Karate on the short list for Olympics

[Mamu_Nestor]

I know that this is not new news but this is the only article that I have found on the subject.

Good or bad what do you think?

This article is from the Karate News website http://www.karatenews.us/News/Olypiclist.html

http://www.karatenews.us/

Karate has been once again selected in the short list of the International Olympic Committee and along with rugby, squash, golf and roller sports it will be examined by the IOC Executive Board for inclusion in the Olympic Programme.

The IOC session that will take place in Copenhagen in October 2009 will review the Olympic Games Programme and will decide on the inclusion of new sports.

The IOC Sports Director, Mr. Christophe Dubi has sent a letter to the WKF President, Mr. Espinos, congratulating him for the tremendous work accomplished in completing the relevant questionnaire for IOC Recognised International Federations.

Source - WKF

[Moenstah]

If some people want their krotty on the olympics, let them...

[cxt]

IMO a poorly thought out idea...,,Judo and TKD have had a charitably "mixed" experience with the Olympic movement.......but then again, does not effect me in the slightest so I its not only not my call, other than having a opinion--which could be wrong I......really does not matter to me.

[Timo]

Hello all.An article just featured in the sports section of our national news paper which said in short.The IOC have stated that the card is full at 28 sports,to introduce another something must make way.A two-thirds majority suport is required to get on the schedule.Karate and squash emerged from IOC voting to go to the finale ballot but neither according to this article have the numbers for London 2012.It also say's that presumably if Karate did get on three martial arts would seem to many so either Judo or Tae kwon do would go.
Regards,Tim H

[Henry]

Personally I'd rather see TKD make a fool of itself than Karate, having seen enough of the olympics to make me cringe. But that's my bias, there's good TKD out there too apparently.

[Mamu_Nestor]

The IOC still has karate on the short list for 2016. Japan has a good chance of winning the bid for the place which would give karate an edge on getting voted in at least for that year. I believe all that will be deiced in Copenhagen in 2009. I also believe that the WKF will hold a tournament that at the same time to demonstrate what they view Olympic karate will look like.

[john_lord_b3]

I work for Indonesia Olympic Committee, and we have plenty of Karate-ka in Indonesia, who has potentials to win medals in International events.

So if inclusion of Karate within the Olympics means improving chances for Karateka from many countries to bring home medals for their nations, I say so be it.

Still, I must warn that, to guard Karate against the bad excesses of "Olympic Sport" status, the WKF must work extra hard.

[Moenstah]

I'd say the wellbeing of the art would overrule the fleeting feelings of national pride over a couple of shiny medals...

[bu-kusa]

I work for Indonesia Olympic Committee,

Any inside information about what form of karate shiai is to be used? My vote is for Knockdown, or Enshin rules.

[Moenstah]

My vote is for Knockdown, or Enshin rules.

Hear hear! Such a ruleset would completely change my view on the Olympics

Or even better (because more spectacular) daido juku rules :D

[ScottUK]

I really enjoy watching judo, but hate olympic judo. Lets hope karate (if selected) doesn't go the same way.

[shoshinkan]

lets hope karate dosn't get selected!

[Andrew S]

I'd say the wellbeing of the art would overrule the fleeting feelings of national pride over a couple of shiny medals...

Not in Japan. The system here has effectively brain-washed people into thinking that "We Japanese do real judo, everyone else just does competition judo." Yet, somehow, all the Japanese judo champs do anything other than competition judo. I imagine the senario will be the same if karate gets the nod.

The politicians would love to see the 2016 Olympics in Tokyo and add another "Japanese sport" to the list.

(And if Tokyo does get the Olympics, I'll gladly slip into a coma for a month or visit some country where TV does not exist)

[Moenstah]

Not in Japan. The system here has effectively brain-washed people into thinking that "We Japanese do real judo, everyone else just does competition judo." Yet, somehow, all the Japanese judo champs do anything other than competition judo. I imagine the senario will be the same if karate gets the nod.

The politicians would love to see the 2016 Olympics in Tokyo and add another "Japanese sport" to the list.

(And if Tokyo does get the Olympics, I'll gladly slip into a coma for a month or visit some country where TV does not exist)

You might consider setting your tv on fire (if it's not a flat screen, but one of those old fashioned ones). The glass implodes nicely

[Simon Keegan]

I think the rules would be under Ippon-Shobu.

I don't see the point of Karate being on at the Olympics since "sport Karate" barely differs from Taekwondo anyway.

Remember when the Great Britain Karate Team put Alfie Lewis on the team in the early 90s? He was a Lau Gar Kung Fu practitioner who had never really studied Karate, but since the competition just consists of punching and kicking it didn't matter.

I can see the same thing happening at the Olympics. Taekwondo players putting a Karategi on and winning wouldn't do much for the art's credibility.

[Andrew S]

No karate for the Olympics, please!
We get misrepresented enough without the sporting stuff.

Make Aussie rules football an Olympic sport instead!

[Shikiyanaka]

Remember when the Great Britain Karate Team put Alfie Lewis on the team in the early 90s? He was a Lau Gar Kung Fu practitioner who had never really studied Karate, but since the competition just consists of punching and kicking it didn't matter.


Yeah, but even better: let's start getting only street workers, roofers, butchers and the like into the gym and find someone to finance them. We'll seek 'em out at the vocational schools; only the studs. This action will be secretly coordinated on an international scale. After one year of training in the forest, under water, on mountains and in cellars, on trees and in space, we give them a bleck belt with lots of stripes on it, and very long. Than, without warning, we start flooding the tournament scene open weight class!!! After some trial and error, we will fix the system, kind of 2.0, 2.1, 3.0 edition of shiaijutsu fighters. Let's create a world wide bunch of self-displaying, completely useless people, good for nothing other than Ippon. Let's build statues for them, pay their rent, and even their cerealia and cocaine! Forever. :laugh:
After they retire, we offer to them lessons in reading and maths, call it social responsibility and receive an order of merit from the pope.:p

[Andrew S]

I'd say the wellbeing of the art would overrule the fleeting feelings of national pride over a couple of shiny medals...

Sorry to be quoting you again.

The latest issue of Gekkan Karate has the world championships in Tokyo as its cover story, and all the big photos are of the Japanese competitors winning points, not matter where they were placed in the event.
Sometimes there is a small photo of the person who won the gold medal, but they are not Japanese...

[Moenstah]

Sorry to be quoting you again.

The latest issue of Gekkan Karate has the world championships in Tokyo as its cover story, and all the big photos are of the Japanese competitors winning points, not matter where they were placed in the event.
Sometimes there is a small photo of the person who won the gold medal, but they are not Japanese...

Andrew,

I was only stating an ideal. I, a hardcore cynic in almost everything. Alas... karate will not be spared the hardships of existence.. :cry:

[john_lord_b3]

Any inside information about what form of karate shiai is to be used? My vote is for Knockdown, or Enshin rules.

The normal WKF/JKF style rules, which includes scoring up to Sanbon, and allows several types of (very specific) takedowns. No body-slams though. I don't have the rulebook with me, but from what I remember, it is light contact style (not full contact). Punches are given the score of one, kicks two, takedowns followed by appropriate strike receive the score of three (sanbon). Allow me to search the Net for details.

[Andrew S]

Andrew,

I was only stating an ideal. I, a hardcore cynic in almost everything. Alas... karate will not be spared the hardships of existence.. :cry:

Then let us drown our sorrows in hard training and beer afterwards.:beer:

[skylinerR32]

Found this quote while looking up some background info on Jigoro Kano on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigoro_Kano):


I have been asked by people of various sections as to the wisdom and the possibility of Judo being introduced at the Olympic Games. My view on the matter, at present, is rather passive. If it be the desire of other member countries, I have no objection. But I do not feel inclined to take any initiative. For one thing, Judo in reality is not a mere sport or game. I regard it as a principle of life, art and science. In fact, it is a means for personal cultural attainment. Only one of the forms of Judo training, the so-called randori can be classed as a form of sport... [In addition, the] Olympic Games are so strongly flavoured with nationalism that it is possible to be influenced by it and to develop Contest Judo as a retrograde form as Jujitsu was before the Kodokan was founded. Judo should be as free as art and science from external influences -- political, national, racial, financial or any other organised interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the benefit of humanity.

Jim Yang

[powerof0ne]

I think the rules would be under Ippon-Shobu.

I don't see the point of Karate being on at the Olympics since "sport Karate" barely differs from Taekwondo anyway.

Remember when the Great Britain Karate Team put Alfie Lewis on the team in the early 90s? He was a Lau Gar Kung Fu practitioner who had never really studied Karate, but since the competition just consists of punching and kicking it didn't matter.

I can see the same thing happening at the Olympics. Taekwondo players putting a Karategi on and winning wouldn't do much for the art's credibility.

Have you ever competed under WKF rules or WTF rules? I have in both at national level...any WTF person that could assimilate to WKF rules at the olympic level with no Karate training deserves an extra award. They're so different in competition on how you score it's not even funny.
It's not a case of just making contact in WKF rules competition to score.

On a side note I would love knockdown rules, kudo(daido juku), etc. over WKF rules but don't see it happening because the WKF and it's sister orgs have been applying to their country's IOCs for a loooooong time.

[Moenstah]

Olympic Games have a pussy set of mind... So daido juku would never make it :cry:

[powerof0ne]

Olympic Games have a pussy set of mind... So daido juku would never make it :cry:


I don't know..not so sure that Daido Juku could make it but Muay Thai has been applying to the Olympics for the last 6+ years or so and has it organized pretty good with the IAMTF which is associated with the WMC.
If Muay Thai makes it you will see gloves, elbow pads, shin pads, and a similar chest protect as in TKD..helmet, and of course mouth guard and cup! Even with a cup it always hurts taking an inside dtae right to the berries! :O

[powerof0ne]

The normal WKF/JKF style rules, which includes scoring up to Sanbon, and allows several types of (very specific) takedowns. No body-slams though. I don't have the rulebook with me, but from what I remember, it is light contact style (not full contact). Punches are given the score of one, kicks two, takedowns followed by appropriate strike receive the score of three (sanbon). Allow me to search the Net for details.

You can get away with striking as hard as you want to the body in WKF rules kumite. You can practically get away with it with jodan geri as well...trust me on this, full strikes to the body aren't anything abnormal in this kind of competition. However, speed and proper technique is what wins in WKF competition..cream of the crop of WKF right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhEZj721Tgc&feature=related
Go look through WTF competition and show me a tsuki that scores...you won't find many. I've literally knocked people down in WTF competition with punches and never received one point.
I'd also like to say that I'm by no means a WKF person these days...I am primarily a muay thai/bjj/knockdown kumite person. If I tried to go back to these kinds of rules I would do very bad....not that having a steel plate in my pelvic bone as of August 19th really helps me much, neither ;)