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2020 Olympics Will Feature Karate
Karate is a system of unarmed combat that literally means “empty hand.” It is said to have developed during the 17th century in the Okinawa prefecture, a chain of islands off the southern coast of Japan. The martial art became popularized around the world as a sport after World War II, and now, it will be included – along with four other sports – in the Summer Olympics for the first time in 2020.
And more fittingly, the martial art will make its Olympic debut in Japan where the sport first originated. Karate joins judo, taekwondo, and wrestling as the only Olympics-approved martial arts for next year’s Olympics. However, it will not be included in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
But going back to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Karate practitioners will compete at Nippon Budokan, an indoor legacy venue built to host judo events at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The venue is famous for hosting various sports and music acts – including the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Diana Ross. However, as it was once the site of the first Karate World Championships in 1970, Nippon Budokan is best known as the home of Japanese martial arts.
For the 2020 Olympics, both the men and the women will compete in two karate events: kata, a solo form discipline, and Kumite, a sparring discipline.
By: Maytinee Kramer
