Shotokan Karate
Karate is a system of self defence which was developed and refined in Okinawa and Japan.
The word is formed from the Japanese words Kara (empty) and Te (hand), symbolising that its practitioners known as Karateka are unarmed, but use their hands and feet for blocking and striking.
In the practice of karate deciding who wins and loses is not the ultimate objective.
Karate-do is a martial art for the development of character through training. This training takes place within an environment and code based on Japanese cultural practices, which place great emphasis on the development of the character traits of courage, courtesy, humility, integrity and self control.
Shotokan is the most widely practiced style of karate in the world. The originator of Shotokan was Gichin Funakoshi, an Okinawan school teacher, who first demonstrated his style of Karate in Japan in 1921. The following year he moved to Japan to teach and was elected honorary Head of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) when it was formed in 1949
Cambridge Karate Academy was founded in 2022 by a group of experienced instructors from the Karate Union of Great Britain. This association was founded in 1966 and is the largest, longest-established and most successful single-style Karate Association in Great Britain.
For those who are interested in competition there are opportunities to participate in local, regional, national and international competition.