What is karate and how is it different from other martial arts?
Karate is an art of self-defense where practitioners employ defensive and offensive techniques primarily using their hands and feet (for blocks, strikes, and kicks), though other parts of the body may also be used. Most Americans think that karate comes from Japan, but in Japan, Okinawa is known as the home of karate. It is not considered a grappling art like judo or jujutsu, though some techniques may be used for trapping or subduing an attacker on the ground. Styles of karate and karate-like martial arts, such as Korean tae-kwon-do, may differ in their proportion of upper and lower body techniques. Styles may also differ in their orientation towards inside/close range or outside/distance fighting situations.
