Essentially, karate is fought barehanded and only in self-defence. It may have been around for hundreds of years but it's really only since the release of The Karate Kid in 1984 that the sport has soared. It began life as a series of disorganized self-defense techniques, but was later streamlined by Master Gichin Funakoshi.

He introduced modern karate to mainland Japan in 1916 and from then on it took a philosophical turn as the Master preached humility and purity of spirit. Karate involves blocks, strikes and evasions and for many people it is a way of life.