In 1609, war broke out between Japan and Okinawa, a nearby island. Brave efforts from the Okinawan citizens could not overcome the powerful Japanese military. Japan took over rule of Okinawa and immediately put a ban on all weapons. The frustrated Okinawans "felt degraded and weakened by their new rulers" (Laiken, 66). In order to combat the oppressing Japanese, the Okinawans created a weaponless form of self-defense. This method, using only hands and feet as natural weapons, was called "Te", or "hand" (Laiken, 68). According to Diedre Laiken, "Te masters developed techniques which included the deadly use of everyday agricultural implements" (69). Eventually, the name of this martial art would be changed to karate – which means "China hand" or "empty hand."
Today, the uses of karate have changed and new styles have emerged, but the underlying principles have remained consistent. Karate is not only an instrument for self-defense. There are many other uses and benefits of......

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Title: Benefits Of Karate
Approximate Word Count: 1697
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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