Why karate should NOT be in the Olympics

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 7:07am

Originally Posted by tgace

It is? I didn't think it passed the 2/3 IOC majority.

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**daishi** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 7:31am

There is a pretty serious movement pushing for Karate in the 2020 Olympics. The US has a US Karate Team and Jr Karate Team (a girl from my dojo just made the jr Olympic team for the third time, won nationals, and it representing the US at the PanAm games in Cancun this year) out of Colorado Springs...but its not officially in the games yet.

Yes, it will be Sport Karate that will be passed, if anything...sorry Bloodsport fans. But, just like judo, it will be watered down with rules and turn sport. A lot of time, matches will look like fencing with reverse punches. But its there sport, and they feel if TKD is represented, then why not karate (without going into the drama surrounding why TKD was chosen over karate in the first place).

Anyway, for reference here is the effort, something that my dojo, and organization, are involved in (we actually have a senior student working full time at Colorado Springs as the USA Karate CEO).

http://www.thekisontheway.com/news/u...he-k-nationals

**italian judoka** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 9:59am

Originally Posted by daishi

There is a pretty serious movement pushing for Karate in the 2020 Olympics. The US has a US Karate Team and Jr Karate Team (a girl from my dojo just made the jr Olympic team for the third time, won nationals, and it representing the US at the PanAm games in Cancun this year) out of Colorado Springs...but its not officially in the games yet.

Yes, it will be Sport Karate that will be passed, if anything...sorry Bloodsport fans. But, just like judo, it will be watered down with rules and turn sport. A lot of time, matches will look like fencing with reverse punches. But its there sport, and they feel if TKD is represented, then why not karate (without going into the drama surrounding why TKD was chosen over karate in the first place).

Anyway, for reference here is the effort, something that my dojo, and organization, are involved in (we actually have a senior student working full time at Colorado Springs as the USA Karate CEO).

http://www.thekisontheway.com/news/u...he-k-nationals

I agree. Why not Karate?
IMHO has no sense to put in the olimpics very rich sports with large audience like soccer, basket or tennis. There is non need to have soccer in the olimpics because world championship are more and more important and it cost too much for a state to bring all the athlets. So it would be better to remove soccer and put karate.

**hathor** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 10:48am

Old people and little kids? Don't get me wrong, I'm the last one to defend sportified tap-punch karate, but that **** requires a lot of skill and athleticism to do at higher levels. Look at the WKF competitions in Japan and Europe. Those people are in ridiculous shape and have very quick reflexes. Just because it's become basically a game of tag doesn't mean that it isn't a HARD game to play, just like TKD in the Olympics.

**JackFlashdrive** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 1:28pm

Argument is between purism and exposure. I choose the latter, if it gets people interested in karate it's a good thing.

**martialart4life** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 2:23pm

Agreed, especially your 3rd point. It will help determine what a world class competitor is. And in doing so, it may even create a pipeline of world class karate practitioners who enter MMA...who knows

**martialart4life** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 2:25pm

I agree the practitioners in Eastern Europe and Japan take the sport very seriously. But a few countries who take it seriously is not enough to justify it as an Olympic sport. When Russians compete in karate, they are out to hurt eachother. When American's compete, they play tag. We can't change that overnight.

**martialart4life** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 2:32pm

Have you ever practiced wrestling or judo? If you did, you'd quickly realize that the mental and physical toughness of those 2 sports far exceed karate. I guess I'm the only one in here that practiced and competed in all 3. Wrestling was by far the toughest, then judo. A local high school wrestling tournament in a state where wrestling isn't even popular can be much more competitive than say a USKA (United States Karate Alliance) National karate championships.

**hathor** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 3:06pm

lol, did you see my style field? I work out with wrestlers all the time as well and have great respect for them. Thats why I do Judo, not WKF Karate. If I ever do karate it wont be the type that conforms to tapping, scoring points and turning your back to the opponent after a "successful" hit while screaming like the living daylights. What I am saying though is the game that they play, which is a FAR less-hard hitting and practical game than either Judo or Wrestling, still demands athletic prowess and technical skill.

Edit: And no I'm not talking about some little local or even state tournament. I'm talking on the level of this:

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 8/09/2012 4:33pm

Originally Posted by martialart4life

When Russians compete in karate, they are out to hurt eachother. When American's compete, they play tag. We can't change that overnight...

...unless we compel the latter to face the former under a K1-type ruleset, telling them that that will be the ruleset used in Olympic Karate.

Not "overnight" maybe, but one tourney ought to do it.