Karate can also be described as a martial art, or fighting method, involving a variety of techniques, including blocks, strikes, evasions, throws, and joint manipulations. Karate practice is divided into three aspects: kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring).

The word karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: kara 空, meaning empty, andte 手, meaning hand; thus, karate 空手 means “empty hand.” Adding the suffix “-do”道 (pronounced “doe”), meaning “way,” i.e., karate-do 空手道, implies karate as a total way of life that goes well beyond the self-defense applications. In traditional karate-do, we always keep in mind that the true opponent is oneself.