The FSKA World Karate Championships 2017 HD

The FSKA World Karate Championships were held in Crawley, it is the 19th annual World championship and a welcome return to the UK who hosted the very first tournament. FUNAKOSHI SHOTOKAN is one of the 5 main recognized forms of Karate and is perceived as very traditional emerging many years ago from its origins in Japan. Over recent years the sport of Karate has struggled with fragmentation but has now seen a renaissance not least as the main forms are working together as the sport will take centre stage at the 2020 Olympics as a demonstration sport, appropriately hosted in Japan. The Championships competition is across two main disciplines Kata (a real fight against an imaginary opponent and looks like a dance routine) and perhaps the more exciting Kumite or as it is better known as sparring. Within each event there are a number of age and ability categories as well as individual and team competition. 600 competitors from 19 countries took part over the 3-day event. There was a strong contingent from the USA, Portugal and Italy who took on the best from the UK, Kenya, Poland, India and other countries across the globe. Karate is a martial art, which embraces discipline and strict technique with transition from beginner starting with a white belt up to the student status reached with attaining the black belt. But contrary to popular perception, Karate Associations determine the black belt as really the start of the journey to become accomplished and eventually a master with the progression of the Dan recognition (1st Dan, 2nd Dan etc), which characterizes achievement and aptitude. Scoring whether in the Kata or Kumite events is based on performing recognized technical maneuvers as well as power and speed. With Olympic status on the horizon the sport is set to grow exponentially and already the sport has witnessed a rise of standards where some 8 or 9 year olds are outstanding in their technique and delivery. However the prime Olympic age will see most competing aged from 18 through to mid-late twenties. The Kata event was a real crowd pleaser with referees and spectators looking to see performance as close to perfection of some 27 technical moves during the performance for which they were judged. However it was the Kumite event, the sparring discipline that was the most dramatic. In the prestigious men’s 18 -23 year old category it was Tuomas Suur (an 18 year old) from Finland that took top honours. Whilst in the women’s 18 -29 year old category it was 20 –year old Tuomas Suur from Portugal who top the title.