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The literal meaning of the two Japanese characters which make up the word "karate" is "empty hands." This, of course, refers simply to the fact that karate originated as a system of self-defense which relied on the effective use of the unarmed body of its practitioner. This system consisted of techniques of blocking or thwarting an attack and counterattacking the opponent by punching, striking, or kicking.
The modern art of karate was developed out of a more thorough organization and rationalization of these techniques. And the three branches of present-day karate—as a physical art, as a sport, and as self-defense
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