The K is on the Way - Olympic Games 2020

[DWx]

So have you guys seen the bid for Karate to become an Olympic sport at the 2020 games? http://www.thekisontheway.com

Website doesn't actually give all that much info on the nature of the competition but it would be run by the WKF. Doesn't say much about whether it'll be kata or kumite.

It'll be the 3rd time Karate is bidding for inclusion and apparently bookies were favouring Karate over the other 8 sports which are bidding and had been given 1/2 odds for inclusion at 2020.

(BTW Wushu is also shortlisted for 2020 but there doesn't seem to be much info around for it)

[bushido_man96]

It will be interesting to see how all that transpires.

[Zaine]

Hopefully this will transpire.

[Wastelander]

I'm on the side of people against karate in the Olympics, but that's just me. I think they are going to mess up their chances because of the new rules they just put out that ban people from sharing video or photos of any WKF events, though.

[Zaine]

I'm on the side of people against karate in the Olympics, but that's just me. I think they are going to mess up their chances because of the new rules they just put out that ban people from sharing video or photos of any WKF events, though.

What, why? Also, where did you read this?

[Wastelander]

I'm on the side of people against karate in the Olympics, but that's just me. I think they are going to mess up their chances because of the new rules they just put out that ban people from sharing video or photos of any WKF events, though.

What, why? Also, where did you read this?

Jesse Enkamp, who writes the Karate by Jesse blog, posted about it and since he's been working with the WKF to spread information about this "The K is on the Way" program, I believe him.

I, personally, believe that putting karate into the Olympics will further promote the watering down of karate--why spend all that time learning how to apply the kata when you could just get really good at point sparring and make your kata look really nice and make it to the biggest sporting event in the world? I think that it might become much more popular, but if that popularity only serves to spread pretty kata and point sparring then it isn't doing karate any favors. Judo was watered down in order to get it into the Olympics in the first place, and now Olympic rules for Judo govern how Judo is practiced worldwide, which has caused a severe decline in the practice of newaza and has elminated atemi-waza from almost every Judo dojo.

[Zaine]

I feel like this watering down is going to be an indefinite event regardless of Karate's inclusion in the Olympics. In this case I think that this inclusion will bring more people to karate. There's always going to be dojos at an increasing rate transferring their practices over but I think else dojos will do this regardless of the Olympics. Luckily there will always be traditional dojos who teach traditional karate and not sport karate.

[ossemon]

I don't want karate in the Olympics. It will water it down.

It will be to karate-ka jumping up and down for 1:55, and then an attempt at the quickest gyakuzuki for a point...

[Lupin1]

I think the dojos that already practice karate mostly for sport will continue that only adopt the Olympic rules while the more traditional dojos will continue that. Karate's got a much larger base than Judo. I think there's more room for differences and choice, so I don't think Olympic rules and regulations will change it too much, although it may change the way the public thinks of karate or what new students expect when they join. We'll have to be more vocal in advertising the differences between what they see in the Olympics and what they'll learn at more traditional dojos. But I'm sure plenty of sport-oriented dojos will still exist to give interested people Olympic-style karate.

[bassaiguy]

I agree with Ossemon. We already have enough combat sports in the Olympics with Judo, two kinds of wrestling, TKD, and boxing. Dento karate is where it's at (in my not-so-humble opinion).