Only elaborate contest rules prohibiting dangerous throws and attacks to the sensitive parts of the body make the actual one-on-one combats between two athletes (kumite) possible. Lightning-fast speed, a great variety of techniques and split-second timing are the essence of the sparring.

Karate, like many of the other martial arts, upholds the ties to its Buddhist roots and strives to go beyond the technical aspects of combat. Besides defending against and defeating an opponent, the techniques and the training aim for the karateka to develop certain human qualities as well: self-control is just one of them.

 Karate at The World Games 2005