globe.
It has been confirmed that for Paris 2024, karate is not included among the Olympic sports. There is still a lot of time left, and things could change in favor of this sporting discipline. Moreover, we hope that it will continue to be considered an Olympic sport, just like judo, which has been an Olympic sport since Tokyo 1964. Although it has also been banned from other Olympic Games and has been coming back and disappearing for years. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to karate.