By GREG BEACHAMAugust 4, 2021 GMT
A child sits in the Olympic rings on display outside the Olympic Stadium where the athletic events are underway at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A child sits in the Olympic rings on display outside the Olympic Stadium where the athletic events are underway at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
TOKYO (AP) The history of karate’s journey to the Olympics would make a pretty good backstory for a martial arts movie.
Generations of determined athletes have collectively spent half a century training, studying and working toward their goal, overcoming setbacks and patiently honing their martial art for the big moment.
Espinós and his fellow karatekas have been trying to gain Olympic recognition since 1970, which is also when the first world championships were held at the Budokan. They finally succeeded in 2016, with its importance to Japan playing a significant role in the decision.
This is a temporary addition: Karate is not on the Paris program for 2024. Espinós and other karate experts still believe their decades of work and sacrifice are about to pay off at the Budokan, and a permanent Olympic place will be their eventual reward.
“Without the Olympic Games, we would always be saying, ‘How big is karate? How good is karate?’” Espinós said. “Now millions of people will watch our sport and discover karate, and they’ll be added to our millions of supporters all over the world.”
Karateâs Big Question in Its Olympic Debut: Is It a Sport or a Martial Art?
To Japanâs traditionalists, karate represents qualities fundamental to the national character. But to be a modern sport, the discipline has been forced to adapt.
Rika Usami, second from left, the head coach of Japanâs national karate team, at a training session in Tokyo last week.Credit.Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times
Aug. 3, 2021, 1:54 a.m. ET
TOKYO â It would be hard to find anyone more qualified to lead Japanâs national karate team than Rika Usami.
She is a third-degree black belt and won a 2012 world championship. She is a bona fide celebrity in the sport, with videos of her performances racking up tens of millions of views. She even wrote a dissertation on the art of punching.