Karate is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands and ridge-hands. A karate practitioner is called a karateka. Joint locks, restraints and takedowns are also used, but to a lesser extent. People variously practice karate as a form of self-defense and a way of staying healthy. As a self-defense system, karate teaches a set of principles that can be applied in any situation. As a method of keeping fit and healthy, it develops balance, co-ordination, aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. It also challenges the brain and requires constant mental alertness and agility. It is one of the most commonly practiced self-defense tactics in the world, and there are basically three main components that are included in typical karate training, which are: kihon, kata, and kumite.

Nowadays, there are many resources that will help you learn Karate. You can also learn Karate online. You can read good books on Karate; you can see Karate videos on Internet. For those starting out in martial arts it would be a good idea to first go with a discipline that is very popular, with many schools and teachers, to get a good training base. After the foundation is built and an understanding and appreciation of techniques is reached, it will be easier to move on to other lesser-known types of martial arts.