Karate as a sport, is not commonly known to be an elite sports in Nigeria as a country and Africa, in general.
Football, Athletics, Tennis, Basketball and Boxing, have unwittingly been regarded as the most important sporting disciplines in the country.
Karate is one of the Sports in the Olympic Games, and Nigeria have been part of it but they have not yet unearthed as household names in it.
But beyond being a sporting discipline, karate is an exercise that enhances the human health and must be encouraged by the government, education and sports ministries.
Sports correspondent, Izuchukwu Okosi, runs the rule on the place of karate in sports development, health care, domestic violence and law enforcement.
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Karate is a very physical sports, it’s very mental. It’s almost like a chess game because you are always engaging people.
It keeps one’s body nicely conditioned, and keeps the mind very supple.
But, we must emphasize that learning karate doesn’t mean that you become violent. Well, unless in a case of defending yourself from harm.
So aside the area of professional sports, what are the other importance of karate?
Karate can solve huge health problems. These are the following health benefits of karate.
1. Treatment of Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the worst diseases of mankind, because it affects the sugar levels of the victims.
In Nigeria, there has been many cases of amputation of the legs, or arms of those suffering from this disease.
By learning karate and keeping the body healthy, people are able to fight off the threat of diabetes.
Of course, the patient who is being treated for diabetes would have to continue to receive treatments, but the benefits of learning karate cannot be underestimated.
2. Karate Encourages Healthy Dietary
Karate is a sport in general, especially for the professionals and elites, it encourages good eating habit because sports stars follow strict eating habits and training regimes, that must be adhered to.
Wellness is a big deal and this must also be introduced in the schools, as part of the curriculum.
Nigerian schools have shifted attention from when sports were part of the extra curricular activities.
3. Mental Alertness
Not to be confused with violent conduct, but karate boosts mental alertness of those who know how to adopt it when necessary.
Examples of when it could be Germane is Emergency services/situations.
This ensures that there is a swift reaction and solution to mitigating problems, when trouble comes.
4. Defensive Mechanism
Now we know that there are a lot of domestic violence prevalent in our society, especially against women and the girl child.
However, we must emphasize that this also affects men and young boys, both verbal and physical.
Unless it’s absolutely necessary to fight back and defend oneself against potential criminals, the idea that those who know their karate are physically strong, could act as a discouragement to offenders and trouble makers.
Women in particular, must also take advantage of this opportunity and equip themselves.
Investigation conducted by this writer from some karate schools, indicate that there is an alarming apathy to learning karate by women.
Most women, aside the professional athletes still desire to look feminine and attractive, to the male gender. But the neglect of karate for the purpose of self defence, is a negative thing and there must be orientation programme, that the government must conduct for women and the girl child.
Karate learning, is understood to be embraced in parts of Europe and Asia, but it must be encouraged.
5. Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers, can also use karate-fighting in some ways to dislodge trouble makers, in place of use of arms.
Arms empowerment, has sometimes caused untold deaths, which has also seen innocent people lose their lives in times of conflict.
But a note of warning: This must not be carried out against young people, men or women, and must only be carried out as alternative to the bullets in some situations, especially when effecting arrests.
From research on sources that highlight the importance of Karate, as a sport and martial arts in general, goes beyond treatment of diseases.
It also helps in dealing with emotional and mental health issues.
Prevalent in Asian countries like Sri Lanka, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, India and Taiwan, and also in the United States of America, Karate is a key component of the Marital arts
The martial arts, is a great way to deal with stressful situations, especially in a third world country such as Nigeria.
Channeling all the supposedly ‘bad energy’ from all the hustle and difficulties in everyday lives to karate, could also make for a better decision-making because in in-fight situations, there are strategies to adopt in order to defend an ‘opponent’.
The sport encourages practitioners to embrace deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. It further helps train one’s mind to remain focused, calm and alert.
It fosters a sense of calm, confidence, and renewed peace, and helps in better understanding of the purpose in life.
The physical side of things cannot be taken for granted, as it offers a nice boost of “feel-good” chemicals like endorphins, that lift a person’s mood.
Those who acknowledge the place of karate in self development, achieve greater emotional stability, assertiveness, self-confidence, and lessen aggressive feelings towards others, who may have genuinely offended them.
In a bid to deal with the distressing emotional experiences that affect ability to function, it’s best to consider talking to a licensed mental health professional.
In terms of demography and gender participation in the sports, men are more involved in karate, while there is somewhat apathy towards it by the women.
Dolapo Phillips, a certified coach, instructor of ‘Shotekan’ karate, a kind of Karate practised in Japan runs a training institute in Lagos Island, but admitted in an interview with a television station that women rarely takes the practice seriously.
The daughter of late broadcast icon, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, of Daar Communications, spoke of how a team of judges in the legal industry approached her organization for a session, which was free but no lady was in sight.
However, it’s worth noting that it’s not a substitute for mental health treatment.
There should be a conscious effort to make the best, out of a somewhat challenging situation.
